Xander Schauffele aims to flush away swing struggles in Genesis Scottish Open

“That was heartwarming,” joked the American in his pre-event press conference on Tuesday. “Summed up how I feel about what’s going on right now. I actually chuckled when I saw that one.”

Schauffele arrived on Scotland’s Golf Coast 12 months ago on the back of landing a maiden major win in the PGA Championship at Valhalla then added The Open at Royal Troon a week after the Genesis Scottish Open.

The world No 3, however, has had a torrid 2025 season so far, having been sidelined with a rib injury for eight weeks and, more recently, not feeling he’s been firing on all cylinders at any point.

“What would make me really happy is that I can just play freely,” he said of teeing up along with world No 1 Scottie Scheffler and second-ranked Rory McIlroy in this week’s star-studded field.

“I think the obstacles of trying to play really good golf and then playing bad golf and then just fiddling all day long is really what drives me nuts. It's why we love the game, but it's what's driving me crazy.

“So, if I can just get out of my own way, that would be the thing that would make me happiest right now more than even winning a tournament. That would just be the result.

“If I can play 72 holes without fiddling with my golf swing this week, that would be a massive win. That would be a good place for me to get to before I play next week.”

Joking that he felt he’d been “trending towards an alcoholic” as he celebrated being an Open champion, Schauffele was very insightful about the struggles he’s faced over the past few months.

“I’ve been trying to feel something other than upset,” he added. “I think I've just been angry-ish. But, you know, that part's been humbling. It's a battle, and I'm going to try and win it.”