They once dubbed him the “best player never to win a major.” Well, not anymore. Xander Schauffele managed to clinch his first major victory at the 2024 PGA Championship, and he was visibly excited. “It’s just like a drug,” admitted the golfer. “You just wanna keep having that feeling. I think my favorite feeling in golf is to be in the hunt, regardless of the outcome or the result.” But soon after, the athlete himself admitted to having a similar “awesome” emotion, all thanks to Tiger Woods.
The 48-year-old failed to make the cut at the recently concluded major. That did not stop the 82-time PGA Tour champ from contacting him and congratulating him on his iconic triumph. And Schauffele was all ears for it, and later on, he ended up narrating the conversation while conveying his exhilaration for the same.
USA Today via Reuters
May 19, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Xander Schauffele holds The Wanamaker Trophy after winning the PGA Championship golf tournament at Valhalla Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
“He texted me, ya know,” recounted the 1-time major champ in an interview with Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz on the latest episode of GOLF’s Subpar. Schauffele then mentioned how Woods expressed his wishes as well as the pride he had for him: “He texted me something along the lines of, ‘You know, all those times you were close, I think that hardened you for this moment … and I’m proud of you. It’s incredible. I couldn’t be more proud of you. That was an awesome text I got from T-Dub.’” The 30-year-old had been without a win for more than a year with his last victory coming at the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open. Since then, he has garnered a total of 11 top-10 finishes in 2023 and 9 top-10 finishes in 2024 before his recent triumph.
Schauffele then went ahead to admit how he agreed with the 15-time major champ, all the while drawing inspiration from him. “I think he is right,” said the golfer, before adding that “he’s been through it all himself.” Tiger Woods had been without a victory since he won the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational until 2018, when he won the Tour Championship and then the subsequent Masters Tournament in 2019.
Mr. T thus entered the 106th PGA Championship, hoping to turn the tides and clinch his fifth title at the major. However, what awaited him was nothing short of disappointment when he failed to meet the expectations of millions of fans around the world.
Tiger Woods misses the cut, and Xander Schauffele emerges victorious
Although Tiger Woods had posted his best major start in over two years, that wasn’t remotely enough for the golfer to become eligible for Moving Day. He scored a total of six birdies, seven bogeys, and two double bogeys over the two days, the last two of which came during the second round. The Hall of Famer, as a result, registered figures of 72-77 on the par-71 Valhalla Golf Club, leading to an overall score of +7.
May 16, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Tiger Woods lines up a shot on the 10th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Valhalla Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Schauffele, meanwhile, made the cut while cementing his place at the top of the scoreboard. On Saturday, he carded a total of 25 birdies, 2 bogeys, and a single double bogey before going ahead to dish out 62-68-68-65, totaling 21-under 263. No wonder the legend of the game, Tiger Woods, himself texted him to congratulate the golfer on his win.
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