On Sunday's big 'free for all', Xander Schauffele has more power than most

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. – Xander Schauffele remembers the feeling. It was like trying to open a door in the dark. Schauffele spent years hovering at the top of the leaderboards. Always there but never the last man standing. Sometimes he was beaten, but mostly he made mistakes.

“In the beginning, I felt like there were times where 9 or 12 holes would go by, and I'm like holy smokes, I'm like five over par, like everything is happening,” Schauffele said Saturday at the PGA Championship at Aronimink. “I would call those growing pains. Everybody goes through them. Everybody goes through them.”

Then came the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla, where Schauffele finally kicked in the door to become a major champion. Two months later, he won the Open. One win opens another.

Since then, Schauffele has felt different in the majors. He says: “It would be crazy not to. Injuries led to a reduced performance in 2025, but he arrived at the 2026 PGA at Aronimink feeling close to where he was when he outlasted everyone at Valhalla and ran away from the field on Sunday at Royal Troon.

He jumped into contention out of the gates of Philadelphia with a first-round two-under 68. But he followed it up with a 73 in easy conditions on Friday to take himself into the top five heading into the weekend. Schauffele finished with a birdie and went straight to the range for a late lesson with his coach, Chris Como. The results were clear on Saturday as Schauffele took advantage of Aronimink's easy lead, shooting four under to take Alex Smalley's 54-hole three-hole lead. Schauffele is one of 10 players in the top three; 30 players are in the top five.

A combination of wind, falling greens and demon pins has resulted in a packed leaderboard that promises high drama on Sunday.

“I called it a free-for-all, you know what I mean?” Schauffele said Saturday evening. “The way the course plays, I mean, someone early shoots six, seven under, they might have a chance to win the whole thing, depending on how windy it is. So with that in mind, really try to stay in my lane.” [caddie Austin Kaiser] and control what we can control.”

There are many great champions at the top of the board. Jon Rahm is back. Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed are tied with Schauffele. Justin Rose has four back, along with Hideki Matsuyama and Cameron Smith. Scottie Scheffler is five behind. But it's also a leaderboard full of players who have never experienced Sunday's big cauldron. Smalley's best finish is a T23 on the 2023 PGA. Nick Taylor, Matti Schmid and Aaron Rai, all tied for second with Rahm, have zero top 10s in the majors.

Schauffele will go into Sunday cruising past most of the chasers – Rahm, McIlroy, Rose and Reed anyway. In golf, you don't know what you don't know. But if you know itit can make a difference.

“I have some experience that I can use. That's really it,” Schauffele said. “When you're not in contention, you know, I wish you luck in any experience. You just try to stay positive and give yourself a chance.”

Asked about his major growing pains, near-misses at US Opens and back-to-back Masters, Schauffele talked about how quickly things can go when the pressure is on, and how hard it is to get back on the wheel when you start to slip. What those scars — and the big win at the end — taught him is how to stay grounded when everything around him is spinning.

“I think if you can control your ball and hit some shots, it definitely gives you that confidence, but no matter how much golf you play, you're going to see anybody slip from time to time,” Schauffele said. “The best always seem to come together in difficult times.”

Sunday at Aronimink will be anyone's game. The test will require specific answers. Big tournaments often do. Schauffele will start the round behind but with an edge on most of the leaderboard and will be under a lot of pressure for the first time.

You are free for now. In a chaotic Sunday that will be decided by the margins, that may be enough for Schauffele to pass the test.

“Come tomorrow, there will be 25, 30 guys on the 9- to 10-hole course that will play,” said Schauffele. “It will be good to watch as a fan, but as a player, there is a lot of pressure, and you have to be locked in. So if I can rely on any experience that I have, I will.”