Xander Schauffele has a different relationship with the Olympic Games than most other golfers in the field at Le Golf National this week.
X’s father, Stefan, was on the German decathlon team and an Olympic hopeful before a drunk driver struck his car, causing him a multitude of injuries and to lose sight in his left eye.
And while Stefan never got his chance to don a medal, Xander did, winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. This week, he is the defending champion and arguably the hottest golfer in the world, as 60 players from across the globe are in Paris at Le Golf National for the men’s golf Olympic competition. He comes to the games off a victory in the Open Championship two weeks ago in Scotland and has won two majors this year.
Justin Rose, the gold medal winner in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, isn’t in the field this week, so no one is able to answer the question quite like Xander on which means more, an Olympic gold or major trophy?
More: USA Today’s 2024 Olympics hub | How to watch | Full men’s field | Full women’s field
“It is a good question but it’s tricky,” Xander said. “Golf was in the Olympics and then it was out of the Olympics. So I think a lot of the kids were watching Tiger, or if you’re a little bit older, you’re watching Jack or Arnie, the older legends of the game. You’re watching them win majors. It’s kind of different.
“For me, it’s very personal, my relationship with my dad, the relationship my dad and I have with golf, a lot of is sort of surround his teachings of when he was trying to be an Olympian.
Xander Schauffele of Team United States looks on during a practice round ahead of the Men’s Individual Stroke Play on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Le Golf National on July 30, 2024, in Paris, France. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
“Then the majors are sort of what I grew up watching. They are two very different things to me. I think the gold medal, it’s been marinating nicely. Maybe in 30, 40 years, it’s something that’s really going to be special as it gets more traction and it kind of gets back into the eyes or into the normalcy of being in the Olympics.”
Xander said being able to share the medal with Stefan was one of the more intimate moments of his life in Tokyo. Being held with strict COVID-19 protocols, there were no fans and hardly any family members present, but Stefan was there to watch his son’s biggest victory to date. Xander’s added a…
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