THE PRESIDENTS CUP

September 29, 2024

Xander Schauffele

Royal Montreal Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. You're part of a team of 12 but you were sent out first. What was your reaction when Captain Furyk told you you'd be the first player out today?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: He told me about it at dinner and asked if I minded, and I said not at all. We've got some strong guys leading our pack here, and we're there to prove a point. All of our 12 guys can compete.

My goal was just to set the tone, get red up on that board as early as possible, and I was able to do that.

Q. You led with your play obviously, but in what ways do you lead with your words?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I like to have a good time. I didn't really grow up playing team sports. I played soccer when I was a really young kid, and that doesn't really count.

I really enjoy this team aspect and the atmosphere and having all the caps and the wives and the caddies, just everyone, all our supporting staff all in one room having dinner and having a good time, and I really enjoy that bit.

Q. 7-under through 15 holes; you were playing some really good golf today. Did you feel going in that you had it today?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I was really tired, yeah. I was talking to a few of the guys, and we really wanted to motivate ourselves. Not that we needed more motivation, but just to not come out sluggish. That was my biggest goal today.

I hit that tee shot left and luckily holing a 50-foot putt, that kind of got me going. That really started my round.

Q. Four birdies in a row on the front side and you walk off 9 5-up. That was the key today?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I had a really nice stretch of holes there. J Day had a couple slight misses and I was able to take advantage of that. Yeah, he birdied the first two and came out, and I just felt like I had to keep pressing, and I was able to -- some days when you press it goes your way, and some days it doesn't, and today it definitely went my way.

Q. 4-1 for the week, what a great week you had; you must have had a lot of fun out here.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, besides the golf, the most fun I had was in that team room, sharing it with the guys, sharing it with all our supporting staff, caddies, wives, just everybody. Everyone that was in that room. Whether I'm needling them or not, I think we all had a really good time.

Q. Can you describe the feeling, the energy at an event like this? It's pretty special.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Sure, yeah. Last night was something else. That was a pretty big moment. It felt big, and it was special. It was in the dark. It was everything that -- drama in golf that we can get into one. It was cool to be a part of that bit.

Yeah, the fans this week have been incredible. I think they were working our first day, and then I think they had Friday off and the rest of the weekend off, and there's been a lot more people out here and it's been a lot louder, so we appreciate them.

Q. How nice was it to start, to be the first one on the course today?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, Cap told me that I was going to come out and lead the charge, and I told him it was an honor to do that, and my job was to get red up there early.

We have some really, really good players on this team, and it was an honor for me to go first and try and get that first point.

Q. What a stretch on the first nine. How would you assess it?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: It was really good. I felt like I didn't really let up at any point. I almost holed my chip on 12. I felt like I was pressing and pressing and pressing and finally we just ran out of holes. That was kind of my goal.