Smylie Kaufman reacts after Xander Schauffele opts not to play at the Procore Championship before the Ryder Cup

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This week is arguably the most important to date in the build-up to the 2025 Ryder Cup.

11 of the 12 European team members will play at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth on the DP World Tour.

Meanwhile, 10 United States players will tee it up at the Procore Championship in Arizona on the PGA Tour.

Bryson DeChambeau is one of the two missing because the PGA Tour will not allow a LIV golfer to compete at the event.

The other is world number three Xander Schauffele, but the reason for his decision has not been made public.

Smylie Kaufman has now reacted to the eye-catching news that Schauffele will be absent from the tournament.

• READ MORE: Team USA have three unanswered questions looming over them ahead of the Ryder Cup starting

Smylie Kaufman shares concerns about Xander Schauffele before the Ryder Cup

Kaufman is concerned that Schauffele might not be up to speed at the Ryder Cup after not playing for so long.

Although we don’t know the reason why he has decided not to participate in the Procore Championship, it has come as a “surprise.”

“My first storyline is Xander Schauffele not playing,” Kaufman explained. “That was a player I was kind of looking forward to seeing compete, as he didn’t make the Tour Championship, as everybody recalls.

“So he is even further away from his last start when he shows up to the Ryder Cup. It is going to be a full month before Xander plays a competitive round again.

“Maybe he has a prior commitment. I doubt you will see him play the week before the Ryder Cup. So that’s a bit of a surprise not to see Xander playing.

“Clearly, he is going to have question marks heading into the Ryder Cup, and I think figuring out who that number two guy is going to be, Bryson is that guy who you would think, but he is another player who is not going to have many starts before, so who knows how rusty he might be to start the Ryder Cup.

“I don’t think that if one of these guys goes out and wins Napa, it doesn’t mean that he is going to play well Ryder Cup; it would just be nice to see all the players from both sides. I would love to see them all playing the weekend.

“And I think if anything, if you see the majority of the team missing the cut, that would be the only thing to monitor. If one side has guys not making the weekend, that would be a storyline that I would be following.”

Xander Schauffele’s recent form will concern Keegan Bradley

Xander Schauffele’s form has not been bad by most PGA Tour players’ standards, but it has for a top-five golfer in the world.

Schauffele only has two top-20 finishes in his last five events, and those were on links golf courses in the United Kingdom.

He did not even make the Tour Championship at East Lake after finishing in a tie for 28th at the BMW Championship three weeks ago.

Xander Schauffele’s recent PGA Tour results

With Schauffele now set to miss this week’s Procore Championship, he will arrive at Bethpage Black more than one month since his last competitive event.

Perhaps United States captain Keegan Bradley will demote Schauffele to a lesser role at the Ryder Cup due to his lack of preparation; only time will tell.