Xander Schauffele has added motivation going up against Scottie Scheffler at next week’s Tour Championship for the FedEx Cup and the $25million prize.
Two weeks on from his tied-second finish in the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind, Schauffele is looking to crown his brilliant year by claiming one landmark that has so far eluded him. The 30-year-old won his first two majors of his career this year – lifting the PGA Championship in May and The Open in July.
And Schauffele’s success has left him as the only player mathematically able to pass Scheffler in the ranks and take his No. 1 spot away from him on the season-long race at the BMW Championship before the top 30 are seeded by Starting Strokes into the TOUR Championship.
"Becoming No. 1 in the world? It's a very big goal of mine, yes," Schauffele told reporters, "and I've been told, yes, that Scottie is an outlier in several years, and I would be (No. 1). But it's not really good enough, is it? That doesn't take away from what I've done or how I feel. I'm proud with the work that I've put in and with the people that are around me and that have helped me.... I'm just going to keep knocking. That's what I do."
Schauffele was asked about his on-course rivalry with the man who has spent 101 weeks as No.1 ranked. "I feel like we kind of look at it in a similar fashion. We're really just playing against ourselves and the golf course," Schauffele said.
"The score - I've said this several times in the media - the score really is just a result. Some days you play really well and shoot 69 and some days you kind of play crappy and shoot 66...so I think sticking to your process, what's gotten us this far, is going to be important and not really getting too emotional about what's happening around us."
On the back of six PGA Tour wins this season and victory at the Masters, Scheffler entered the FedEx Cup Playoffs with a 1,936 point lead over Schauffele. The Playoffs award quadruple points compared to a full-fieled event with 2,000 up for grabs to the winner.
Schauffele made good progress in bridging the gap with his closing 63 before eventual winner Hideki Matsuyama notched back-to-back closing birdies to take victory. Schauffele was able to close the gap to the Olympic champion to 1,495 ahead of next week’s championship. Only victory at Castle Pines would move Schauffele atop the FedEx Cup into the TOUR Championship at East Lake - pivotal given the leader will start at 10 under-par with No. 2 beginning at eight-under.
Scheffler will clinch the No. 1 spot into the TOUR Championship with a solo fourth or better at the BMW Championship. Alternatively, Schauffele will take the No. 1 place with a win if Scheffler fails to finish better than a two-way tied-fourth.
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