'Most Fun I Had Losing In Quite Some Time' - Schauffele After FedEx Cup Runner-Up
Schauffele was encouraged by his performance in the Tour Championship, even though he couldn’t catch in-form Viktor Hovland
Xander Schauffele carded a final round 62 in the Tour Championship, but it still wasn’t enough to catch a dominant Viktor Hovland, who claimed the title and, with it, his first FedEx Cup.
Hovland went into the final round six ahead of Schauffele. However, the American couldn’t have done much more to make the Norwegian worry, with a bogey-free final round that included eight birdies as he finished the tournament 22 under.
Despite those heroics, though, Schauffele still couldn’t narrow the gap further than three shots at any point, as Hovland produced a bogey-free round of his own to finish on 27 under and claim the $18m first prize.
Even with the disappointment of missing out on a second Tour Championship title, though, Schauffele admitted that, as defeats go, it was among the best. Following his final round at East Lake, Schauffele said: ”Yeah, I'll hold my head up high. It was the most fun I had losing in quite some time.
“It's such a weird feeling. I shot 62. I lost by five. Just kudos to Havi. He played unbelievably well the last few weeks to get himself into this position and to really just put a cherry on top for himself and his team.”
Schauffele hasn't won on the PGA Tour since the 2022 Travelers Championship, but he can look back on another solid season, with 11 top-10 finishes, while he has been in the world’s top 10 throughout.
Looking ahead, next month sees a second outing in the Ryder Cup for Schauffele, where he hopes to help Team USA defend the title it won at Whistling Straits two years ago.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
Schauffele revealed he’s confident he’ll be ready for the challenge. He said: "It's five weeks away, so I'm going to take some time off and I'm going to have to rebuild that confidence come Italy and the Ryder Cup.
“But, yeah, I think it's definitely - I think we're working on - my team and I, we're working on the right stuff to get these results. Kind of playing sort of whatever coming into the playoffs to sort of peak and play really well at the right time is important, and so I think we're working on the right things.”
With Hovland confirmed as one of the Team Europe players, Schauffele will hope revenge comes soon enough.
Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
-
I Paid Just £99 For A Waterproof Jacket, Trousers And Wooly Hat And The Quality Shocked Me
Druids Golf is a company seeking to disrupt the golf apparel market as a more affordable alternative to the status quo, but is it any good? Joel Tadman put its waterproof suit to the test...
By Joel Tadman Published
-
Play With 3 Clubs And Whack The Ball As Hard As You Can... Why Charley Hull's Unconventional Advice Could Be The Secret To Better Golf
Charley Hull and Annabel Dimmock share tips at an exclusive TaylorMade Golf event
By Alison Root Published
-
Bryson DeChambeau Ninth Favorite At Pinehurst As PGA Champion Xander Schauffele Trails Rory McIlroy In Early US Open Odds
The bookmakers have released their odds for the next men's Major championship - the US Open - and there are a few eyebrow-raising situations at hand
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Surprising Pro Surges To Second Behind Rory McIlroy In Most Popular PGA Championship Bets 2024
Despite having not yet won a Major, one name has moved past multiple champions like Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka in terms of total bet share for the PGA Championship
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
World Wide Technology Championship Purse, Prize Money And Field 2023
PGA Championship hero Michael Block appears as the tournament heads to a new venue
By Mike Hall Published
-
Commercial Bank Qatar Masters Purse, Prize Money And Field 2023
Ewen Ferguson defends his title as the DP World Tour heads to the Middle East at Doha Golf Club
By Mike Hall Published
-
Fans Forced To Leave DP World Tour Event Due To High Winds
High winds caused some of the Andalucia Masters' first round to be played behind closed doors due to fears over fan safety
By Ben Fleming Published
-
Top Amateur Follows Ludvig Aberg's Footsteps And Secures PGA Tour Card In College
Gordon Sargent is the first player to earn his Tour card through the new PGA TOUR University Accelerated system
By Ben Fleming Published
-
Rickie Fowler Eyes Up Olympic Games After Ryder Cup Nightmare
The American endured a torrid time in Rome but the experience has motivated him to try and represent the US again next summer
By Ben Fleming Published
-
Phil Mickelson And Ian Poulter Certain Of More High Profile LIV Signings
The two team captains suggest they have already been in contact with several notable players about making the jump in the off-season
By Ben Fleming Published