Xander Schauffele’s dad ‘threatened’ golf star’s friends after issuing ban on his son
Xander Schauffele revealed his dad was so adamant about him not watching a video of his golf swing he scared his friends away from recording his technique.
Schauffele, 30, recently clinched his first PGA World Championship by edging out fellow American Bryson DeChambeau by just one stroke at Valhalla Golf Course. Like many sports stars, Schauffele's father, Stefan, who has firmly stated there is "no chance" of his son joining LIV Golf, has been his long-term coach.
Schauffele is currently under the tutelage of Chris Como, who is offering extensive advice on his game. Previously, it was Schauffele senior who imparted the tricks of the trade to the California-born golfer.
When the 30-year-old was a young prodigy, his father was always thinking two steps ahead when coaching his son. So much so that when a young and hungry Xander wanted to watch a video of his golf swing to identify any faults, Stefan would not let him.
"He is definitely a character, his nickname is the ogre," Schauffele mentioned on the 'Pardon My Take' podcast. "He handles conversations and tough situations in an ogre fashion - he's not afraid to get in your face to put it like that," reports the Express.
While Stefan always made sure his son was as well-prepared as possible, he also recognized the danger of being overly precise in his coaching. So much so that, no matter how often Xander requested to see a video of his golf swing during his youth, Stefan consistently refused.
To ensure all bases were covered, Schauffele confessed that his father would intimidate his friends into not recording a video.
When questioned if it was true that he threatened his friends, Schauffele chuckled and responded: "Yeah.
"I'll be like 'Come on, I need to see what's going on, I know you don't feel good about this'. They're like 'No, sorry man, I can't do it, get someone else to do that'."
Stefan is still frequently by his son's side, although his signature stetson hat and linen shirt were noticeably absent in Kentucky. Upon winning the Championship, Xander celebrated, embraced his wife, signed his scorecard and called his father, who was in Hawaii residing in the small shipping container he spends a lot of time in.
Xander Schauffele of the United States and his caddie, Austin Kaiser, pose with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the 2024 PGA Championship
While he is collaborating with Como, he still acknowledges the influence his father had on his career. "He's been my coach forever," Schauffele stated when asked about his father's impact.
"I actually ended up hiring Chris Como in November of last year so I've known him for quite some time. We have a mutual friend who introduced us way back, so my dad knows Chris pretty well.
"Chris did a little golf channel thing with us when he was working with them so my dad just felt comfortable. He is always going to be my dad, but in terms of golfing capacity, he sort of passed the torch over to Chris and felt like there's no need for him to be there if I am there with the rest of my team."
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