The second leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs teed off yesterday with the BMW Championship, featuring the top 50 players battling for a coveted spot in the top-30 standings. For those on the qualification bubble, every shot counts. But among them, one name stands out for a different reason. That’s Xander Schauffele. Despite holding the No. 3 spot in the OWGR, the American star’s recent form has raised concerns, with analysts warning it could spell trouble not just for his playoff run, but for the major events still to come.
The 31-year-old with two major wins in 2024 was in contention for the PGA Tour Player of the Year. He even hinted at his prime years yet to come. But what the golf world has witnessed in 2025 is nothing less than a concern about career decline. In 2025, he only achieved three top-10 finishes. Talking about the same in the latest podcast of Fried Egg Golf, Brendan Porath and CJ Clark discuss the alarming situation.
Talking about the first round of the BMW Championship performance, Porath shared the concern. He said, “I have an increasing, not high, an increasing amount of Xander alarm. He looked very bad. With wedges. He looked very bad at putting. He looked bad around the green.” The golfer with his round of 74 is placed T40 currently. But what has been concerning is his stats. Despite 71.4% driving accuracy, the golfer’s GIR stood at 55.5% and he carded 5 bogeys and a double bogey.
Further, the two talked about his chances for Atlanta, which require him to finish in a high position. Apart from that, Porath has concerns about his performance at the Ryder Cup, as well. Even though he has automatically qualified for the event, his performance has a different story to state. Talking about the same, PJ Clark said, “It’s been a lost year as a whole, but if you’re looking at it from a Ryder Cup perspective.” Additionally, he added, “If Xander’s your three right now, this second, that’s um, that’s alarming.” The golfer is currently placed third in the Ryder Cup standings, which helps him with an automatic qualification on the American side. But with his form, it is concerning for the analysts as his best finish in 2025 was T8 at the Masters and the Genesis Scottish Open.
Well, in the past, he earned the Ryder Cup slot in 2023 through automatic qualification, but the performance was, in contrast was way better. He recorded two runner-up finishes and multiple top-10 finishes that year. In fact, his performance at the Ryder Cup 2023 has 1 win and three losses, yielding 1 point for the team.
Even in the playoffs, Schauffele has managed to post a 72-hole low score, but victory has still eluded him. That trend, combined with his current form, makes his path to the TOUR Championship a steep climb. Sitting at 48th in the FedExCup standings, he’ll need a strong showing at the BMW Championship to advance. Securing a spot in Atlanta would not only keep his season alive but also provide a much-needed confidence boost. Something he is fully aware of.
Xander Schauffele plans a way out of a ‘frustrating’ situation
During a press conference ahead of the BMW, Schauffele talked about his frustrating situation. 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.” Even after the long break due to injury, he could only achieve T8 as the best finish for the season. For him, the injury was the biggest concern, but after the surgery, he is struggling to find out what’s going wrong for him. Though with some top-10 finishes, he is still in the worst place in his career.
Speaking of which, he confessed, “This is my worst position I’ve ever been in, injury aside. Even in my rookie year, I was in a better position.” Those frank words from Xander Schauffele reveal how sharply his 2025 season has deviated from his usual standards. The world No. 3, fresh off back-to-back major wins in 2024, finished in the top 10 of only two majors and 12th for the U.S. Open and 28th for the PGA Championship.
However, for now away from his situation, he plans to “Just sort of need to work my way through the playoffs.” But it doesn’t seem like his plan to focus on playoff qualification is working. The start of the BMW Championship wasn’t ideal for him as he carded 6 bogeys and a double bogey on the 18th to record a score of 74.
With form and performance on the decline, he has been on the radar of doubt. Even the golfer knows it very well. However, with a T22 finish at the St. Jude Championship, Xander Schauffele is hoping to improve it with his performance. But can he do it? What are your thoughts on that? Share with us in the comments below.
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