After a year riddled with injury setbacks, missed cuts and sleepless nights as a new dad, Xander Schauffele finally found his groove again on Sunday. The two-time major winner lifted the Baycurrent Classic trophy in Japan, notching his first PGA Tour win in a year.
But it didn’t come easy.
The final round at Yokohama Country Club turned into a nail-biter. Schauffele entered Sunday tied at 12-under with Max Greyserman, who had been red-hot all week.
But Schauffele stayed cool and carded a final-round 65, finishing at 19-under 265. That was just one shot ahead of Greyserman, who refused to back down until the very last hole.
The win earned Schauffele a $1.314 million paycheck from the tournament’s $8 million purse, and more importantly, a long-awaited return to the winner’s circle.
The Turning Point for Xander Schauffele
The final round saw both players firing their best shots, but the turning point for Schauffele came on the 18th hole. He had just pulled ahead, sinking a 22-foot putt for a birdie on the par-4 14th. But Greyserman was still breathing to fight back.
On the final hole, Schauffele sealed the deal with a short birdie putt to claim a 7-under 64. The moment he sank it, he removed his cap, acknowledged the crowd, and embraced his caddie.
“Still processing,” Schauffele expressed post-round on Sunday. “It was a very strange week with the weather, I think just for everybody. … Just proud of Austin (Kaiser) and I hung in there all day knowing that it was going to take a low one,” he added.
This victory marks Schauffele’s 10th PGA Tour win, and his first since the 2024 Genesis Invitational, ending a drought of over a year. His resume includes a gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, making Japan a special place for his career highs.
The win couldn’t have come at a better time. After a tough Ryder Cup and a season of setbacks, Schauffele reminded the golf world and himself that he’s still a force to be reckoned with.
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