Xander Schauffele facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Xander Schauffele
Schauffele in 2021
Personal information
Full name	Alexander Victor Schauffele
Born	(1993-10-25) October 25, 1993 (age 31) San Diego, California, U.S.
Height	5 ft 10 in
Weight	175 lb
Residence	Jupiter, Florida, U.S.
Spouse	Maya Schauffele ​ (m. 2021)​
Career
College	California State University Long Beach San Diego State University
Turned professional	2015
Current tour(s)	PGA Tour
Former tour(s)	European Tour Web.com Tour
Professional wins	12
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	9
European Tour	4
Other	3
Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 2)
The Masters Tournament	T2: 2019
U.S. Open	T3: 2019
The Open Championship	Won: 2024
PGA Championship	Won: 2024
Achievements and awards
PGA Tour Rookie of the Year	2016–17

Alexander Victor Schauffele (born October 25, 1993) is an American professional golfer. He plays on the PGA Tour, which is a big golf competition. Xander won the Tour Championship in 2017. He also won a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020. In 2024, he had an amazing year. He won two of golf's biggest tournaments, called major championships. These were the 2024 PGA Championship and the 2024 Open Championship.

Early Life and Family

Xander Schauffele was born in San Diego, California, on October 25, 1993. His mother, Chen Ping-Yi, was born in Taiwan and grew up in Japan. His father, Stefan Schauffele, was born in Stuttgart, Germany. Stefan's mother was French, and his father was German.

A Family of Athletes

Xander's father, Stefan, was a talented athlete. He wanted to be a decathlete, which is someone who competes in ten different track and field events. Sadly, at age 20, he was in an accident and could no longer compete. During his recovery, he became very interested in golf. He later moved to the United States.

Xander's parents met in San Diego in 1988. They got married a few months later. They lived in Germany for a short time, where Xander's older brother, Nico, was born. Then, they moved back to San Diego.

Starting Golf

Xander's father introduced him to golf when he was nine years old. They joined a golf club together. Stefan was Xander's only golf coach until Xander was 30. Stefan taught Xander based on how the golf ball flies and how the club works. Xander didn't even see his own golf swing until he was about 18. In November 2023, Xander started working with a new coach, Chris Como.

Xander comes from a family of great athletes. Two of his great-grandfathers played soccer in Europe. One of them, Johann Hoffmann, played for the Austrian national team. He won many titles in Austria, Bohemia, and France. Another great-grandfather, Richard Schauffele, was excellent in track and field. He won over 40 titles in events like discus, javelin, and shot put.

Xander also played soccer when he was younger. But he decided to focus on golf. This happened after his soccer coach wouldn't let him play in a more attacking position.

College Golf Career

Xander was a top high school golfer. He won the 2011 California State High School Championship. After high school, he went to California State University Long Beach. In his first year, he was named the 2012 Big West Conference Freshman of the Year.

Playing for San Diego State

Before his second year, Xander moved to San Diego State University (SDSU). He played golf there until he graduated in 2015. At SDSU, he was recognized as an All-American player. He also earned academic awards for his good grades.

Xander set several records at SDSU. He had the lowest tournament score compared to par, which was 17 strokes under par. He also had the best average score per round in his college career.

In 2014, Xander won the California State Amateur Championship. He beat his long-time rival, Beau Hossler, in the final match. Xander was ranked among the top 10 amateur golfers in the world when he became a professional in 2015.

Professional Golf Journey

Xander became a professional golfer in June 2015. He then tried to earn his spot on the Web.com Tour, which is a step before the PGA Tour. He did well in the qualifying tournaments. He finished second in one stage and won another. He finally earned his Web.com Tour card.

Starting on the Web.com Tour

In 2016, Xander played a full season on the Web.com Tour. He almost earned his PGA Tour card directly. But he secured his spot through the Web.com Tour Finals. This meant he would play on the PGA Tour in 2017.

2017: Rookie of the Year

Xander played his first PGA Tour event in January 2017. In June, at the U.S. Open, he played a fantastic round. He shot a 66 without making any bogeys. This was a great achievement for a first-time U.S. Open player. He finished tied for fifth place.

Just three weeks later, Xander won his first PGA Tour event. This was at the Greenbrier Classic. This win earned him spots in other major tournaments. He then qualified for the Tour Championship, which is the final event of the season. He won the Tour Championship by one shot. This made him the first rookie to ever win this event. Xander finished third in the overall FedEx Cup standings. He was also voted Rookie of the Year by other golfers.

2018: Strong Performances

In 2018, Xander changed his golf equipment sponsor to Callaway. He continued to play well. He finished tied for second at The Players Championship. He also tied for second at The Open Championship at Carnoustie.

Xander started the 2018 FedEx Cup Playoffs in 28th place. He played well enough to make it to the Tour Championship again. He finished tied for seventh in that event.

2019: More Wins and Presidents Cup

Schauffele at the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open

In October 2018, Xander won the WGC-HSBC Champions in China. He won in a playoff against Tony Finau. In January 2019, he won the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. He shot an amazing final round of 62 to win.

In April, Xander tied for second place at the 2019 Masters Tournament. He was just one shot behind the winner, Tiger Woods. This was his third top-five finish in a major tournament. In June, he tied for third at the U.S. Open.

In December 2019, Xander played for the U.S. team in the 2019 Presidents Cup in Australia. The U.S. team won the competition. Xander won his singles match against Adam Scott. Many people called him a "hero" for the team.

2021: Olympic Gold Medal

At the 2021 Masters Tournament, Xander was in second place during the final round. He finished third in the tournament.

In August 2021, Xander won the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo. He made a great shot on the final hole to win by one stroke. He was the first American since 1904 to win an Olympic gold medal in golf. In September, Xander played for the U.S. team in the 2021 Ryder Cup. The U.S. team won by a large margin.

2022: Three PGA Tour Victories

In April 2022, Xander won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. This was a team event, and he won with his partner, Patrick Cantlay. In June, he won the Travelers Championship. This was his sixth PGA Tour win.

In July, he won the J. P. McManus Pro-Am, an unofficial event. The same week, he won the Genesis Scottish Open in Scotland. This was his third PGA Tour win in the 2021–22 season. Xander also played for the U.S. team in the 2022 Presidents Cup, which they won.

2023: Ryder Cup

In September 2023, Xander played for the U.S. team in the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy. The European team won this time. Xander won his singles match against Nicolai Højgaard.

2024: Two Major Wins

For the 2024 season, Xander started working with a new coach, Chris Como. Before this, his father had been his only coach.

In May 2024, Xander won his first major championship. He birdied the final hole to win the 2024 PGA Championship. He finished with a score of 21 under par, which set a new record for a major championship. He beat Bryson DeChambeau by one stroke.

In July 2024, Xander won his second major championship. This was The Open Championship at Royal Troon. He became the first golfer to win two major championships in the same year since 2018. He pulled ahead of other players with a strong finish in the final round. He beat Justin Rose and Billy Horschel by two shots.

Personal Life

Xander met his wife, Maya, when they were in college at San Diego State University. They got married in 2021. Xander has family members who live near Tokyo, Japan. He and Maya have traveled to Japan together. Maya even helped Xander during the 2024 Masters Tournament Par 3 Contest.

Amateur Wins

• 2011 California State High School Championship
• 2012 OGIO UC Santa Barbara Invite
• 2014 Lamkin Grips SD Classic, California State Amateur Championship
• 2015 Barona Collegiate Cup

Professional Wins

Xander has won 12 professional tournaments.

PGA Tour Wins (9)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Jul 9, 2017	Greenbrier Classic	64-69-66-67=266	−14	1 stroke	Robert Streb
2	Sep 24, 2017	Tour Championship	69-66-65-68=268	−12	1 stroke	Justin Thomas
3	Oct 28, 2018	WGC-HSBC Champions	66-71-69-68=274	−14	Playoff	Tony Finau
4	Jan 6, 2019	Sentry Tournament of Champions	72-67-68-62=269	−23	1 stroke	Gary Woodland
5	Apr 24, 2022	Zurich Classic of New Orleans (with Patrick Cantlay)	59-68-60-72=259	−29	2 strokes	Sam Burns and Billy Horschel
6	Jun 26, 2022	Travelers Championship	63-63-67-68=261	−19	2 strokes	J. T. Poston, Sahith Theegala
7	Jul 10, 2022	Genesis Scottish Open1	72-65-66-70=273	−7	1 stroke	Kurt Kitayama
8	May 19, 2024	PGA Championship	62-68-68-65=263	−21	1 stroke	Bryson DeChambeau
9	Jul 21, 2024	The Open Championship	69-72-69-65=275	−9	2 strokes	Billy Horschel, Justin Rose

¹Co-sanctioned by the European Tour

European Tour Wins (4)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Oct 28, 2018	WGC-HSBC Champions	66-71-69-68=274	−14	Playoff	Tony Finau
2	Jul 10, 2022	Genesis Scottish Open1	72-65-66-70=273	−7	1 stroke	Kurt Kitayama
3	May 19, 2024	PGA Championship	62-68-68-65=263	−21	1 stroke	Bryson DeChambeau
4	Jul 21, 2024	The Open Championship	69-72-69-65=275	−9	2 strokes	Billy Horschel, Justin Rose

¹Co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour

Other Wins (3)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	Sep 17, 2015	Northern California Open	70-69-65=204	−7	1 stroke	Brian Thompson
2	Aug 1, 2021	Olympic Games	68-63-68-67=266	−18	1 stroke	Rory Sabbatini
3	Jul 5, 2022	J. P. McManus Pro-Am	64-70=134	−10	1 stroke	Sam Burns

Major Championships

Xander has won 2 major championships.

Wins (2)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runner(s)-up
2024	PGA Championship	Tied for lead	−21 (62-68-68-65=263)	1 stroke	Bryson DeChambeau
2024	The Open Championship	1 shot deficit	−9 (69-72-69-65=275)	2 strokes	Billy Horschel, Justin Rose

Major Tournament Results

This table shows how Xander has done in major golf tournaments over the years.

     Win      Top 10      Did not play CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Major Performance Summary

World Golf Championships

Wins (1)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runner-up
2018	WGC-HSBC Champions	3 shot deficit	−14 (66-71-69-68=274)	Playoff	Tony Finau

WGC Results Timeline

¹Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic
     Win      Top 10      Did not play NT = No tournament
"T" = Tied
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play

Team Appearances

Xander has played for the United States in several team golf competitions.

Professional Teams

• Presidents Cup: 2019 (winners), 2022 (winners), 2024 (winners)
• Ryder Cup: 2021 (winners), 2023

See also

In Spanish: Xander Schauffele para niños