On the eve of the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, Xander Schauffele confirmed some joyful personal news: he and his wife Maya recently welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Victor.
Schauffele, 31, revealed that their son was born on August 29, just weeks before golf’s biggest team event. The happy occasion forced the Olympic champion to skip the Procore Championship in Napa earlier this month, making him the only PGA Tour player on Keegan Bradley’s U.S. team to miss the final tour event before the Ryder Cup.
While Bryson DeChambeau also sat out due to his ongoing PGA Tour suspension, Schauffele’s absence meant he dropped back to fourth in the Official World Golf Rankings heading into this week’s showdown against Team Europe.
A Name With Meaning — and Humor
The new dad explained that the name “Victor” holds personal significance as it is his own middle name. But he couldn’t resist poking fun at any suggestion that his son’s name was inspired by European rival Viktor Hovland.
“No, I didn’t name him after Viktor Hovland,” Schauffele joked. “I was Victor way before Viktor was born.”
He added that fatherhood has already been life-changing.
“It’s been awesome. I feel very lucky to have my wife. She’s at home with him right now. I miss him a bunch. I had to rip the Band-Aid when I was leaving the house, just kiss him on the forehead and walk out before I started staring at him. It’s been cool to learn what it’s like to be a dad, and I look forward to everything that comes with that.”
Balancing Fatherhood and Golf
Schauffele admitted his preparation for Bethpage hasn’t been as extensive as usual, but he has been practicing at home when possible. “Obviously, I didn’t do a whole lot of golf for a bit, having him and trying to be a good teammate to my wife, because that’s kind of all us guys can do early on,” he explained.
Despite the lack of competitive play, Schauffele has been pleasantly surprised with his form during Ryder Cup practice sessions. “I feel like after these two days, surprisingly playing kind of nice. I surprised myself when I came out,” he said, adding that both Bradley and the assistant captains had been checking in on him after he skipped Napa.
Looking to Find Form at Bethpage
This Ryder Cup marks Schauffele’s third appearance for Team USA. While he was a two-time major champion in 2024, his 2025 campaign has been plagued by injury setbacks, including an intercostal strain and rib cartilage tear that limited his consistency.
He remains winless since lifting the Claret Jug at Royal Troon last July, though he has managed three strong top-10 finishes this season at The Masters (T8), the Genesis Scottish Open (T8), and The Open (T7).
Now, as he looks to contribute to Team USA’s bid to reclaim the Ryder Cup, Schauffele brings both new fatherly perspective and a determination to rediscover his best golf.
“I know it’s been a bit of a different run-up, but it’s been the best kind of distraction,” he said. “It’s been the coolest few weeks of my life.”
