Report: Why Xander Schauffele is missing Ryder Cup reconnaissance trip

Xander Schauffele was a notable absentee from this week's PGA Tour event in California. 

Keegan Bradley's US Ryder Cup team have decided to use the Procore Championship as a vital reconnaissance trip ahead of the biennial matches in New York later this month. 

Scottie Scheffler, J.J. Spaun, Russell Henley, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Sam Burns, Cameron Young, Ben Griffin and Harris English will tee it up this week. 

Bryson DeChambeau is not allowed to play as the LIV Golf recruit remains banned from participating in PGA Tour events, though it is understood the 2024 US Open champ will link up with his team-mates anyway. 

But there were no signs of Schauffele. GolfMagic exclusively revealed he decided not to play last week. 

And it can now be revealed two-time major champion Schauffele, 31, has an excellent reason for missing out. 

The Associated Press are reporting the golfer's wife Maya has given birth to their first child. 

AP reported on Tuesday that the couple welcomed a baby boy into the world. They have decided to name their son Victor.

The US golfer met Maya in college in 2014. They tied the knot in Las Vegas in 2021. 

Schauffele previously said after missing out on qualifying for the Tour Championship that he was undecided about participating this week. 

But he hinted it was because he wanted time off to recovery from a mentally exhausting season. 

He told reporters in Memphis his best preparation was to simply not touch a golf club for a few weeks. 

He had a frustrating campaign and spent eight weeks injured. When he returned, he struggled to replicate the form that saw him win the PGA Championship at Valhalla and The Open at Royal Troon the previous summer. 

Schauffele will be making his third appearance for Team USA in the Ryder Cup later this month. 

His Ryder Cup experience two years ago in Rome was forgettable. 

He played in four matches and lost three, picking up his only point in the Sunday singles in his match against Nicolai Hojgaard in what turned out to be a dead rubber. 

Captain Bradley, 39, appears to have dropped clues about his potential pairings at the Procore Championship. 

The top-ranked Scheffler is playing alongside Henley, whilst Thomas is in the same group as Griffin and Young. 

Meanwhile, 11 European Ryder Cup team members are playing the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. 

Austria's Sepp Straka is the only player not involved as his wife Katie recently gave birth to their second child. 

Our Andy Roberts has suggested the Europeans might be playing mind games.