Xander Schauffele jokes about biggest life change after Open Championship win: "Drank a little bit more than I normally do"

Last year, nine-time PGA Tour winner Xander Schauffele won the PGA Championship and the Open Championship. Ahead of the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open, he jokingly highlighted that winning the Open Championship made him drink more alcohol.

Schauffele had a phenomenal season in 2024, with two major championship victories and 15 top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour. During a press conference at The Renaissance Club, the venue for the Genesis Scottish Open, he was asked to share how much winning the Open Championship changed his life. He laughed and said, via ASAP Sports:

“I drank a little bit more than I normally do, that was probably the biggest change that I had in my life was trending towards an alcoholic. It's been awesome. I really don't feel like -- it's been a weird year for me just from coming off the year I had last year into sort of what I did just kind of disappearing and then playing bad coming out of it."

The two-time major champion stated that despite his great performance last year, this year has been rocky for him. As such, all his expectations have been “reset,” and he’s now in “full chase mode,” as he aims to claim his first win of the season at the Genesis Scottish Open.

After the Genesis Scottish Open, Xander Schauffele will tee off at the 2025 Open Championship in Royal Portrush and attempt to defend his title. The tournament kicks off on July 17, and the California-born golfer will compete against top golfers such as Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Bryson DeChambeau.

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Xander Schauffele admits he has had a “pretty bad year” this season

Xander Schauffele kicked off the 2025 season at the Sentry in Hawaii, where he finished in T30. He then suffered an intercostal strain and a cartilage tear that kept him off the course for eight weeks.

Schauffele has made 11 PGA Tour starts this year and had only one top-10 finish, a sharp contrast from his performance last year. During the previously mentioned press conference at The Renaissance Club, he also admitted that this season has not been his best.

“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.”

Schauffele said that so far, the best part of his game has been his “mental fortitude.” Despite not having a good season, he has tried his best to stay positive and act like he’s playing well, as it helped him stay mentally sharp.

The 31-year-old golfer’s best performance this year was in the Masters Tournament at Augusta National. He scored a 5-under and tied for eighth place, six strokes behind the lead.

Despite the rocky run, Xander Schauffele has not missed the cut in any tournament this year. With six top-25 finishes, he tied for 28th in the PGA Championship and 12th in the US Open.