LA Jolla, CA – Xander Schauffele missed over a month due to a rib injury as he last played on the PGA Tour in Maui in early January. He then played in his first TGL match two nights after Matsuyama Hideki won the Sentry, but the world of golf hasn't seen Shaufele.
Luckily for him, Schauffele appears to be aiming to return to the PGA Tour. According to Adam Schpac GolfweekSchauffele is about to return with the Arnold Palmer Invitational, scheduled for March 6th-9th.
The San Diego native and former San Diego Aztec Chaufele did not play this week's Genesis Invitational with the Tory Pines. He felt he needed to rest for a few more weeks and recover before the meat on the golf calendar arrived.
“Take away Genesis and you'll get three weeks to Bayhill,” Schaufele said. Golfweek.
“I want to put a lot of reps under the belt before the master. It's great to have a few competitive blood flow and have the players appear before entering a really big event.”
Schaufele injured his rib in the offseason, but felt he was required to get injured in the Sentry. But he didn't look like himself that week.
“You need a little more TLC especially at 31-25 and make sure everything is oiled correctly,” added Schauffele.
“I thought it was okay, so I continued playing it in Sentry and the first TGL match. I was almost hit, and I thought it was getting much worse. I knew it and needed a break.”
The current Champion Golfer of the Year, the current champion, pointed out that he was “losing his heart” while sitting at home, but he was sent off to heal this time. I know I'll pay dividends. He wants to compete for years to come, and will not risk any further injury by overcoming the pain and working.
Jack Mirco is a golf staff writer who plays SB Nation. Follow him with x @jack_milko.
