British Open: Xander Schauffele has ‘no idea' where his gold medal is from his Olympics win
But now, several years later, Schaffele doesn't know where that gold medal — something that's seen as one of, if not the most meaningful award in all of sports — got off to.
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'I actually have no idea where that is, to be completely honest,' Schauffele revealed on Tuesday ahead of the British Open at Royal Portrush.
While that sounds wild on its face, Schauffele deserves a little bit of grace here. It's not like he only misplaced his gold medal. He doesn't have any of the trophies he's won throughout his career. If anything, he said, they're at his parents' house 'probably in a bank vault.'
'What am I going to do with [the gold medal]? I don't really invite people over to my house,' Schauffele said. 'Am I just going to go look at it myself? That's the way I feel about it. I don't want to walk into a trophy room like, 'look how great I am.''
There is one small spot in his home, though, where his Olympics win has its place. But Schauffele didn't have anything to do with it, and he hates it.
'My wife hung up some pictures of me in my gym of like me winning the Olympic medal, and she put it so high up I can't reach it,' he said. 'I have to get a ladder now, and it bothers me. Like if anything, put up like me in a Masters jacket, like that would piss me off, you know what I mean?'
Schauffele has won nine times on the PGA Tour in his career. He won his first two major championships last season, too, including at last year's British Open at Royal Troon. Schauffele enters this week at No. 3 in the Official World Golf Rankings. While he's not won yet this season, he's not missed a single cut and is coming off a T8 finish at the Scottish Open last week. He said he was "pretty close" to being truly comfortable with his swing at The Renaissance Club, too, which was his goal in the lead up to the final major championship of the season.
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Though he got to hold onto the Claret Jug after last year's win — Schauffele said he drank both tequila and wine out of the iconic trophy while celebrating in Portugal — he had to return it to the R&A this summer in exchange for a replica, as is tradition.
So if he loses that one, which it sounds like he will soon, it won't be as big of a deal. The fact that he kept track of the real thing for a full calendar year feels like a miracle.
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