Xander Schauffele endured a really difficult 2025 season on the PGA Tour, and his underwhelming form will be a big concern for American golf fans ahead of the Ryder Cup later this month.
Schauffele automatically qualified for the US Ryder Cup team, ending up in third position in the standings, but the vast majority of his points haul came from last season when he won two major championships.
The 31-year-old missed the first two months of the PGA Tour season after suffering a small cartilage tear and an intercostal strain.
However, there is no time for excuses in elite level sport.
The harsh truth of the matter is that Schauffele’s worrying form with the Ryder Cup on the horizon simply hasn’t improved.
The two-time major champion managed just two top-10 finishes after The Masters back in April.
Schauffele has admitted to overthinking when addressing his golf ball this season, and that could be a big problem for him at Bethpage Black later this month.
Now the American has come under fire after an announcement emerged regarding his latest decision.
Golf fans concerned about Xander Schauffele after his decision before the Ryder Cup
Schauffele has made a hugely surprising decision with the Ryder Cup now just three weeks away.
The US Ryder Cup team are heading to Napa next week to take part in the Procore Championship.
We already know that Bryson DeChambeau won’t be there due to the fact that he plays on the LIV Golf league.
And now it has been announced that Schauffele will not tee it up at the Procore Championship either.
The news has not gone down well with American golf fans.
One simply said: “Where’s Xander.“ While another made a great point, saying: “No Xander Schauffele? He really is a wildcard in terms of what we’ll get out of him at Bethpage.“
Those comments were supported by lots of others. With fans stating: “Looks like everyone’s playing on the team besides Xander and Bryson. Would be curious as to why Xander isn’t playing.“
And “Xander, where you at?”
The comments from concerned American golf fans kept coming, with one saying: “Xander not playing lmao,“ and another stating: “Xander better be ready to play at Bethpage. If he’s injured then let Keegan or Maverick take your spot, selfish move imo.“
Others were equally bemused by Schauffele’s decision.
“Play Xander on Sunday only,“ one fan said, while another commented: “Is Xander missing this event weird? Cantlay playing. They’ve gone to Napa on trips before. It’s weird?“
The big thing for Schauffele now is that, if he is not injured, he has just piled the pressure on himself ahead of the Ryder Cup with his decision not to play in Napa.
If he performs poorly at Bethpage Black, he had better be prepared to receive some serious criticism from both fans and the media alike.
Xander Schauffele’s PGA Tour results since The Masters
It’s hard to be too critical of Schauffele as he hasn’t missed a cut this season. In fact, he has played weekend golf for 71 consecutive tournaments – eight more than world number one Scottie Scheffler.
However, he quite obviously hasn’t been anywhere near his best.
Here are Schauffele’s last 10 results since The Masters in April:
| Result since the Masters | Schauffele’s totals |
| Events played | 10 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Top-5s | 0 |
| Top-10s | 2 |
| Top-25s | 7 |
Zero wins and not even a solitary top-5 for Schauffele over the past five months should be huge cause for concern with the Ryder Cup just around the corner.
And now he has left himself open to scrutiny after deciding not to play in the Procore Championship next week.
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