It's been a wild ride - Schauffele revels in Tour Championship victory
Tour Championship winner Xander Schauffele said he has exceeded expectations after adding a second title to his rookie season.
After claiming his maiden PGA Tour victory at the Greenbrier Classic, having announced himself with a fifth-place finish at the U.S. Open, Schauffele ended his remarkable debut campaign with a one-shot victory in the final FedEx Cup play-off event in Atlanta on Sunday.
Schauffele, 23, birdied the par-five 18th hole to reign supreme at East Lake Golf Club, upstaging in-form American Justin Thomas, who walked away with the FedEx Cup trophy and a $10million bonus cheque.
Speaking after his two-under-par 68 wrapped up a victory worth $3.75m having received $2m for finishing third in the FedEx Cup standings, Schauffele said: "It's been a wild ride.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 24, 2017
"Five months ago, two months ago, three hours ago I wasn't really expecting a whole lot.
"To be sitting here with this bad boy right here [the Tour Championship trophy] is very special.
"I was struggling to keep my card and get in tournaments and found a way to breeze through the U.S. Open somehow with a cool head. I looked at that and thought, 'Wow, I could actually do this.' I think back a lot to that moment and that week to realise I could be out here.
"There was never a matter of maybe I can't do it. I just wasn't doing it and thinking maybe I need more experience or find some way to gain more experience without losing my card, which is impossible. The thought of falling back on the Web.com Tour was in my head … I wasn't happy I was thinking that way but I was trying to be realistic."
What an incredible week and day at @playofffinale! Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout the season. pic.twitter.com/nUQKfUfsL4
— Xander Schauffele (@XSchauffele) September 25, 2017