Xander Schauffele Opens Up On Olympics Disappointment

Xander Schauffele has admitted he was "pretty bummed out" after a disappointing end to the 2024 Olympics saw him miss out on a medal.

The two-time Major champion and Tokyo 2020 gold medal winner was tied for the lead heading into the final round but went on to shoot a closing 73 to miss out on the bronze medal by five strokes after making three bogeys and a double in his last 11 holes.

He ended the week in T9th and seven behind winner Scottie Scheffler, who outscored him by 11 strokes in the final round after equalling the course record of 62.

Speaking ahead of this week's FedEx St Jude Championship, the World No.2 had a chance to reflect on his double-Major year so far but said he was "too busy" thinking about the Olympics disappointment.

"Yeah, it's nice to break off some wins. Major championships are always a bonus. You always dream of doing it, and to do it twice in one year is really special. Over the moon when I let my brain go back to that time," he said of his year.

"But I'm too busy thinking about how I just finished my last event there in Paris. Maybe it's a good thing, maybe it's a bad thing, who knows. But I've been trying to get ready for these Playoffs."

Schauffele then described the moment he realized he wasn't going to be on the podium and had gone from the heat of the battle to simply spectating.

"It was bad. Yeah. I mean, I'm stubborn. My team would be the first people to tell you that. They ask me how I'm doing, I'm fine. I'm always fine. But I was probably more tired than I thought I was," he said.

"Yeah, I take pride in finishing strong, and to do that was - I was pretty bummed out. I went from thinking I could have a good look at gold to maybe silver, then to bronze, and then to, wow, I'm just spectating now. 

"That's sort of what happened the last seven, eight holes of that tournament. So that was a bit of a bummer, especially with how the fans were out there. It must have been such a cool feeling to be in the hunt with important shots coming down that stretch, 15 to 18. 

"Yeah, I look at it, I just want to identify. Sat down with Chris [his coach, Chris Como] already, sort of identified what happened. I don't want to get back into my old habits that I've been trying to get out of in these last two or three months working with him, and I think some old ones sort of slipped in there. When I tried to put my foot down, it got worse, and I paid the price for it heavily."

Schauffele again mentioned Paris and how he pressed too hard when describing this week's test, TPC Southwind.

"It's a hard golf course. It's not the longest of courses, so you really have to be in position often. There's a sneaky lot more water than you'd think, too. I think it's one of those courses if you're slightly off and you feel like you want to press, kind of what happened to me Sunday in Paris, one of those types of courses. Guys can make it look really easy if they're on."

And despite being "butt-hurt", he revealed he was proud to see his rival and fellow American Scottie Scheffler on top of the podium when the national anthem played at Le Golf National.

"It's weird; I'm not going to lie. It's the weirdest feeling. I was watching from the sort of family section, the podium, and when Scottie was up there and our flag was raised and he started crying up there, I was butt-hurt about my own round, and then I was sitting there like, yeah, this is pretty cool.

"I can be rational most times, but I felt so emotional in that state to where I was butt-hurt about how I played and then sorta proud and happy that Scottie won it. It's hard to explain, the swing of it. Then out here this week playing with him these next two days and we're all just trying to beat our heads in. It's a funny feeling."

World No.1 Scheffler and No.2 Schauffele are paired together this week in the FedEx St Jude Championship tee times, with play getting underway on Thursday.