LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Maya Schaufel has apologized once, then twice.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Her mind went blank.”
At the 106th PGA Tournament, I watched my husband, Xander Schauffele, sink a 6-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for a 21-under, one-stroke victory and his first major golf championship in 29 tries. My emotions became raw. Championship.
Her eyes were obscured by dark sunglasses as she stood behind the scoring tent at Valhalla Golf Club. Still, she was clearly in tears. The trembling in her voice was her gift.
“This means everything,” she said. “Everything he's worked hard for shows that hard work pays off. He deserves it more than anything. Why would I say that? I think his dedication, hard work, I've seen the time. Even on off weeks, there's no off week. They're always practicing. The struggle never stops.”
The win came just a week after Schauffele lost by one stroke and lost by five strokes at the Wells Fargo Championship. It was the sixth time in his career that he went into the final round tied for the lead but came up just short, openly questioning whether he has what it takes to finish. There were also people. He was already known as the best player in the world who had never won a major, but the louder that voice got this week, the more motivated the laid-back but hyper-competitive Schauffele became. .
Even if those exact words weren't spoken, Maya could feel it.
“I think the chip on his shoulder is gone, my goodness,” she said, pausing for a moment before continuing. “I'm really, really emotional. I think what this means for him is that this is exactly what he's supposed to be doing, which is playing golf at this level. I'm doing what I love.''
She stopped again.
“Sorry, it's dark right now.”
Xander Schauffele celebrates with longtime caddy Austin Kaiser after winning the PGA Championship. (Michael Reeves/Getty Images)
She stood with other members of the Schauffele family and his inner circle, but if there was one thing that came through most of all, it was that Schauffele's journey was not his alone. It also belongs to everyone around him, including Maya, his rock. Stefan Schauffele, his father. Austin Kaiser, his caddy and best friend. his coaches Chris Como and Derek Ueda; Ross Choler, his agent. his brother and road chef Nico Schauffele; and his physical therapists and trainers Rona Semonian and Marnus Marais.
“I'm a big believer in getting the right foundation, the right people and a good team,” Schauffele said. “I believe that if you work hard and do what you think you can do, your efforts will pay off.”
Others may have doubted him, but those around him never did. Even amid last week's disappointment, Schauffele shook hands with Kaiser on the 18th green at Quail Hollow as Rory McIlroy passed Schauffele on the back nine, even though Schauffele had led in each of the first three rounds. Then he said: Almost there, kid. ”
There was meaning not only in the words, but also in the relationship between the two.
“I said, 'I love you,'” Kaiser recalled, sweat still glistening on his face as he stood outside the scoring tent, Schaufel's golf bag slung over his shoulder. “We've been through everything. We've been through a lot. I'm so proud of him.”
There's always been respect for Schauffele's game, but this week it seemed like there was always a sense of “yeah, but.” for example:
• He has 12 top-10 finishes in 28 major appearances before this week. Yes, but no victory.
• He has seven top-10 finishes in 13 PGA Tour events this season. Yes, but no victory.
• He played in the PGA Championship eight times. Yeah, but he's never been in the top five.
But questions about his mental strength were answered on consecutive holes on the back nine Sunday. That time, he chose to use a fairway wood despite his nerves after hitting his tee shot into the right bunker on the par-5 10th hole. He hit it for 284 yards and through the sand. He could have played it safe, as he was more than one stroke ahead at that point, but that wasn't the case.
As the ball landed in the rough, his subsequent wedge shot lacked spin and rolled over the hole onto the fringe, resulting in a two-putt bogey and losing the lead.
While most people remembered last weekend and wondered if his over-aggressiveness was the beginning of another downfall, Schauffele remained undaunted. He stepped into the 11th tee box, flag-hunted, and placed the ball 8 feet from the hole for birdie and regained a share of the lead.
It continued the mental fortitude he showed Saturday, with a double on the 15th and back-to-back birdies. If there was one thing he didn't want to do this week, it was play scared. He was committed to executing whatever shot he took, a lesson he learned the week before.
“Grit,” Kaiser said. “That's who he is.”
The win was delicious for several reasons, but perhaps the biggest reason is that it proves that he made the right choice when he hired Como to replace his father as coach a few months ago. Stefan is the one who introduced him to the game and the one who coached him for a long time. He was also the first to support him when he suggested the switch.
“I was actually able to call him as I was standing there waiting to get on the 18th green (for the trophy presentation),” Schauffele said. “He was a mess. He was crying on the phone. It made me pretty emotional. I told him I had to hang up because I had to walk down. He couldn't show up as he was. …My dad, his goals — he's been my swing coach, my mentor my whole life, his goals are really what a good father would want. He said, “In what capacity can I help you this week?” . He has been sending me positive messages all week, including last week. ”
No surprises there. Xander's journey was and is a family affair.
(Top photo of Xander and Maya Schauffele: Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
