Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler have been two of the standout golfers this year and will battle it out for the FedEx Cup, with the former sparing no praise for the latter
Xander Schauffele’s comments about Scottie Scheffler speak volumes
Xander Schauffele has nothing but high praise for Scottie Scheffler as they prepare for a showdown in the FedEx Cup.
As two of the hottest players on tour in 2024, Schauffele and Scheffler’s rivalry ought to be reaching boiling point. But the pair seem to have nothing but respect for one another, as evidenced by Schauffele’s latest comments.
The 30-year-old, who has won both the PGA Championship and The Open this year, admitted earlier this month that 28-year-old Scheffler, who in 2024 has clinched victories at the Masters and the Olympics, had his number. He also waxed lyrical about the World No. 1’s season and insisted he deserved every penny of his winnings (£16.7m) this year.
“If you look at how much 10th has made, the 10th-best player in the world, it’s not going to sniff how much Scottie has made,” Schauffele said speaking ahead of the BMW Championship. “That just shows you how well Scottie has played in these big tournaments.”
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Continued, he said: “Scottie has just been that much more elite. I think he deserves everything that he’s getting.”
Schauffele acknowledges his own aspirations to be World No. 1, yet recognizes that feels like a distant dream given Scheffler’s seemingly insurmountable lead in the Official World Golf Rankings. Nevertheless, Schauffele is doing his utmost to look at the situation with optimism.
“Becoming No. 1 in the world? It’s a very big goal of mine, yes,” he said. “And I’ve been told, yes, that Scottie is an outlier in several years, and I would be (No. 1). But it’s not really good enough, is it? That doesn’t take away from what I’ve done or how I feel. I’m proud with the work that I’ve put in and with the people that are around me and that have helped me. I’m just going to keep knocking. That’s what I do.”
Xander Schauffele has dreams of being World No. 1, but admits doing so will be hard given Scottie Scheffler’s form ( PGA TOUR)
After Scheffler’s Olympic success earlier in the month, Schauffele claimed his American counterpart was “way ahead” of the rest of the players on the tour. However, his high aspirations remain undeterred as he aims for a historic career grand slam: “The career slam has always been written down as something I’ve wanted,” he admitted.
“Getting to two [majors] after not having one for such a long time is something that feels really good. Expectations can be a mean thing and I think all people in sport have a certain amount of cortisol in the body. You stress, you get anxious, have hard times. I have.
“So to get to two is great, and it makes me remember writing this stuff down with my dad at 13 or 14 – number one player in the world, majors, all these things.”
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