Can Xander Schauffele Achieve a Repeat Performance at the Scottish Open?

At this time last year, Xander Schauffele was in top form and on a winning streak. He emerged victorious at the Travelers Championship on the PGA Tour, followed by a win at the JP McManus Pro-Am. His remarkable performance continued, defeating top players like Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, and Rickie Fowler by five shots and even outshining the newly crowned United States Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick by a whopping 17 shots. Schauffele maintained his solid play at the Renaissance Club, capturing the Genesis Scottish Open title, marking his fourth win in just 12 months. Describing his success, Schauffele humbly states, “It was probably one of the better months I’ve had in my career.” Despite not having secured a victory in a year, Schauffele remains ranked sixth in the world and continues to exhibit impressive consistency.

The following interview has been edited and condensed.

You had an amazing run of victories last year. Can you describe that experience?

I participated in the Travelers Championship and then played exceptionally well at the JP McManus Pro-Am. Winning the Scottish Open was truly special. I was in a fantastic mindset, hitting the shots and making the putts exactly how I wanted. Everything fell into place, and it gave me a sense of calmness. That feeling of confidence combined with exceptional golf was enough to secure those victories.

How do you adapt from winning at a course like River Highlands, with its unique design and challenging features, to a course like the Renaissance Club?

The transition from River Highlands, where the greens are slower with more undulations, to the Renaissance Club is a bit more relaxed. The Renaissance Club has a more minimalist approach and is not as punishing as River Highlands. The key factor that translates is confidence.

How do you adjust to the varying scoring conditions from the U.S. Open to tournaments like the Travelers and the Scottish Open?

Before each tournament, you take into account the different greens and scoring conditions. It’s all about maintaining the right mentality. At River Highlands, when you find yourself making several pars in a row, you need to stay patient because other players will be making birdies. Each week, you have to outperform the course. Patience is crucial as things won’t always go your way. When playing overseas, there may be a tendency to feel disappointed with pars, but you realize that sometimes par is good enough for victory.

You shot a remarkable 62 in the opening round of this year’s U.S. Open. Can you talk about that experience?

Shooting a 62 at that particular club was unexpected. It had a lot to do with the course setup. Throughout the tournament, there were many low scores. My early success along with Rickie Fowler’s reinforced the belief that there were opportunities out there. However, the most impressive round was Tommy Fleetwood’s 63 on Sunday. My rounds were inconsistent, and I didn’t adapt accordingly. I started strong but struggled to maintain momentum.

What is your strategy for defending your title at the Scottish Open this year?

I’m approaching this tournament with great optimism as I’ve been on the brink of finding my top form. When returning to a course where I’ve performed well, I try not to focus too much on last year’s victory. I’m excited to be back and eager to compete. Typically, I thrive on challenging golf courses, but I’ve developed the belief that I can excel on any course.