Two months after capturing his first major at the 2024 PGA Championship, Xander Schauffele grabbed his second major win at The Open. Following the win, Schauffele confessed, “I mean, it’s a dream come true to win two majors in one year. It took me forever just to win one, and to have two now is something else.” And here’s the thing: Schauffele’s win was iconic, as he became the first golfer to claim two majors in one season since Brooks Koepka did so in 2018 (U.S. Open and PGA Championship). But was Schauffele’s win at The Open a purely joyful moment?

Xander Schauffele would likely answer that question with a “no.” Why? Well, it’s because of a habit he picked up following the Open Championship win in 2024. Currently active at the 2025 Scottish Open, the 2x major champion’s answer to “how much has that changed your life in terms of being Open Champion?” was pretty interesting.

Schauffele said, “I drank a little bit more than I normally do, that was probably the biggest change that I had in my life was trending towards an alcoholic. It’s been awesome.” But when the reporter “thanked” Schauffele for giving “us a headline,” Schauffele jokingly replied, “Yeah, please don’t use that one. A little context would be appreciated.” Well, now that’s hilarious!

But

Xander Schauffele‘s point is interesting considering what the 2023 winner, Brian Harman, did. The winner of The Open Championship (2023), Harman, once confessed that he enjoyed sipping red wine from the Claret Jug before he had to return it. Did Schauffele enjoy the same?

Interestingly, in 2024, during an interview, Xander Schauffele shared that he and his team have consumed

“3 or 4 different kinds of alcohol” from the Wanamaker trophy. He also noted that he didn’t permit anyone outside of his family and team to drink from it. Ahead of the 2024 Olympics, Xander Schauffele confessed, “I don’t really drink much alcohol. So three days in a row drinking was quite a feat for myself, and the recovery…that was also slow.’”

So, the Open Championship really did affect this 2x major champion in this way! However, despite these moments, Schauffele is looking at his 2025 season a little critically.

Xander Schauffele is trying not to beat himself over his 2025 performance

After winning the PGA Championship and The Open in 2024, Xander Schauffele’s momentum stalled in 2025. An eight-week layoff due to an intercostal strain forced him to miss several events, and upon his return at TPC Sawgrass, he struggled to regain his form. Since then, his best finish has been a top 10 at the 2025 Masters, with other notable finishes including tying for 12th at the US Open and finishing 28th in his PGA Championship title defense.

Ahead of the 2025 Scottish Open, Xander Schauffele candidly shared his thoughts on his poor performance this season and said, “I was really beating up on myself for quite some time to try to get myself to play like I did last year and things of that nature, which isn’t really how you’re supposed to do it.” So, how is he feeling about the upcoming Scottish Open?

Schauffele mentioned that returning to a links-style course this week puts him in a positive mindset. He said, “So any expectation I had of whatever I thought I was capable of doing, you know, from a feel standpoint last year, has been sort of reset and I am in full chase mode, like a kid.” 

Xander Schauffele won the Scottish Open in 2022 and last year finished tied for 15th at the same course, a 7,237-yard, par-70 layout that serves as the final prep for The Open Championship, which starts on Thursday. However, he continued, “… Something about being here, you start taking your hands off the wheel — and that’s how I played my best.” Well, let’s hope for a successful title defense from Xander Schauffele at The Open Championship next week!