It was a rough couple of months for Xander Schauffele, who found himself sidelined during a peak time in the golfing calendar, all thanks to what he describes as a “perfect storm.” After missing out on eight weeks of play, he’s teeing up again, just in time for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The last tournament he competed in was the season opener at the Sentry, but shortly before Christmas, he started feeling a twinge in his ribs that just wouldn’t go away.
In a chat with reporters at Bay Hill on Wednesday, Schauffele reflected on how quickly things unraveled. His trainer had left to sort out visa issues in mid-December, and not long after, Schauffele noticed a growing discomfort in his ribs while preparing for the Sentry event in Hawaii. “I’ve got a bad habit of trying to push through stuff on my own,” Schauffele admitted. “Turns out, I was like a kid left unsupervised, just grinding away without the soft tissue work I needed. That’s where things went sideways.”
Despite steadily increasing discomfort, Schauffele didn’t experience any pops or snaps—we’ve all seen those dramatic moments when athletes clutch at injuries. But by the time he reunited with his team, the rib injury had escalated into a full-blown issue, with an intercostal strain and a minor tear in his rib cartilage being diagnosed.
Schauffele had his eye on the West Coast swing, itching to play Torrey Pines South twice. With the Genesis Invitational moving there because of wildfires in LA, it was a rare chance he hated to miss. “Being on the sidelines that time wasn’t easy,” he shared. “Dreaming of hitting Torrey South during that weather and conditions and then missing it twice really bummed me out.”
He gave it a shot, attempting to gear up and hit some drives, but the discomfort only worsened. “It was like trying to run up a descending escalator,” he explained. “You swing out of thick rough, and if it doesn’t go, it’ll only make things worse. I had to make a long-term call on that one.”
Recovery wasn’t a straight road. It wasn’t that Schauffele was constantly in pain; it flared only when he swung a club. “It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I’m in agony all the time,'” he clarified. “Only when rolling over or sneezing would I feel that sting, reminding me things weren’t perfect.”
With a clean slate from medical scans—CTs, ultrasounds, MRIs saying he’s good to go—Xander’s looking forward to his comeback, taking inspiration from Scottie Scheffler, who returned strong after a hand injury. “This whole ordeal’s been my first real run-in with anything serious,” he said, counting his health blessings. “I’ve crammed in more play before this week than since getting injured. I’m trying to convince myself I haven’t lost my edge yet.”
Before heading to Bay Hill, Schauffele got some holes in, playing 18 at home, then tackling Bay Hill’s course over Tuesday and Wednesday. “I’m ready to give it my best,” he concluded, fueled by the optimism that he can dive back into the competitive mix like Scheffler did.
