"It's been a pretty bad year" – Xander Schauffele admits struggles to match expectations since injury return

Xander Schauffele recently admitted that his expectations didn't meet his playing ability this season. The star golfer bluntly admitted that it was a bad season for him after coming back from an injury earlier this year.

Schauffele is in Scotland this week for the Genesis Scottish Open 2025. This is his twelfth start of the season since returning from injury, but he is still looking to find his groove.

On Tuesday, July 8, during the pre-event press conference of the Genesis Scottish Open 2025, Schauffele made an honest assessment of his season so far.

"I'd say the belief is good," he said. "I don't think I've given myself a lot of reasons to believe that I'm playing okay. It's been a pretty bad year to be completely honest...I feel like I haven't tried to add on too many other events, and I've tried to just play to an incredible, get to an incredible place with less starts, which is really hard to do these days."

"I'm trying to do a lot of things, and I think the best part of my game has probably been my mental just fortitude, whatever you want to call it, just to try to stay positive and behave as if I am playing really well. But coming off a year like last year, getting hurt, coming back, my expectations and playing ability have not cued up very nicely.

While Schauffele hasn't missed the cut, he has just posted one top-ten so far, which is quite unusual for a player like him.

Here's a look at Xander Schauffele's performance so far:

The Sentry – T30
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard – T40
The Players Championship – 72
Valspar Championship – T12
Masters Tournament – T8
RBC Heritage – T18
Truist Championship – T11
PGA Championship – T28
The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday – T25
U.S. Open – T12
Travelers Championship – T61

When will Xander Schauffele tee off at the Genesis Scottish Open 2025?

Xander Schauffele is paired alongside Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland for the first round of the Genesis Scottish Open 2025. The trio will tee off on Thursday, July 10, at 1:43 pm BST from the first hole.

The first round of the Genesis Scottish Open 2025 will begin at 7:00 am BST. Joel Dahmen, Ryan Gerard, and Marcel Schneider will start from the first tee, while Sami Valimaki, Isaiah Salinda, and Ockie Strydom will tee off from the tenth hole.

With the Open Championship less than ten days away, Xander Schauffele will be hoping to gain some form ahead of his title defense.

About the author

Shobhit is one of Sportskeeda’s most seasoned golf journalists, having already authored 3600+ articles and received nearly 5.7 million reads. Prior to his current role, he worked with the Asiana Times after completing his MSc in Geology, giving him a solid foundation in understanding the terrain, variety and challenges posed by various golf courses.

He is a keen follower of the sport and keeps himself updated about the latest trends, news and updates via social media and various news platforms. Shobhit is also methodical about accuracy, going through multiple articles from leading media houses and reputed sources before writing his own. Simultaneously, he specializes in writing reader-friendly content that conveys the necessary information in simple language.

Shobhit was a fan of Tiger Woods growing up, but of late, Nelly Korda, Scottie Scheffler and Ludvig Aberg have caught his attention.

He likes to spend his downtime singing and writing, while he is also an avid watcher of cricket and tennis.

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Edited by Shobhit Kukreti