Xander Schauffele's brutal Olympics 'approach' claim about PGA Tour and LIV Golf stars

Xander Schauffele has confessed that golf's top players are hungrier for a top-three finish at the Olympic Games than in other traditional tournaments. The American golfer, who has two major titles to his name and nine PGA Tour victories, e mphasized the significance of the Olympics.

Despite triumphs at The Open and The PGA Championship this year, Schauffele stressed that he and his peers, including those who joined LIV Golf, hold the Games in high regard . At 30 years old, Schauffele backed up his words by finishing round three of the Paris competition tied for the lead with Spain's Jon Rahm, while Britain's Tommy Fleetwood lagged just one stroke behind in third place.

With a shot at an Olympic podium and the coveted medals within grasp, Schauffele revealed that all competitors are eager to secure a top-three spot, valuing it even more than usual. In a conversation with the Pardon My Take podcast before the golf events at the 2024 Olympics began, Schauffele compared the mindset towards the Games with that of the majors, saying: "It's pretty different. You're essentially on a team," reports the Mirror .

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He added, "I approach it the same way (as a Major) to be honest. It's a 72-hole stroke play and there's 60 guys and everyone is playing under their country and everyone wants to win."

Schauffele noted: "I think the emphasis on second and third is a lot more than a normal tournament. You podium, versus if you don't do well and you come in second or third or if you're doing well and then you fail at the end, you feel (bad). I think in the Olympics, everyone is fighting to finish in the top three more so than any tournament I'd say."

Rory McIlroy , who initially had reservations about competing in the Olympics, now shares Schauffele's sentiments. This year, McIlroy expressed his desire to win a gold medal in Paris, saying it would be the highlight of his year. The 35-year-old added: "It would be the achievement, certainly of the year.

"If not - I think for me, it's well documented that I haven't won one of the big four (majors) in 10 years. It would probably be one if, if not the biggest in my career for the last 10 years."

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McIlroy also praised the atmosphere at the competition, saying: "With so many events going on spread all across the city, for people to venture out here and to watch us play, it was a really cool atmosphere to play in."

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"I was not expecting this. I thought the weekend it might get a few more people. I thought the first couple days might be a little bit quieter but it was awesome. Tokyo was a ghost town [due to COVID-19 restrictions].

"This was much better. I think the crowd support that we all got out there was amazing. Obviously there's a few more flags and there's a bit more, I don't know what the word is, like nationalism. But we were all really well supported out there. It was great to see."

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