Xander Schauffele reminisced on a particular moment that stood out to him in the two weeks following his PGA Championship win. It was the morning he woke up and realized that nothing had changed.
Winning the major tournament by sinking a 6-foot birdie putt at Valhalla was a significant achievement for him. However, despite the victory, he found comfort in the fact that his life remained the same, with the same goals and simple lifestyle.
“Maybe I didn’t give myself enough time to truly appreciate it,” Schauffele shared. “I was at home, and one morning I looked at my wife and realized that nothing felt different. Our life felt unchanged. And that was a really comforting feeling. I took a break from golf, enjoyed my home life, and did things as usual.”
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“But when it comes to golf… I felt satisfied and content,” he continued. “Yet, I was still motivated to get back to work.”
Upon his return to the game, Schauffele finds himself in familiar territory. His first stop is the Memorial tournament in Dublin, Ohio, kicking off a crucial three-week stretch featuring top-tier competition. The course at Muirfield Village is notorious for its wide fairways and challenging rough, akin to that of a major tournament.
The U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 follows next week, with its restored design showcasing dunes and native wiregrasses. Subsequently, players will head to the Travelers Championship, another prestigious event known for its thick rough.
“It’s going to be an intriguing stretch of tournaments,” Schauffele remarked. “Ironically, the U.S. Open might have the least daunting rough compared to the other venues on our schedule in the next three weeks, which seems counterintuitive.”
A notable change at the Memorial is the modification of the par-3 16th hole by tournament founder Jack Nicklaus in response to criticisms of its difficulty. The tee has been adjusted to create a fairer playing field for the competitors.
“The adjustments have made it a tough hole, but now the angle allows for a good shot to potentially reach or come close to the green,” defending champion Viktor Hovland remarked.
The tournament’s timing on the calendar is another significant change. The clustering of $20 million signature events with limited player fields required a revision of the scheduling to accommodate a select group of players qualifying for the events.
Traditionally held around Memorial Day, the Memorial tournament now precedes the U.S. Open by a week, contributing to a condensed timeline of major tournaments and prestigious events.
Nicklaus expressed his preference for returning to the previous scheduling and indicated ongoing discussions with the PGA Tour regarding potential adjustments after this year’s tournament.
“We advocated for the alternate week,” he stated. “We are participating this week at the tour’s request, but we plan to evaluate the schedule following this event to determine the best approach moving forward.”
From a personal and tournament perspective, Nicklaus highlighted the importance of aligning with the players’ practice routines before major tournaments. Despite the date change, the Memorial is anticipated to deliver an exciting competition with top contenders like Scottie Scheffler leading the pack.
Scheffler, reflecting on his past experiences watching the tournament during college, expressed his aspiration to win and receive a handshake from Nicklaus at the tournament’s conclusion.
