Xander Schauffele has revealed that Tiger Woods sent him a congratulatory message after his PGA Championship victory on Sunday.
The 30-year-old finally got the monkey off his back when he scored his first major victory at the PGA Championship last week.
The world No. 2 held off charges from Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland on Valhalla’s back nine to seal his victory with a birdie putt on the 18th after leading wire-to-wire.
On no less than 12 occasions he finished in the top 10 on one of golf’s biggest stages, but he and Woods believed all the near misses made him stronger.
The Californian revealed the 15-time major winner had a heartwarming message for him following his triumph.
Xander Schauffele revealed Tiger Woods (pictured) sent him a congratulatory message
The 30-year-old captured his first major title at the PGA Championship in Louisville last week.
“He texted me, you know, and I think he’s right; he experienced it all himself,” Schauffele said on the Subpar podcast.
“But he texted me like, ‘You know, all those times you were close, I think it toughened you up for that moment…and I’m proud of you.’ It’s incredible. I couldn’t be more proud of you. you.” This is an awesome text I received from T-Dub.
While it may have taken him a while to secure his first major title, Schauffele isn’t stopping there.
Schauffele revealed that the rush of chasing tournaments is an addictive feeling.
“It’s like a drug,” he says. “You just want to keep having that feeling. I think my favorite feeling in golf is being in the chase, regardless of the outcome or result.
“That rush you feel when you’re in contention down the stretch is why I love playing golf and why I love the sport in general, and I felt a lot of that feeling, which is very lucky for me.
“The result of a win is obviously great, but to get into the running at these big tournaments is awesome.”
