Xander Schauffele Missing East Lake as Ryder Cup Decision Looms

Xander Schauffele’s Struggles and the Road to the Ryder Cup

Xander Schauffele is not at East Lake for the first time in his career, a situation brought on by a rib injury that cost him two months at the start of the season. The injury disrupted his swing, making it difficult for him to find momentum in his game. "It would be nice to have three months off. That would be ideal if we were being honest," Schauffele said during the BMW Championship. "I feel like I need to get as far away from golf as possible very soon. That’s how I feel."

However, this isn’t the reality for Schauffele. Last year, he had an impressive performance in the majors, winning the PGA Championship and the British Open, along with top-10 finishes in the other two. This success secured his spot on the Ryder Cup team. But with the event just 38 days away, the question remains: will he be there?

Schauffele was among the players who confirmed to The Associated Press in July that the U.S. team planned to play at the Procore Championship in Napa, California, the week of Sept. 8-14. However, there are exceptions, such as Bryson DeChambeau, who left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf and was involved in legal battles with the tour.

Schauffele himself is unsure whether he will participate. "I’m not sure," he said when asked about his plans. "I haven’t signed up yet. It would be nice to play, but if I don’t think playing is going to help me, then I won’t play."

Despite his struggles, Schauffele has managed to extend his cut streak to 71, which is exactly halfway to the record held by Tiger Woods. He also finished in the top 12 six times and earned two top 10s in the majors. "I think I understand more than I did before," he said. "The frustration before was more not understanding why I was doing certain things. Now I know why I’m hitting it bad and don’t know how to fix it. So, frustration for different reasons. I don’t know what’s worse."

Schauffele maintains a positive attitude despite the challenges. "I love golf. I love trying to figure it out," he said. "But it’s been a trying year. I definitely need to hit the reset button. The next step will be to come back with a solid plan and stick to it."

Harris English’s Connection to East Lake

Harris English has more than $10 million in reasons to want to win the Tour Championship for the FedEx Cup. Growing up three hours away in Moultrie, Georgia, and playing college golf at Georgia, English has deep ties to the region. His connection to East Lake dates back to 1998, when he attended the tournament as a 9-year-old. "I came out here in 1998," English said. "I still have a brochure of whatever it was that I used to get a bunch of guys' autographs. I met Payne Stewart. This to me is the first event I went to and was like: ‘This looks really good. I want to do this when I'm older.'"

English played multiple sports as a child, but golf eventually took hold. "Tiger Woods was on the scene and the PGA Tour was starting to take off," he said. "I was in awe of the guys out here. I was taking pictures of everybody, didn't care who they were." This was 1998, and he was using a disposable camera. "This was one of my first golf moments, coming to this tournament," he said. "It means more to me being at East Lake, but also being our Tour Championship."

Walker Cup Teams Announced

Niall Shiels Donegan, a Scottish player raised in the San Francisco Bay area, made a big impact at the U.S. Amateur by reaching the semifinals. He was rewarded with a spot on the Great Britain & Ireland team for the Walker Cup. Similarly, Miles Russell, a high school senior from Georgia, finished third in the 36-hole qualifying and reached the quarterfinals, earning a spot on the U.S. team as the first alternate.

Both teams announced their 10-member rosters for the September 6-7 matches at Cypress Point, the first time the course has hosted the amateur matches since 1981. The U.S. team includes world No. 1 amateur Jackson Koivun, while the GB&I team features Luke Poulter, son of Ryder Cup stalwart Ian Poulter.

RBC's Continued Support of Golf

The day before the PGA Tour released its schedule, RBC announced a multiyear extension of its title sponsorship for the RBC Heritage and the RBC Canadian Open. Since taking over in 2008, RBC has provided stability to the Canadian Open, even with its challenging placement on the schedule. Rory McIlroy's participation this year helped elevate the event's profile. The RBC Heritage, held at Hilton Head, is known for its picturesque setting and has become a signature event with a $20 million purse.

Other Golf News

The TGL indoor league begins its second season on network TV with last year’s finalists, Atlanta against New York, on Sunday, Dec. 28 at 3 p.m. on ABC. The PGA Tour Champions also landed Skechers shoes as the title sponsor of the World Champions Cup, a match-play team event set for December in the Tampa Bay area. Scottie Scheffler has achieved back-to-back seasons with five or more wins, a feat Tiger Woods accomplished six times in his career.

Stat of the Week

The average points gap between Scottie Scheffler at No. 1 and Rory McIlroy at No. 2 is equal to the gap between McIlroy and Taylor Moore at No. 115.

Final Word

"Most of them think I am Joanne Carner.” - Juli Inkster, on seeing players at the Portland Classic when the 65-year-old Hall of Famer played an LPGA event for the first time since 2022.