Xander Schauffele is on track for his first win of 2025 at the Baycurrent Classic.
That statement would have been unthinkable just one year ago, but a difficult season in 2025 has seen two-time major winner Schauffele out of contention all year.
A solid Ryder Cup performance, where Schauffele went 3-1-0 despite Team USA’s disappointing loss, seemed to steady the ship for the American. Now he’s showing signs of recapturing his major-winning form playing in Japan.
Schauffele is tied for the lead at the Baycurrent Classic with one round to play. He shot an impressive 67 in the wind and rain in round three to follow up a 63 from Schauffele on Friday. After the round, he explained why a win in Japan would be “special”
Xander Schauffele explained how he survived the weather at the Baycurrent Classic
As his fellow competitors scrapped their way around Yokohoma Country Club, Schauffele looked calm and composed, expertly navigating his way around the course.
He went four under on the front nine, and despite two bogeys down the stretch as conditions worsened, birdies on the 13th and 17th kept him tied for the lead.
Schauffele reacted to being in contention for the win for the first time in 2025. He said, “This is the first time I’ve been in contention all year I believe, so it’s nice. Been playing pretty good golf. The weather’s been tricky, so proud of the fight today.
“Round one felt like survival, round two felt like the course was pretty gettable, and today felt like a bit of survival with pockets of a little bit less rain. Just lean on your caddie pretty hard. I’m sure Austin wished he had another arm.”
Schauffele was asked if his confidence is growing as the year comes to a close, and he said, “Yeah, it’s growing. It’s a tricky thing. It takes a while to grow and it goes away quickly. I’m just trying to put one block after the other and slowly grow that confidence, like I said before, and so far we’ve been doing that.”
Xander Schauffele explained why a win in Japan would be ‘special’
Schauffele’s mother was raised in Japan, which makes the Baycurrent Classic an important event for him. It’s a tournament he has never won, however, despite playing it every year for half a decade.
He explained why winning this weekend would be “incredible” for him: “It would be special obviously, my grandparents here, my mom growing up here with her brother as well. That’s far away from now, but yeah, to think into the future, it would be an incredible feeling.
“[My grandparents] picked me up from the airport when I got to Haneda. My grandpa’s 91, he was here, gave him a big hug on Friday.
“My grandma’s 81, I think. They’re — you know how the Japanese culture is, they’re very mobile for being old. I think my grandpa walked 18 holes no problem.”
With how much this competition means to Schauffele, there would be no better confidence boost for him going into 2026 than winning at Yokohoma Country Club.
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