THE PRESIDENTS CUP

September 25, 2024

Xander Schauffele

Royal Montreal Golf Club

Press Conference

Q. What does it take mentally (indiscernible)?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I mean, it's similar to all seasons. I think just when you're in a position to win the tournament, it just takes a little bit more out of you than if you were going to finish -- have a really good week and finish in the top 10 or top 15. You're just -- I don't know, those back nines feel really long, and they're really important, and you feel like you're kind of living and dying by every shot. Just takes a little bit more out of you and makes you appreciate what you're doing and all the people around you helping you get there.

Q. How does confidence help you?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, confidence always helps. Golf is a tricky one. There's a lot of times when you see guys missing six, seven, eight, nine cuts in a row and then all of a sudden they win a golf tournament. Then you talk to them and they'll tell you they found something small on the range or they talked to their mental coach, and gave them a nice little nugget there to get them through the week.

It can go both ways. You can be on top of the world and start playing really poorly and then you have to address why with your team and get back in shape.

I think being consistent is really hard, and there's a lot of swings in the game of golf for sure.

Q. What do you think is your role on this team? Are you the funny one?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: A lot of the guys are really funny. We're so used to competing against each other in that locker room. I think this team is really close. Fortunately for me the teams I've been on have been really close. There's been pretty much zero turmoil. I feel like it's important for us to kind of when we're in that locker room together, enjoy some laughs together, stuff we're not able to do all the time at normal tournaments.

Maybe I take it upon myself to make sure everyone is having a good time and laughing and sort of relaxed.

Q. What's your go-to? Is it verbal needle?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Just some sort of mental abuse probably.

Q. A few quick ones about your teammates. Is there a golf swing on your team that you are jealous of?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Not really. No. I think all the guys -- everyone on this team, they play golf in their own unique way. Whether they're the straightest guy or the longest guy or can shape it the best, everyone here has their strengths and their weaknesses. It's up to our captains to make sure they pair us up nicely to complement each other.

Q. Who would you want to pass the (indiscernible) to?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I'm getting to hum a song in my head by myself, so that stuff doesn't really bother me.

Q. And most likely to show up late on the team.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Myself probably. I've been pushing it this week, showing up right on the button. It's a good thing there aren't any seconds on that clock because I probably would have been late at least once or twice.

Q. What's the role of some of the other guys on the team, if you're the clown?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I wouldn't call myself a clown. My goodness. That's a little rude, don't you think?

Q. Each individual has a role...

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I think it's been pretty cohesive. Everyone is in passing -- everything has been uplifting. There hasn't been any sort of quiet moment or when guys need to rest, they rest. When they need to talk, they talk. When they need to strategize, they do that. It's been an awesome group to be around. So far we've had plenty of laughs and we've been having a good time.

Q. What's the toughest stretch of holes on this golf course? Is it 14, 15, 16?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I'd say they're just very different holes compared to the rest of the golf course. I feel -- the last two days have been really windy, so what was no wind, you're like, oh, you can hit driver, wedge, gap wedge, sand wedge on a few holes, even lob wedge. A lot of these holes are crosswinds and all of a sudden you hit a dogleg left with a left-to-right wind or vice versa, these par-3s you're hitting 4 or 5 into. The last two days I thought it played very difficult and I'll be curious to see how it plays throughout the week. The variable wind has been 10 to 15 miles an hour, which would make any golf course play hard.

Q. (Indiscernible).

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: That question is a bit of a grenade, to be honest. I think there's no place for a player to talk about prize money in this sort of event. That's for other people to decide. Our preference is our preference. We're here and we're happy to play amongst each other and represent our country.

It's such a hot topic, but I think it's pretty brutal to ask any player that because there's no right answer a player can give you.

Q. Do you feel bad for Adam Scott having lost 11 Presidents Cups?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I absolutely do not feel bad for Adam Scott. I like Adam Scott a lot, but I do not feel bad for him at all. I don't think any male out there feels bad for Adam Scott. I mean, no. For me, I'm stubborn, and the more I get knocked down, the harder I push back up. If I had lost 10 times in a row, I'd come back champing at the bit even harder than ever. I'm sure that's what they're doing.

Q. Of the losing teams you've been on (indiscernible)?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Absolutely, yeah. For sure. Even at Whistling when we were vibing, it was sort of -- I went out first against Rory and got smoked, and to me you're going out to set the tone and you're going out to send a message down that board to the rest of your team. You can't be with your teammates when you're playing individuals, but you can really send a message to your team.

I always draw motivation from looking at that board, especially in these team events. We won big there, but that's probably why I got so drunk and started smoking early because I was so mad at myself for not -- we won and it made me feel better in the end, and then of course I forgot about it, but in a spot like that, even when you win, you still feel responsible for not doing your part.

Q. (Indiscernible).

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, for sure, and then you go to a losing side -- yeah, I felt terrible. I was putting well all year, and there's moments you're playing these things where you feel the moment growing and you feel like you need to rise to the occasion, and there were several moments late in the day where I was playing with Pat and Pat sort of -- we were both struggling and then he would pick up the slack, he started hitting all these irons super close, and I just started missing all these short putts. 16, 17 were really big putts to swing in our match. I wasn't able to make them. I was trying my hardest, and I felt terrible. I didn't apologize because I was trying my hardest, but at the same time, that cart ride back to the clubhouse sucked.

Q. How much confidence do you take with you (indiscernible)?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: In this kind of event? Yeah, of course. This is a team thing, so you really -- whenever I'm playing out there and doing well or struggling, it's kind of all on you. Obviously you look out for your own team members that you're with, and that's how you feel when you're out on the road. Out here you think about your teammates a lot. When you miss a putt, you don't really think about yourself, you think about, shoot, I'm messing up for my team right now.

You draw confidence from achieving sort of career goals, but for the most part, this team dynamic is very different.

Q. How do you manage that when you miss a putt and it's not only you but your team? How do you manage that?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I don't really apologize. If someone apologizes to me, that means they're not trying their hardest. That's all I can ask from any of my teammates is they're trying their hardest. I don't ever expect to hear an apology from one of my teammates when I'm playing with them.

Q. (On having a leadership role on the team.)

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I mean, not really, to be honest. I guess it makes me feel really old, but I guess I'm one of the veterans on the team, playing in more Cups than most. If anyone, I think I've definitely been -- I pick on so many people in our group that they feel comfortable enough to come and talk to me about anything. If there's any guy that ever wants to ask me something, I'll be happy to share anything I can with him to make him feel more comfortable or more themselves.

Q. Are there guys that look to you as a leader on the team?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: My whole career it's been sort of let your clubs talk, and that's been my motto and how I ride, and that's my goal here. If I can collect as many points as possible and lead by example, I think we'll be in a good place.

Q. Brandt Snedeker was saying he was calling you "Alex." What's the reason for that?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Well, Brandt is not the sharpest tool in the shed. My name is Alexander on my passport and on my ID. I was just curious as to what Brandt thought my name was. Xander from Alexander seems pretty common.

I have a lot of false confidence at times and bet on myself a little too heavily. DraftKings or anyone else would be very upset with my betting ability because I don't think 30-yard bunker shot to four feet, even money is a very good bet.

Q. They also said you've been the leader of the betting.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I've actually never even sports bet my entire life. You're making me sound like a degenerate here.

Q. What sort of things have you bet against each other on?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Just everything. Everyone is playing little games here and there. I think there's only a few ways to sharpen up. Our team didn't play a lot. We only had two guys in Napa. I think it's super important to have our teammates competing, and if you can get one putt in nine holes, that means something, that pisses you off any day of the week, I think it's a good thing. It's the only thing that can replicate any sort of pressure when you're playing against the other side.

But I don't need to say anything. Everyone is ready to gamble when you get to that first tee.

Q. When you look at 2019, that was the first team event that (indiscernible) there's only three guys here that were on that team. Does that feel like yesterday or forever ago?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: It feels like quite some time ago. I would bet a lot of -- not that I do gamble, but I would bet a lot of money that you'd see a lot of people from that '19 team back on the team again. I think there's sort of a new guard, I guess, coming up on the U.S. side, and not every great player can make a team, but year in, year out, there's going to be some fluctuation.

Q. Do golfers have to be selfish to be really good?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I think so. I tell my wife that. I don't know if she's the hugest fan of that. But I'm pretty selfish. Selfish to yourself, I think the captains do a really good job. All of us need to do what we normally do, and there's a lot of stuff that we don't normally do during an individual week that we do during a team week, whether it's sort of the timed dinners or photos or a gala or you name it. The captains have done an incredible job, the supporting staff on TOUR have done an incredible job making sure that we can do what we need to do to get ready and compete like a normal people.

Q. Do you enjoy the gala?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: You know me, man, totally.

Q. What's the difference in how you feel emotionally (indiscernible)?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I think there's just more -- my brain is quick to -- once I do something, I'm sort of quick to put it away and move on to the next thing. I think when you're surrounded by -- we have 70-ish people here on the U.S. side or at least pulling for us in this foreign territory here, everyone is fired up. Our team room, everybody is happy. I think being around so many happy people after a win is always a fun thing. It sort of -- you feel like you've really won.

When you win a tournament on an individual week, often you're doing press for three hours after, signing stuff, then you get on a plane and you go to the next tournament, and you're on the range the next day, and you feel great, people come up and congratulate you, happy for you, that's all warm and fuzzy, but you're going to tee off in three days to try and compete in a new tournament on new grass on a new golf course in a new state.

Often you don't really get to enjoy it as much, and when you win as a team, it's much more special.

Q. I take it you are not playing Sanderson next week?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I will be at my brother's wedding next week.

Q. Do you think you want to be a captain one day?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I'm too young to think about that. If I was the captain I would definitely fight -- there's so much stuff that goes into it. It's easy to make a comment as a player on what we should or shouldn't do and there's a lot that goes into it to make certain sponsors happy, the people happy, all those things, and without a certain support group we wouldn't have a tournament. It's easy to speak from this side of the microphone, but yeah, I have no intention to be a captain at all right now. I'm very content in competing for points myself.

Q. (Indiscernible) how much of a difference, mindset difference, how much is that comparing to the Ryder Cup?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Winning Presidents Cups? It feels pretty even to me. This is my third Presidents Cup. We've won two of them. The other 12 I guess I had nothing to do with. I'm American, so can be proud of the guys who won all those Cups, but for me, it's been two, and my Ryder Cup record is 1-1. It doesn't feel too dissimilar. I kind of look at them the same. I have my guys, they have their guys, and we go to battle, and that's about it. I don't really have this drag-on history that everyone else feels. I'm just too young for it.

Q. When you hear criticism about Furyk (indiscernible)?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I mean, it's just the media, really. There's no -- if you look at the top 25 guys on our list, and captain picks Max, I don't think any of those 25 guys are sitting there like, ugh. It's just the people that are around it that are like that. We know with Max in the room how strong we are. You look at how he fired up our team at Quail, it's a bit of a no-brainer in my opinion.

Max is honestly more of an introvert. I think he's more of an extrovert when he's doing Twitter and ragging on people, but he's definitely a lead-by-example kind of guy. In Italy we were catching strays the entire week, and Max was sort of our knight in shining armor giving us some hope.

Pat made that huge putt in the dark there on 18, but other than that, you look at the big point guard, it was Max. Max and Brian were pushing really hard on sort of a -- as I said, you get that motivation looking at that board. They were sort of our beacon there. They were one of the only guys winning their matches, and we all looked at them like, dang, we need to do it for them. Max is that kind of guy where he's going to lead by example and get points up on the board.

Q. In contrast between you and Max (indiscernible) stoic on the course, but are there things about how you're a fun-loving guy?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I don't know about the loving part, but I just like having a good time. I like to pick on guys. I like to see how they react. There's a few guys in the room I don't know that well, and it's been awesome getting to know them a little bit more.

Q. Who don't you know as well?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I've played with Russ a bunch, but I don't really know Russ. Russ and his wife Teil, they're super nice. Russ is already -- I've learned a few things about Russ, which is an incredible thing. I don't need to reveal them here, but it makes me excited to compete alongside him. I've played with Sahith a lot. Him and Gigi are great. They're a fun addition to the team room. He's done some funny stuff, too, that's absolutely cracked me up, more stuff I can't reveal here. It's been cool to get to know them and share the room with them, and it being their first go-around, it's such a fun experience to be a part of it.

Q. Can you imagine a career now with (indiscernible)?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: For sure. Yeah, I think -- absolutely. I'm so spoiled to be able to be on a lot of these teams since my pro career. It's definitely something I cherish. It's something that I look forward -- I get giddy about. Just being out here with the guys is a ton of fun. Three weeks ago we were playing at East Lake, and I couldn't have been more over golf at that point, walking off that 18th green just wanting to not touch clubs for a month and knowing that I needed to compete and get in shape for this. It was a bit of a drag coming back, but as soon as I started golfing again and as soon as our group chats got going and all those things, and then as soon as you get on the grounds with the boys, it's so fun and it's really a fun experience. Something I never really imagined when I wanted to be a pro golfer.

Q. (On the thick rough).

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, Tony said he's going to put a big X in his yardage book. It's thick. There's certain spots, you can just tell no one chipped out of it. There's some spots on the property where it's just like any sort of old-school golf course. It's been around so long, there's just different kinds of grass. It's not super uniform. You can get a decent lie, you can get a terrible lie. Just need to make sure I'm on the correct side of the hole.

Q. What's been the most surprising result in your three days of side bets?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Surprising? Me losing to Sneds, not that surprising, knowing myself. Nothing really. A lot of back and forth. I think everyone is probably close to even. Everyone is drawing a little blood, giving a little blood, just all in good fun.

Q. What specifically did Sneds beat you at?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Just a bunch of side bets against myself.

Q. Can you give any example?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Just imagine the most degenerate bets you can think of, with zero odds basically. That's the kind of guy Sneds is (smiling).

Q. You said you don't want to be a captain, but leadership role within the team, is that something you draw?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I don't know why everyone keeps saying it. Maybe I just don't shut up. I just keep talking so everyone thinks I'm the one trying to lead the way.

Q. Do you think you're funny?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Like I said, I like playing golf when I'm laughing and having a good time and I think these team things more than anything are supposed to be a lot of fun, so I take that upon myself.

Q. You went to Korea being an underdog, so putting that on yourself, so what are the advantages of being an underdog?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: You're always punching up. I still feel that way with Scottie as No. 1, now my teammate, which is really nice. You're always just chip on the shoulder, you're always punching up, you're always looking up. You always feel like you have so much work to do, and you're never really content. I think that's the biggest benefit to being an underdog. You're always working hard to try to get better.

Q. What are the advantages of being a favorite?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Knowing that you've done it before, I guess. I don't really look at it -- I can always try to look through the lens of being an underdog all the time. You hear Scottie, one of the winningest seasons ever, Scottie Scheffler, and he always talks about his process and always talked about not being the favorite, just talking about worrying about what he can worry about. There's a lot of that going on in this team.