Xander Schauffele apologises to Scottie Scheffler after confessing to news leak
Scottie Scheffler was left red-faced when Xander Schauffele inadvertently revealed the world No. 1's failed driver test after his PGA Championship win earlier this month
Two-time major winner Xander Schauffele had to apologise to Scottie Scheffler after he accidentally let slip the results of the world No. 1's failed driver test. The Californian golfer later explained that his blunder was due to being impressed by Scheffler's performance.
Driver testing has been a hot topic in the sport of golf recently, especially after it was revealed that Scheffler and Rory McIlroy both had their equipment fail checks at the PGA Championship.
Scheffler went on to claim his third major title at Quail Hollow, regardless, finishing five strokes ahead of his rivals. It was this impressive feat that led Schauffele to inadvertently share the news with the media.
While McIlroy, aged 36, seemed to struggle with his backup driver - a fact already known to the press - Schauffele unintentionally became the source of the revelation about Scheffler's equipment change.
"I was the one who leaked it, basically, about Scott's," Schauffele admitted sheepishly following the PGA Championship. "To me, it was more of like, a credit to how good he was, y'know?
"I didn't realize - I apologized. I was like: 'Sorry, dude. I wasn't trying to have that be a question in your media after you just won another major.' It was more about, like, this guy just used his backup and absolutely rinsed the field again."
Schauffele, who tied for 28th at Quail Hollow, was evidently in awe of his Ryder Cup team-mate. In expressing his admiration, he inadvertently spilt the beans on details that are typically kept under wraps, particularly concerning another player.
The American's sense of guilt was somewhat alleviated by Scheffler, who revealed that his team anticipated his driver might soon fail if it were tested.
Thirty drivers are tested each week to ensure they comply with regulations. A more worn club can offer an advantage by providing extra springiness upon impact.
The testing procedure has come under intense scrutiny following recent controversies. Scheffler advocates for testing the entire field instead of just a random selection of thirty.
"I would test everyone and make sure I would get everyone's serial number with a driver. [It's] pretty easy," Scheffler stated before the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village.
This sentiment echoes Schauffele's from 2019 when his driver was among those that failed testing and had to be replaced.
"I would gladly give up my driver if it's not conforming. But there's still 130 other players in the field that potentially have a nonconforming driver as well," he said.
"Had a word with [the R&A], and hopefully they take my comments seriously and my concern just because it wasn't my plan to show up Monday morning of a major or Tuesday—sorry, it was Tuesday evening where I was doing driver testing here. It's not really what players want to be doing.
"What's the fair thing to do? Just test the whole field. It's plain and simple. When I talked to them, they didn't really know how to ... you can't really answer that question. You test everyone, it's simple as that."
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