"It's still not a finished product" - Xander Schauffele questions clarity on Tour Championship scoring format, feels there is need for improvement
Xander Schauffele will tee off on Thursday at the TOUR Championship with a score of -3, tied for 11th place with four other players. Schauffele is not a big fan of the system of play set up for this tournament and added his voice to those of other players who question it.
Schauffele, sixth in the Official World Golf Ranking and 15th on the FedEx Cup roster, has already won the TOUR Championship once (2017). However, the fact that it starts with "advantage strokes conceded" to the top-ranked is not to his liking. He said of the tournament's system:
"It's still not a finished product."
Speaking at a press conference from the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, home of the TOUR Championship, on Tuesday, Xander Schauffele continued:
"I can happily say I've been on both sides of it. I've never won the the whole thing, but I've won this event. I haven't thought of a way to make it better, I still believe that, when I talk to some friends and people, they still feel a little confused on how it all happens, and I think this is supposed to be our most important event."
He added:
"All year comes down to this moment and, for people to be a little bit confused, it's still not a finished product to me in that sense. But I think after Thursday and after Friday, everyone knows it doesn't even matter anymore, how it started."
On Tuesday, Jon Rahm also spoke on the same topic, saying the TOUR Championship scoring system was "easy to understand" but not the best thing to do for the running of the event.
Xander Schauffele in the FedEx Cup playoffs
The FedEx St. Jude Championship and BMW Championship were so good for Xander Schauffele that his performance there opened the door to the Ryder Cup. Not only did he reach the top six, but he also secured his place in the American team.
In the first postseason playoff, Xander Schauffele finished T24 with a score of 7-under 273. He covered the 72 holes with 15 birdies, as well as an eagle against six bogeys and a double bogey.
The BMW Championship was even better. At Olympia Fields, Schauffele finished T8 with a score of 9-under 271. His performance included 19 birdies and 10 bogeys.
Xander Schauffele, 29, has won 7 PGA Tour tournaments. His presence in Italy as part of the American team will be his second Ryder Cup appearance, having attended the 2020 edition (held in 2021).
On that occasion, Schauffele played four matches and contributed three points to the American victory. His only loss came against Rory McIlroy in the singles match, while he won his three rounds in fourball and foursomes, teaming up with Patrick Cantlay and Dustin Johnson.