Schauffele Conquers Japan: Emotional Victory with Family Roots

alofoke
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YOKOHAMA, Japan – Victory at the Baycurrent Classic in Japan might not be the most prestigious in Xander Schauffele’s career, but it will certainly be one of the most memorable for the American golfer.Schauffele dazzled with a round of 64 strokes, seven under par, on Sunday, securing the triumph in a country with deep family and cultural ties for him.With a total of 265 strokes, 19 under par, in the four days of competition at the Yokohama Country Club, Schauffele beat Max Greyserman by one stroke, who also placed second in the same event the previous year.

A Triumph with a Family Flavor

Schauffele’s link to Japan is significant, with maternal grandparents residing in the country. His mother has roots in Taiwan and grew up in Japan, while his mother-in-law is Japanese and his wife is half-Japanese, having grown up in Okinawa.
Xander Schauffele durante el torneo.
La madre de Xander Schauffele nació en Taiwán, pero creció en Japón.

“I’ve been coming here since I was about 9 years old to visit my grandparents. I fell in love with this country a long time ago. I can’t wait to bring my son here when he’s old enough to understand and appreciate the culture here in Japan.”

Xander Schauffele
The golfer and his wife Maya became parents a little over a month ago, and the victory had a special meaning for him.”It’s something very recent, but being a father is great and I’m very excited to go home to him and Maya after this,” Schauffele expressed.During the tournament, Schauffele was supported by his family, including his 81-year-old grandmother, who accompanied him on the course.The athlete anticipated a «reunion» with his family to celebrate the triumph.

“I don’t see them very often and they’ve always been gracious with their time to come to whatever the event is. They’ve been incredible with me and this is great. I really wanted to share a win with them, so I can’t wait to meet up with them.”

Xander Schauffele
Xander Schauffele celebrando con su familia.
Xander Schauffele posa con su familia tras ganar el Baycurrent Classic. Sus abuelos maternos viven en Japón, su suegra es japonesa y su esposa es mitad japonesa y creció en la isla sureña de Okinawa.
Greyserman closed with 65 strokes, maintaining or sharing the lead during the first three rounds. Michael Thorbjornsen finished with 64 strokes, finishing three strokes behind the winner.Schauffele, who has won two major championships, including the Open Championship in 2024 and the gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, postponed until 2021 due to the pandemic, has amassed an impressive list of PGA Tour titles. However, this particular victory has a different flavor.The soft conditions and calm winds favored low scores. Matt McCarty shot a 60, eleven under par, although he finished nine strokes behind the winner. Takumi Kanaya finished with a 62, nine under par, finishing five strokes behind Schauffele.McCarty had a chance for a 58, but a shot into the trees on the final hole led to a bogey and a 60. The PGA Tour record is held by Jim Furyk, with a 58 in the final round of the Travelers Championship in 2016.
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