Xander Schauffele Talks PGA Championship, Scottie Scheffler & More with Rich Eisen | Full Interview

Golfer Xander Schauffele tells Rich Eisen what it was like to capture his first major with a win at the PGA Championship, reveals how fellow golfers reacted to Scottie Scheffler’s arrest before the 2nd round at Valhalla, and shares a great hole-in-one story that did NOT sit well with Phil Mickelson.

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Ander Schley here on the rich E show congratulations to you sir thanks for having me of course thanks for bringing the trophy with you there it is it doesn’t get too far uh out of my sight these days well I I saw your wife uh I think she iged out uh a great video of uh you celebrating with it what was this one all about Xander look at this there’s Austin pouring uh there some some some champagne in there and a few friends and there’s Chris and my brother and we had to help my wife there to drink out of it so we had a nice it was nice for for some friends to stick around and we ended up spending the night there at the rental uh Sunday after after winning yeah because I’m just imagining what what does go through your head when you’re standing over a puck to win the PGA Championship Xander yeah yeah I mean everything you know I I’ve had I’ve had a lot of close calls in the last uh couple years and in my career you know I haven’t a tournament in a couple years so I’ve been you know in some tight spots and it was uh it was a very stressful putt you know my hands were shaking um all kinds of stuff were flying through my head I really didn’t want to go into a playoff and I just kept telling myself to to seize the opportunity and let that moment be mine and it sure was with that uh that lipin so your hands were shaking as you made that putt is that what you’re saying oh yeah yeah when you know when you’re nervous you like hard to control the hands you no I know that uh I I get that you know when whenever I’m like to say Allin on something you know on occasion but I mean uh I cannot imagine though because again you know obviously it is the most humanid of games Golf and what goes through your head but do you envision like I’m going to make this do you say that to yourself as you’re standing over it does that happen yeah I mean you know absolutely you know I told myself the you know this is something this is something that I’ve dreamt of my entire life this is could be you know this is an opportunity that I may not get too many of so uh it was the first time I’ve ever had a put and win a major championship and um man I just kept telling myself to seize it like this is my time let this be my time and uh I didn’t want to spend too much time reading the putt more because I was getting a little bit confused on what I was doing so I uh I didn’t call in for any help and I just uh I committed to it and like I said I mean I’ve watched that video like seven or eight times now and it looks like it’s going to miss pretty much every time it did catch damn near every piece of the hole Xander I mean good Lord honestly I was watching with a bunch of guys and we were like you know screamed because it did look like you were getting a power lip coming your way yeah it’s a it’s a it’s a tough camera angle you know it’s I’m fully exposed right right and um you know one of the neat Parts about all this as well uh is who you were able to celebrate with on the Spot Not Just afterwards with your wife and Friends uh your your caddies a a a guy you went to college with you were on his college team and he’s about and Austin Kaiser has been on your bag since jump right Xander yep yep yeah I went I mean I did one round of Q School my senior year when my dad caded and that quickly uh you know put that fire out as quickly as possible so uh as soon as I graduated you know Austin there he is he jumped on my bag and we’ve never looked back what was this moment like right here we were emotional you know it’s been a big buildup you know after losing last week at Quail Hollow uh we’re on the 18th we walked off that 72nd hole you know losing by five or whatever four six I can’t remember but uh you know I told him that we’re going to win I was like we’re going to win soon I was like I can feel it like I know how well I’m playing like we’re going to get it done and I know how hard he works and you know he wears those losses you know not hopefully not as hard as I wear them uh because I’m the one hitting the shots but uh you know it’s a it’s a big team effort um not only Austin’s on my team but you know he gets to he gets to be in the mix quite often close close to all the action so awesome to share it with him and uh he’s over the moon as well so walk me through who else you were celebrating with that night family yeah yep my wife was there my brother he’s been kind of cooking for me on the road my uncle’s my agent uh Chris KO uh I just started working with Chris last November U my dad’s been my swing coach my whole life but Chris is is a very new addition to my team and then a few other caddies that Austin’s really close with that that I’ve known growing up on the west coast with and then a couple friends from New York came down as well so it was a small crew and you know I’m from the west coast and uh I’m sure this Trophy this lid’s going to be popping off and a lot more different kinds of alcohol are going to be poured in there once I get where was your dad my dad’s in Hawaii right now he’s uh I bought some land out there in 2019 and uh he loves it out there and he loves being you know it’s kind of uh in nature and so he’s literally he’s developing a property that I own out there and uh he’s I’m putting him to use in a different way these days so what was the phone call like with him after all this yeah I called him right before I took the the podium that green there on the 18th hole he was crying and uh you know I had to hang up I told him I was like dude I I’m you know I was starting to cry I was already I just got done kind of being emotional and then I call him and he’s he’s crying on the phone and so I told him I was like I got to get going my man uh I can’t I can’t receive this trophy from the president of the PJ of America in shambles yeah but that’s what this is about though right uh honestly I wouldn’t let that out of my sight either you know and that’s that’s what it’s about you with your dad you’re talking about your string coach or your whole life you you helped sort of make his Olympic dream come true as well a couple of years ago I mean brother that’s what it’s about congrats on that yeah for sure yeah thanks and you know now he’s you know he’s turning 60 this year and uh you know I just I really yeah just like you know I’m they’ve given me so much and I’m in such a fortunate position to I try to give them anything that they they would want or uh you know obviously he wants way more of these um that’s what he wants so I’m trying to deliver on that as a good son but you know he’s I just want him to be happy both my parents to be happy um and so this definitely helps but him being in Hawaii is what’s making him happy right now Xander shly few minutes left with the PGA Championship winner what was it like in the clubhouse today that Scotty sheffler put you know turned in uh his scorecard after all of that yeah he was on yeah he was on the opposite wave of me so I know I caught the news kind of like everyone else did from home you know you watch it you think it’s a prank you can’t you’re in disbelief kind of in shock kind of like what what the heck happened here so Scotty is Rock Solid we share the same physio uh I see Scotty you know week in week out um you know on the physio table in like a private environment and he’s a he’s a family man he is he doesn’t harm anyone uh besides competitors when he beats them all the time and so that’s like that’s the extent of of of how harmful Scotty can be and um he’s he’s great him and Meredith are an awesome couple and uh you know I’m I’m really hoping that you know he comes out unscathed and all these charges get dropped because he’s just he’s not a criminal uh at all so he’s he’s an awesome dude do ever have did you have one of those dude what the hell happened moments with him on that day yeah a little I mean when I saw on Saturday you know before we you know we were able to talk a little bit and uh you know we just discussed a little bit of what I mean I didn’t want to bring it up too much I’m sure it was he was super annoyed of just talking about it a bunch to everyone so you know we kept it pretty light and uh we just all let him know that you know we’re happy that that he’s here and that he’s okay and you know that no one really got too too hurt in his in his situation understood uh that said uh I just know from my golf buddies or folks uh of similar Social Circles there’s no such thing as too soon did you start uh you know kind of ribbing him a little bit once we got through all of that there was like as as light of needling as possible I mean we’re we’re competing in a major championship so you’re not trying to to kick someone down to the floor that’s already been then kicked down right you know we had a few we had a few knocks on them we have you know there’s there’s six other guys uh or seven guys in total on on our physio table that that come in and out of the room and yeah that physio room is a funny one so of course people or taking their shots wherever they could in in the in a playful way you got a you got one you can share like what what’s the most playful one that you could share Xander yeah yeah I mean someone someone we have a group chat just to schedule our times and you know someone someone in our group put Scotty’s mug shot as our like group photo oh come on so so so that’s the new photo on the on the group text chain is that one on the screen right there that’s it yeah I just can’t believe yeah much smaller though obviously in the in the text right this is a much bigger photo but yeah I mean I couldn’t believe guys had like t-shirts made up like an hour after they on proper I mean people are nuts these days I don’t even know it was like 6:45 in the morning I don’t know how they had a print press ready well I’m glad again that that you’re able to be able to share a little bit of levity like that Hey listen congrats uh on this I was very happy when I saw that ball you know uh not jump out of the hole man uh I was just jumping off the couch uh but congratulations on that Xander and you know uh before we go I just want to share my own my own uh near Championship moment with you from this past uh week with me since you were kind enough to share with me yours uh I was uh I assume you played National in your in your time Xander have you played National in long iseland I don’t think I have no kidding wow all right so let me tell you um incredible course it’s great uh there’s a par 36 it’s called short that’s the name of the whole stepped up uh from 123 uh yards away uh I had a non iron that’s me um and um I I damn near no that’s me man for the radio audience he just kind of winced listen I took a little bit off at any rate so uh I damn near hold it out Xander uh there’s a shot right there uh the ball Mark you could kind of see it to the right um and uh here’s here’s my favorite part of the story um it was my third shot because I topped my first one I said screw it I’m not going to go out this way on National that was that was my second shot right there Xander the question is was that putt given uh yes it was it was given would you have not given this pot would you have not I don’t know you know it depends on the friend Circle and then what it’s for you know there’s times where you know you hit a really good shot in your in your friend group here I mean I’m I’m used to playing with tour pros and you know you kind of look at each other and you’re like that’s like so you consider that’s a meaty bone that’s right there still on on the on the green Xander I mean I don’t know what your game looks like if you’re a dodgy TW foot putter I mean that’s never going to be good well you can assume if that was my second shot cuz the the other one barely got past the red stakes you know the red teas you know um for sure uh I’m a dodgy putter but they did give that to me and I but I thought to myself how could I go around and tell anybody that I aced six if that was my second attempt at it you know what I mean that would be a terrible story to tell right just lie yeah not doing a very good job but you just lie about it you would suggest that huh that’s what I would do yeah I wouldn’t I wouldn’t have known any different you know I’ve never I’m just an honest guy how many aces have you had in your life two where was the first the first was I was playing Phil during Co in a heads up money game uh in San Diego and uh he pressed and uh he actually jumped my turn like it was it was a part three obviously and yeah up to the T box wasn’t his honor uh pressed me and then hit his shot to like 10 feet on like like 195 yards and then I I just hit a six iron like I drew it in it was like water all left of the hole and I kind of pulled it a little bit and it it kind of took a nice bounce to the left and then went in and wow he just pressed after being down in the match he literally sat on the box and it looked like someone kicked him in the nuts that’s amazing that that that really happened and then the second one was at East Lake I was playing with Rory in the Tour Championship and I made a a hole in one on the ninth hole so I’ve had some two really I had to wait a really long time to make a hole in one but two that I have are very meaningful yes they are great stories one on Phil post press and one on Rory in the PLAYERS Championship the the Tour Championship the Tour Championship okay fantastic man hey congratulations um and and um like I said it was great to watch that and I’m just wondering uh my last question for you is now that this is now removed from the conversation about Majors for you a major what do you think this is going to do for you this win Xander yeah I mean the doors open you know I think in the past when I’ve when I’ve uh just been really close and and haven’t been able to get it done you know this is super validated uh I always believed in myself obviously that’s why this is sitting next to me um but definitely just if there’s ever a tight spot or a tough moment you know I’m always going to have this thing to to fall back on but uh you know my biggest goal now is actually just to get back to sort of what made me you know good enough to to win one of these and not let my expectations go through the roof and and just get back to you know I I stayed in my Lane to win this and I’m going to need to stain my Lane even more to to win more of these okay Xander appreciate that uh congratulations on that and I would avoid using that phrase with Scotty Sheffer the next time you see him okay you know just staying in your lane wow or use it in the text chain that might be you know we the name of the we’ll just name the group that you’re welcome I wanted to leave you in a better spot than I found you and now it’s tough to do but I think I’ve achieved it nice work nice work Xander thanks again brother congrats Stander shley everybody the PGA Championship winner all of it is fantastic tremendous stuff there your lane that was fun what a story what a story Phil presses puts it within 10 feet we know Phil likes to you know have some action oh my God many aces many aces How You Like Me Now huh 195 by the way jeez what a story catch the rich eyes and show every single day on the Roku channel 12 to three Eastern for free