MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 11, 2021

Xander Schauffele

Clubhouse Interview

Q. I know this one hurts, but you just told me we're going to be okay. You're coming off four straight birdies. You're within two of Hideki, and you come to 16. Talk me through that entire stretch.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I was coming in hot. I was feeling good. Hideki surprisingly went for the green on 15. I felt like he gave me a little bit of hope there, and maybe a little hyperaggressive there on 16. I've been told so many things by so many veterans. Play the winds you feel. Austin and I, it was 184, we felt down cut at the moment. I hit an 8 iron, and I flushed it. It was not down cut. Then on my drop with a 9 iron, it seemed like it went downwind almost.

That's the hard part about winning out here. I think maybe I could try and hit a different shot there, maybe left to right instead of right to left, which I'm more comfortable with, and that's definitely going to go in the memory bank.

Q. As Justin Rose says, sometimes Augusta National just happens, but I thought Dottie made a great point. It's quick to just say that you got caught up in the moment. She said, I don't think that's what happened. I just think it's a tough golf shot. Would you agree with that?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I'm chasing. If I had a lead, I would have bailed out right or tried to hit some sort of high left to right ball to the right. I think that is a shot on the hole which I just haven't hit enough.

No, I hit a perfect shot. I told Austin I flushed it, which makes it even worse. We can share the misery together. I fought hard. It was a messy start. Hideki was robot-like for 13 holes, didn't make a mistake. I felt like I gave him a little bit of run and a little bit of excitement to the tournament there at the end. Unfortunately, hit it in the drink there.

Q. It's golf. Things happen. Moving forward, there's always two options of it turning into scar tissue or using it as a learning lesson and motivation moving forward. How do you do the latter?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: If you look at my career, you could call it a big ball of scar tissue with a bunch of second places. I don't look at it that way. I don't think my team looks at it that way. So I'll sleep on it.

I hit a good shot. I committed to it. It turned out bad. I'll be able to sleep tonight. I might be tossing and turning, but I'll be okay.