Xander Schauffele inadvertently (?!) gets the Ryder Cup trash talk flowing

Xander Schauffele appeared to get the trash talk flowing ahead of the Ryder Cup as the American suggested Team USA 'didn't do anything special' in 2021.

Ben Smith

14 Sep 2023

Xander Schauffele inadvertently (?!) gets the Ryder Cup trash talk flowing

Xander Schauffele appears to be the first U.S. golfer to get the trash talk flowing ahead of the Ryder Cup.

In comments to Sports Illustrated that might ruffle a few feathers on the European team, the American claimed Team USA 'didn't do anything special' at Whistling Straits two years ago.

Schauffele was part of Steve Stricker's side that obliterated an ageing European side 19-9.

That result reduced Rory McIlroy to tears and the Ulsterman opened up on the moment ahead of the BMW PGA Championship.

As for Schauffele - who went 3-0-1 last time out - he has revealed the WhatsApp group chat is already firing.

He missed Team USA's recce to Italy earlier in the month owing to a 'family matter', but the rest of the team provided the PGA Tour star 'with a lot of good intel'.

"It may sound weird, but we didn't do anything special at Whistling Straits," Schauffele told SI, before explaining he 'doesn't care' that no U.S. side has won on European soil in more than 30 years.

"All the boys who were there are aware of that, and we have quite a few repeat guys on the team. We're not really tainted by that sort of talk."

The repeat guys Schauffele is referring to? Patrick Cantlay, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler were all part of Stricker's side.

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Dustin Johnson went 5-0-0 in Whistling Straits but since his move to LIV Golf he has failed to impress U.S. captain Zach Johnson.

As far as DJ is concerned, his omission from the team was a direct result from his move to the rival league.

"If I would have been playing on the PGA Tour I would have made the team," Johnson said.

As for Schauffele, what were the reports back from Rome?

Schauffele continued:

"A lot of good intel from the boys.

"Some very interesting things about the rough. It looks brutal. There's like four to six different types of grass in it.

"Depending on where your ball ends up—there's just no real way to practice for it. The fairways are this tight paspalum grass, as we’re told.

"I'm sure the Europeans tried to trick it up a little bit for our boys that went to go practice. I'm sure it'll look different when we're there come tournament time."

In other Ryder Cup news, U.S. vice captain Stewart Cink made this bizarre claim.

And Jon Rahm offered this brutal response to a reporter when asked about Sergio Garcia's future involvement in the Cup.

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