Xander Schauffele Dealing With ‘Frustrating’ New Problem After He Overcame Rib Injury

Just a year ago, Xander Schauffele was the man who made the impossible look casual. Two majors, a swing in perfect sync, and a spot among the most reliable closers in golf. Fast forward to 2025, and the results haven’t matched the resume. There are flashes of brilliance on his scorecard, but the dominance of a year ago feels more like a memory. And what’s worse is, Schauffele doesn’t know how to fix it.

The issue began when a rib injury from the previous season disrupted his form. An intercostal strain and a slight cartilage tear forced him to rest for two months and to make changes in his swing mechanics. He tried to claw his way to that smooth motion, but certain ‘bad habits’ crept in. The club started getting “too far across” and “getting short.” His forearms tensed up, and small flaws in the setup snowballed into missed shots.

These discrepancies were visible during the Arnold Palmer Invitational this year when Xander Schauffele made five straight bogeys from holes 6 to 10. Beyond anecdotal evidence, his stats also showed the impact. He was one of the best drivers on the TOUR in 2024, but this year, he ranked outside the top 100 in Strokes Gained. Meanwhile, he ranked 125th in putting despite being one of the best putters on TOUR since 2017. “I’m very upset with how I’ve been playing,” Schauffele said earlier this year.

 

Xander Schauffele needs at least a solo 21st this week to make it the @TOURChamp for the ninth straight year, which is the longest active streak on TOUR. pic.twitter.com/x8SwqnTSyN

— Golfbet (@Golfbet) August 13, 2025

Addressing a press conference in Maryland, ahead of the BMW Championship, he said, “I had some frustration before when I didn’t know what the problem was, and I’m sort of shooting in the dark and having no clue what to do. Now it’s sort of all right, this is the issue: how do we fix it? This is being difficult. So frustrating in different ways.

Despite trying to fix his issue, the 2-time major champion posted several solid finishes this year. These included top-10 results at The Masters, The Open Championship, and the Scottish Open. Even so, he is not satisfied. “This is my worst position I’ve ever been in, injury aside. Even my rookie year I was in a better position,” he confessed. He had a very decent performance at the St. Jude Championship (T22), although he was looking forward to delivering some of his best golf.

These results, while respectable, only highlight the gap between where he is and where he wants to be. For a player who thrived on closing out tournaments, near misses have started to pile up. His putting inconsistencies have turned potential wins into top-10s, and his approach play hasn’t quite regained its former sharpness. He is entering the BMW Championship at 43rd position, which, let’s be honest, feels far below what you’d expect from a player of Schauffele’s calibre.

Now the focus is survival — making it through the playoffs, one event at a time. “Just sort of need to work my way through the playoffs,” he added. There’s a strange kind of relief in it, too. Because for him, playing with the security of being “in until the end” lets him swing a little freer, and that’s the mindset he’s trying to recapture. Especially now that he’s qualified for the Ryder Cup.

Can the Ryder Cup be Xander Schauffele’s redemption arc?

Xander Schauffele is now a confirmed contender on the US Ryder Cup team, alongside JJ Spaun and Scottie Scheffler. A strong Ryder Cup could be the perfect button for him. The event’s pressure-cooker atmosphere is where he has historically thrived—an individual match record of 4 wins and 4 losses, contributing 50% of the possible points. With the crowds at Bethpage expected to be rowdy and partisan, he’ll have a chance to feed off that energy.

A few clutch wins across fourballs, foursomes, and singles could help him bury the frustrations of his early-season injury and the swing adjustments that slowed his momentum. Even in a year without a victory, his ball-striking has remained world-class, and the Ryder Cup is the kind of stage where that precision can directly translate to points on the board.

The Ryder Cup is unlike any event in golf, and I’m incredibly proud to qualify for my third U.S. Team appearance.  I cannot wait to get to New York and give everything I’ve got to help our team succeed,” Schauffele told the Ryder Cup after his qualification.

Beyond just helping Team USA reclaim the trophy from Europe, performing well in New York could give Schauffele something more personal — a shot of confidence heading into the next season. If he delivers, it won’t just be a win for the US side; it could be the spark that turns a challenging year into a springboard for a far stronger 2026. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

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