Xander Schauffele shows true colours with Scottie Scheffler comments

Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler at the FedEx St. Jude Championship (Image: Getty)

Xander Schauffele has hailed Scottie Scheffler as the pair prepare to go head-to-head to win the FedEx Cup. Schauffele and Scheffler are two of the most in-form golfers in 2024, with the former winning both the PGA Championship and The Open, and the latter clinching victory at the Masters and the Olympics.

That said, Schauffele thinks Scheffler has his number, and reckons there's a sizeable gap in quality between the World No. 1 and the rest of the pack. Speaking ahead of the BMW Championship, World No. 2 Schauffele said Scheffler has earned every penny of the $21.9million (£16.7m) he's claimed in prize money this season because he's proven that he's the best golfer around.

"If you look at how much 10th has made, the 10th-best player in the world, it's not going to sniff how much Scottie has made," Schauffele told reporters. "That just shows you how well Scottie has played in these big tournaments." He added: "Scottie has just been that much more elite. I think he deserves everything that he's getting."

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Schauffele, 30, admitted that becoming World No. 1 was a dream of his, though it won't happen anytime soon because of the unimpeachable lead Scheffler, 28, has built up in the Official World Golf Rankings points system. Despite that, Schauffele insists he's looking on the bright side.

"Becoming No. 1 in the world? It's a very big goal of mine, yes," he said. "And I've been told, yes, that Scottie is an outlier in several years, and I would be (No. 1). But it's not really good enough, is it? That doesn't take away from what I've done or how I feel. I'm proud with the work that I've put in and with the people that are around me and that have helped me. I'm just going to keep knocking. That's what I do."

Xander Schauffele says becoming World No. 1 is a big dream of his (Image: Getty) SUBSCRIBE Invalid email

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After Scheffler's Olympic success earlier in the month, Schauffele claimed his American counterpart was "way ahead" of the rest of the players on the tour. That, however, hasn't stopped him from aiming to become just the sixth man ever to win a career grand slam (winning all four majors).

"The career slam has always been written down as something I've wanted," he admitted. "Getting to two [majors] after not having one for such a long time is something that feels really good. Expectations can be a mean thing and I think all people in sport have a certain amount of cortisol in the body. You stress, you get anxious, have hard times. I have.

"So to get to two is great, and it makes me remember writing this stuff down with my dad at 13 or 14 - number one player in the world, majors, all these things."

Xander Schauffele shows true colours with Scottie Scheffler comments

Xander Schauffele shows true colours with Scottie Scheffler comments

Xander Schauffele shows true colours with Scottie Scheffler comments

Xander Schauffele shows true colours with Scottie Scheffler comments

Xander Schauffele shows true colours with Scottie Scheffler comments