VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP

March 24, 2024

Xander Schauffele

Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead)

Quick Quotes

Q. Final round 65 to move to 8-under. Right now, you're a shot off the lead. How do you think this afternoon's going to play out, given the conditions out here?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I'm not sure. It doesn't feel like it's enough. It was a day that could have been a really low one. 65's obviously not something I'm going to complain about on a Sunday, but missed a few, made some silly mistakes early in my round. Then kind of had a snap-out-of-it moment there on 11, and it kind of paid off coming in.

Q. Can you talk about those last, I think it's 6-under in the last eight. Talk about that stretch a little bit.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, it felt like a really slow day and we were waiting. I think we waited on 15 of our holes today, so I was getting a little testy, a little impatient, and I told Austin, I'm going to start trying. Like, I need to try to focus more. Not that I wasn't trying, I just needed to try and focus more and lock in because it felt like there were such big breaks between shots, it was hard to get into any flow. So I think once I kind of locked in and kind of accepted what was happening, I started to hit better shots.

Q. Did you come out at the start of the day, like, after last night, come out with a score in mind or a number to get to? Is that something that you do?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I was trying to get to 12 or 13 after Friday. I was at 2 and, I mean, I feel like I've been playing really good golf. I just haven't really put anything together. I putted really poorly yesterday and I putted okay today. I don't think I putted great. I started to hit some quality iron shots finally.

But, yeah, I feel like I was playing really good golf to shoot something crazy low and it just doesn't feel like 6 today was going to be enough.

Q. You needed at least a birdie at the last. Can you tell us what club you hit, how long you had --

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I hit a big drive there and it kind of hit the corner of that bunker and careened forward. I had about 107 yards. Hit a sand wedge in there to 6, 7 feet and was able to make the putt.

Q. No matter what happens at the end of the day, what does this do for you going forwards, just shooting a round like this on the final day?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, it's nice. It definitely helps me feel more comfortable with my game. I felt like I was making really good swings. Even compared to last week, I feel like I made better swings this week at times, especially on some of those really tough holes like 16 and a few holes on the front nine as well that kind of get your attention. So, overall pretty happy with where things are at.

Q. What's the plan now? Get some lunch and -- what do you do?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Kind of an awkward holding pattern. I'm going to sit and creep the leaderboard, maybe catch some basketball as well, just to distract myself a bit, but for the most part just hang around and, like I said, I'm not expecting too much to happen. Everyone's pretty darn good at this game. I'll keep an eye on it and hope for the best, but overall just happy with where I stand.

Q. This is probably something you can't answer, but what you do you think, does it get to a certain number and then you're like, I'm out of here, or how does that work?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: You just never know. I don't know where the wind's supposed to sit and how much it's supposed to blow. 16 is a fun hole, you know, into left-to-right. Then you have 17 into, kind of into right-to-left. Then 18 was kind of straight across. So if the wind switches and, you know, all those holes can kind of play awkwardly, very across, which is not the most favorable wind. But, yeah, you just never know what can happen.

Q. Finally, do you recall being in this position, like finishing early with a good score and the possibility --

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, it happened in Dallas. I shot, I think I shot 10-under the final round maybe. 10, maybe 11. At TPC Craig Ranch, and I just left. I was like one ahead or tied for the lead when I understand finished, and I just knew guys were going to shoot nothing. I think I ended up finishing like fifth or something like that. So, for a little bit people made me feel weird about it, especially media, asking me, you know, crazy to leave, but I was pretty confident that the guys were going to shoot nothing.

Q. Slightly different circumstance here.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, you have the Snake Pit and all and it's a much more difficult golf course.