Xander Schauffele’s Dad Boycotting Ryder Cup, Says He's 'Afraid' Of How New York Fans Will Behave
Stefan Schauffele is done with the Ryder Cup.
Xander Schauffele has only competed on the U.S. Ryder Cup team on two occasions in his career, but those two opportunities have been more than enough for his father to conclude that he's out on the biennial event.
Stefan Schauffele, the dad and longtime coach of the two-time major winner, recently spoke with The Times of London for an in-depth feature about golf and family. Stefan is an interesting, bold character, and it should come as no surprise that he was incredibly straightforward during the interview, specifically when it came to the topic of the Ryder Cup.
"Do I miss the PGA Tour? No. I’m not going to the Ryder Cup either," Stefan told the outlet.
Xander Schauffele's dad is out on the Ryder Cup. Adam Cairns-Imagn Images
This Fall's Ryder Cup will be contested at Bethpage Black in New York, and while many have voiced some concerns about how New York sports fans will behave during the event, Schauffele made it clear that he won't be there to witness any of what may or may not go down in person.
"I’m afraid of what’s going to happen in New York. I was there [at Whistling Straits] when they called Shane Lowry’s wife a wh-re in front of him. I couldn’t believe my ears," Stefan continued.
"Then I saw what happened in Rome. That was utterly disgusting claiming this money bullsh-t and Rory [McIlroy] behaved disgustingly in my opinion [when he confronted Patrick Cantlay’s caddie, Joe LaCava]. It’s only going to get worse. It’s ruined my appetite for the Ryder Cup. It becomes unwatchable."
Xander and Cantlay, who are close friends, got caught up in reports during the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome that money - or a lack thereof - was causing a rift in the team room. A report that Cantlay and members of the U.S. team denied claimed that Cantlay wasn’t wearing a hat to protest players not getting paid for their efforts in the biennial event.
On the second day of the event in Rome, Cantlay made a lengthy putt on the 18th hole to give himself and U.S. teammate Wyndham Clark a one-up victory over Matt Fitzpatrick and Rory McIlroy. About 10 minutes later, McIlory and Cantlay's caddie, Joe LaCava, nearly came to blows in the parking lot of the golf course.
I suppose that experience and allegedly witnessing a fan randomly call Shane Lowry's wife a wh-ore is enough for Stefan to decide to watch the Ryder Cup from the comfort of his own home.