Xander Schauffele Left Feeling ‘Humbled’ After Open Victory as He Faces Criticism on Podcast

Xander Schauffele is having the best year of his career, coming off his victory at The Open and preparing to defend his gold medal at the upcoming Paris Olympics. Despite his recent success, the 30-year-old golfer has been teased for his fashion choices on the golf course.

After breaking his major curse with a win at the PGA Championship in May and subsequently lifting the Claret Jug at The Open, Schauffele is one of the top contenders for Olympic gold for Team USA. However, his recent triumphs didn’t shield him from some lighthearted criticism during an interview on the Pardon My Take podcast. The hosts poked fun at Schauffele’s attire, comparing his look to a waiter and commenting that his black shoes made him appear slow and less athletic.

Laughing off the remarks, Schauffele responded, “That’s humbling. Dude, I don’t give a s*** what I look like, to be completely honest. I don’t have to look at me when I’m playing. I do have to look at my shoes, and I do feel good, so as long as I feel good…the shoes are the shoes. I wore those black shoes at the fricking PGA and won with them!”

Schauffele emphasized the practical side of golfing, adding, “We play golf for a living, dude. We’re like camels, we’re just supposed to slop around until we get to the finish line. We’re not running out there.”

Despite not prioritizing his athletic appearance on the golf course, Schauffele’s sporting background and family history provide additional motivation for his Olympic endeavors. His father, a former decathlete and aspiring Olympian, has greatly influenced Schauffele’s athletic philosophy. The 2021 gold medalist fondly recalls sharing his Olympic victory with his father, who had always dreamed of competing in the Games.

“Winning gold in Tokyo was huge for me. It was one of those times when I wasn’t winning a lot of tournaments, and then you beat a great field,” Schauffele told the Daily Mail. “I have the podium photo; it was obviously Covid, so I’m there with my medal and wearing a mask.”

With a deep family connection to the Olympics—Schauffele’s great-grandfather even competed in the hammer throw—the golfer finds significant personal meaning in his Olympic journey. He credits his father’s decathlon-inspired training philosophy for his well-rounded approach to golf. “My dad’s philosophies are all based around the decathlon. He would explain that my golf game was like a decathlete’s—you don’t need to be all-world at one thing. You just need to be good, solid at all things, which is the decathlete approach.”

As Schauffele continues his stellar year, he looks forward to the opportunity to defend his Olympic title and add to his already impressive list of achievements.