Xander Schauffele comments about his year sum up Scottie Scheffler battle

Xander Schauffele enjoyed his best career year ever with two majors but remains second to golf rival and the world’s No.1 player Scottie Scheffler with his countryman also enjoying a stellar year

Xander Schauffele enjoyed the best year of his golf career but even that is not enough to dethrone PGA Tour rival Scottie Schefflerfor Player of the Year, and the world No.1 spot. That is not lost on Schauffele, either.

“I just had my best career ever and wasn’t really close,” he told reporters Tuesday at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in the Tokyo area, ahead of the 2024 Zozo Championship which Tiger Woods hosts every year.

Schauffele, 30, swapped coaches at the start of 2024 as Chris Como — who has worked with Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau— replaced Schauffele’s father Stefan, who he had worked with throughout his career.

The move paid dividends as Schauffele holed a birdie on the final hole at Valhalla Golf Club in May to win the PGA Championship — his first major. Two months later, he added the Open Championship to his honors roll as a Sunday score of 65 gave him a two-stroke lead over two-man chasing pack Billy Horschel and Justin Rose.

In many years, this would be enough to be considered the best golfer on the planet. But this remains Scheffler’s world, and Schauffele may just be living in it.

Scheffler scooped seven tour titles including a second green jacket at Augusta National Golf Club. He also won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Players Championship, and the Tour Championship, together with three other trophies. And that isn’t even including the 2024 Olympics as he returned from Paris with the gold medal having tied the course record (62) at Le Golf National to finish 19-under par.