Schauffele trying to ‘piece way back' ahead of Open defence
London
Defending Open champion Xander Schauffele admits it was humbling to see the 'perfect storm' which brought him two majors in three months last summer disappear.
A year ago the 31-year-old added the Claret Jug to his US PGA title in a stellar season which also brought 13 other top-10 finishes.
However, a rib injury in December restricted him to just one appearance in the first three months of this year and any hope he had of continuing his momentum was lost.
'Going from on top of the moon to, you know, knocked off completely, it's a humbling thing for sure,' Schauffele told the PA news agency at an event for sponsors Callaway in Portrush's famous Harbour Bar.
'Winning my first major, getting the monkey off my back, came at a perfect time - if you want to, call it a perfect storm.
'Feeling completely free and playing unbelievable golf, it's a pretty dangerous thing so I felt like I was riding that wave.
'So I'm just trying to piece my way back, gain a little bit of confidence each and every week with each and every shot to be honest.'
His confidence received a boost with only his second top-10 finish in 12 events at last week's Scottish Open.
Performing well on a links course was ideal preparation for the defence of the Claret Jug he won at Troon, but the American does not really view it in that manner.
'It's a strange thing to defend when the venue changes. When I handed over the Claret Jug on Monday morning it felt like a defence, but when I'm on the property I'm not remembering the shots I hit when I won,' added Schauffele.
'I'm trying to relearn the course, learn how far the ball's going, what the winds are doing, what bunkers you can and can't hit it in.
So it's a weird thing.' What does not change, however, is the fact he has two majors under his belt to give him valuable experience.
He said: 'I don't think it hurts. I think it's one of those things where, if I can get myself in a position, I've done it twice now.
There'll be a pack of guys who have done it more than that and then there'll be a pack of guys who've never done it.
'So it'll give me a slight advantage in that moment, but we're far away from that and I'm trying to focus on some small things to start.
'My advantage will be if I can put myself in a good position come the weekend.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Qatar Tribune
a day ago
- Qatar Tribune
Rory McIlroy switches focus to being at top form for Ryder Cup
London: Rory McIlroy is resetting his focus and his schedule in order to be on top form for Europe's defence of the Ryder Cup. Finishing a distant seventh to Open champion and world number one Scottie Scheffler was not how the Northern Irishman wanted to end his major season, especially on home soil at Royal Portrush. But having shown he is over the blip he encountered after his Masters win, which completed the career Grand Slam in April, the 36-year-old is keen to save his best for Bethpage in New York this September. He still has the FedEx Cup play-offs to come in August but his real motivation comes the following month and that is why he will not be playing much as he looks to retain his sharpness. 'I feel like being back in Europe for a bit was a nice reset,' said McIlroy. 'I feel like I'm getting back to where I want to be and we've still got a lot of golf left this year with obviously Ryder Cup being the big one in there in September. II don't want to play too much leading up to that because I want to be fresh. I'll reflect on what's been already a good year and start to get myself ready for that run up to the Ryder Cup.' (PA Media/DPA)
Qatar Tribune
a day ago
- Qatar Tribune
Trump urges Commanders and Guardians teams to reverse name change
DPA Washington US President Donald Trump on Sunday called for Washington's football and Cleveland's baseball teams to revert to their former names, which had long been criticized as racist. 'The Washington 'Whatever's' should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team. There is a big clamoring for this,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'Likewise, the Cleveland Indians, one of the six original baseball teams, with a storied past,' he wrote. 'Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen. Their heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them. Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a Country of passion and common sense.' Trump went on to say he may 'put a restriction' on the Washington team if they did not revert. 'I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington. The Team would be much more valuable, and the Deal would be more exciting for everyone,' Trump wrote. The Redskins name was retired in 2020, in what was seen a major win for Native American activists who had long seen the team's name as an offensive slur against the indigenous people of the US. The team played as the Washington Football team for two seasons and rebranded as the Washington Commanders in 2022. Cleveland dropped the name Indians in 2020, before announcing the switch to Guardians in 2021. Many sports teams reconsidered their names amid a protest movement against racism, sparked by the 2020 death of George Floyd, a black man, in police custody.
Qatar Tribune
a day ago
- Qatar Tribune
Focus
Former tennis star Boris Becker speaks at a panel discussion at the World University Games in North Rhine-Westphalia, Essen, Germany on Monday. (DPA)
