Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas… add Xander Schauffele to the list of bright new American twentysomethings set to dominate
American, aged just 23, bagged £2.58m after landing Tour Championship and big finish in FedEx Cup to mark out breakthrough year
XANDER SCHAUFFELE — remember the name.
It may be tough to pronounce, but it is one golf lovers are going to hear plenty of times in the coming years.
The Tour Championship winner is the latest twentysomething American to make victories in big events look ridiculously easy — although no one seemed more surprised than he was.
Schauffele, 23, got a big laugh when he was asked before Sunday’s final round what he would do if he won the £7.4million bonus for topping the FedEx Cup standings.
He said: “Hell, I’ve got no idea. I haven’t even thought about it — maybe stuff it under my mattress.”
Runner-up Justin Thomas actually claimed the jackpot.
But Schauffele’s win lifted him from 26th to third on the final FedEx list, adding £1.48m to his £1.1m winner’s cheque. So that mattress is going to be pretty lumpy.
This time last year Schauffele was on the second tier Web.com Tour, watching old amateur rivals Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Daniel Berger hoover up the big prizes.
But the Californian, whose full first name is Alexander, has not looked back since surviving a five-man play-off to earn a spot in the US Open.
He finished fifth at Erin Hills, and a month later a birdie at the final hole clinched victory at the Greenbrier Classic.
Schauffele then earned his Tour Championship spot with four birdies and an eagle in his last six holes at the BMW Championship.
But he thought he had missed the two-footer for his vital birdie at the 18th at East Lake on Sunday, as it did a 360-degree loop before dropping.
That was the putt that would see Schauffele finish one shot ahead of Thomas.
He added: “It’s been a wild ride. I weaseled my way into this event last week and I have been weaseling my way around all year. That last putt kind of summed it up.
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“My hands were shaking so much.
“It did a full ring-a-rosy and at that moment I was thinking I couldn’t believe I’d missed a two-footer to win such a big tournament.”
Schauffele has good sporting genes.
Dad, Stefan, was an Olympic-class decathlete in Germany, before he was badly injured when he was knocked down by a drunk driver.
He moved to California and turned to golf, and still coaches his son.
Schauffele’s name should be pronounced: Zan-der Shaw-fa-lay. So does he think people will find it easier to say now he has hit the big time? “No chance,” he replied.
Birdie of the week
RISING star Xander Schauffele’s two-footer to clinch the Tour Championship almost lipped out, but it caught enough of the hole. America have another hot prospect for next year’s Ryder Cup team.
Bogey of the week
ANY of the four that Paul Casey posted at East Lake before making his solitary birdie at the 18th, as yet another winning chance went begging. It is eight years, and counting, since his only PGA Tour win.
Say that again
“IT wasn’t my week in terms of winning, but it definitely came with a nice consolation prize.” Justin Thomas scoops the £7.4million FedEx Cup jackpot.
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