Exclusive: Xander Schauffele reveals when he’ll play on tour again and makes a surprising admission

Xander Schauffele will make his comeback at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

Xander Schauffele has been sidelined since injuring his rib during the PGA Tour’s curtain raiser in January; he’s now set to make his return next week at Bay Hill, but with low expectations.

Xander Schauffele has committed to playing the Arnold Palmer Invitational next week, Today’s Golfer can exclusively reveal.

The two-time major champion has been out of action on the PGA Tour since aggravating a rib injury during the season-opener at The Sentry, where he finished in a tie for 30th.

Though he played through the pain while making his TGL debut for New York Golf Club two days later, he was diagnosed with an acute intercostal strain and has been sidelined for the last six weeks, missing two signature events at Pebble Beach and Torrey Pines.

Schauffele had always targeted the Arnold Palmer Invitational as the staging post for a potential return and after a check-up scan gave him a clean bill of health on Friday morning, the World No.2 is now set to tee it up at Bay Hill alongside defending champion Scottie Scheffler.

“It’s been a slow recovery, the ribcage seems to be a nagging, slowish recovery area due to a lack of blood flow and the constant use,” the American told TG. “I just wanted to be 100% before I returned and sacrificed a bit on this front end [of the season] to make sure the back end is safe.

“I probably should have taken that first TGL match off… maybe I would have been able to come back sooner, but that’s just hindsight obviously.”

Schauffele enters the 70-man field at the Arnold Palmer Invitational having barely picked up a golf club since January 7. He only started hitting balls the “last five or six days” and is set to play his first 18-hole round over the weekend, with the hope of competing for New York Golf Club against Boston Common Golf Club in TGL on Monday night.

All being well, his preparations will then continue on site at Bay Hill on Tuesday.

“I haven’t played any holes yet,” the 31-year-old said. “I’ve just been on a ball count so when the volume goes up, the intensity goes down. And then if I’m hitting drivers or making big swings, the ball count obviously goes down.

“It’s been my first go at it really, sitting out for a significant period and watching other guys play, so it has been frustrating. But it is what it is. At first, it was a tough pill to swallow. But I’ve come to terms with the fact I’m making these decisions for my long-term health. I’ve been super lucky up until this point, you know.

“A little bit of appreciation kicks in, just knowing that I’ve pretty much played injury free for eight or nine years straight. I’m learning from it and looking forward to coming back, rather than dwelling on what happened.”

His impending return comes at a crucial time in the season, with the start of the Masters – the first major of the year – now less than six weeks away as he bids to complete a third leg of the career grand slam.

Getting up to speed is perhaps the biggest challenge facing him, especially as he was playing the best golf of his career before injury struck. He even set a new PGA Tour record by making bogey or worse on only 9.4% of his holes in 2024, eclipsing Tiger Woods’ all-time 2000 season best.

So far, he has resisted the temptation of making too many sweeping changes to his equipment or backroom team for the new season, though it shouldn’t go unnoticed that he put the Callaway Elyte driver into the bag at The Sentry despite the success he enjoyed with the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond last year.

The injury to his rib means he’s had limited time to practice with the Elyte since then, though he’s seen enough during testing to convince him that he’s going to be better off because of it.

“It’s actually been the easiest transition for me,” said Schauffele. “Usually when I test the clubs, they give me a couple of heads. But I’m still using the first head I tested during the ‘first look’ I had with Callaway. That’s usually a good sign.

“It was sort of love at first sight; it’s fast, it’s consistent, and it maps the face really well. It doesn’t even feel like I’m using a new driver to be honest, so I’ve been really impressed with it.”

The real test, though, will come during his next two starts. Both Bay Hill and TPC Sawgrass are widely regarded as some of the toughest courses on the PGA Tour calendar, so you can imagine any signs of rustiness in his game will be brutally exposed. Schauffele is aware of that, too.

“I know what I’m up against,” said Schauffele, who finished runner-up at the Players last year. “I’m coming back on some of the toughest properties, so it’s not like I’m going to get an easy warm up where it’s forgiving. I’m coming back right into the teeth of it, so I’m going to have to draw back on some good feelings and good memories.

“There have been other guys in the past who have had limited starts and been able to perform at a high level, so I’m just trying to trick my brain into thinking I can be one of those people.

“My expectations are low overall, but at the same time I don’t want to sit back and be like, ‘It’s OK to play bad because you haven’t played’. I want to come back and play well. I expect that of myself.”