Olympic gold medal winner Xander Schauffele was encouraged to receive a message from one of his idols, Tiger Woods, after adding the Claret Jug to his list of accolades this summer.
Xander Schauffele was left starstruck after receiving a message from golfing legend Tiger Woods following his victory at The Open Championship.
The 15-time major champion’s words of encouragement highlight his commitment to nurturing the next generation of golf greats. Schauffele will defend his Tokyo 2020 gold medal when the men’s golf tees off at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Thursday.
The American claimed his first major title at the PGA Championship in May and added the Claret Jug to his collection at Royal Troon just two months later. Schauffele, 30, bided his time before emerging atop the leaderboard in Scotland to claim The Open, a gong Woods has earned three times to date.
While these achievements would satisfy most golfers, Schauffele has lifted the lid on a text from idol Woods that was the cherry on top. The golfing superstar reached out to congratulate his compatriot on his recent success, propping up the adage that it takes a major win to be contacted by the sports icon.
“Tiger sent one along the lines of, ‘Champion Golfer of the year, take it in,'” he told the Daily Mail (via the Daily Express). “Just how cool is that?
“At Troon I played my first two rounds with him. I didn’t see him at all on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, so the first time I saw him was on Thursday, and he looked at me, and he goes, ‘How’s it feel?’ I wasn’t sure what he meant at first, and then I was like, ‘Oh, he’s talking about the fact that I have won a major now.'”
Golf ace Schauffele has been candid about his appreciation of Woods and the legend’s enduring influence on the sport – calling on him to continue playing despite Colin Montgomerie’s opinion that he should retire. Despite Tiger’s complex personal history and his reputation as a relentless competitor, stories like these reveal a gentler aspect of the icon as he urges on a new dynasty.
Schauffele admitted it was the icing on the cake after an amazing year ( Image: Getty)
The current world No2 shared his astonishment at recent events, admitting he still gets starstruck despite his rapid ascent. Yet, he acknowledges there’s a significant gap to bridge if he aims to rival Woods’ record.
“I’m laughing just thinking about it,” added Schauffele. “I feel over the moon sitting here with two and I mean, he has 15. It’s pretty humbling when you start to compare yourself to someone like that to one of the best to ever touch a club. But again, I am just so happy.”
Schauffele won’t have the opportunity to add to his major victories until next year, but he’s set to chase another gold medal this weekend in Paris. However, he’ll have his work cut out for him if he’s to accomplish something unprecedented.
Golf has featured in only four previous Olympics after returning to the schedule in 2016, more than a century after it was previously included. And Schauffele could become the first golfer to earn medals (possibly even gold) in two separate editions of the sports showcase.
