With his maternal grandparents watching in person and a young son waiting at home, Xander Schauffele capped off an otherwise dismal season by winning the 2025 Baycurrent Classic in Japan.
His 7-under 64 on Sunday at Yokohama Country Club was his first win in 15 months. And it gave him extra reason to celebrate in a country where his family roots run deep.
Max Greyersman, runner-up in this event last year, repeated that role, finishing one stroke back as he chased his first PGA Tour title. Tour rookie Michael Thorbjorsen, who joined Schauffele and Greyersman in the final group on Sunday, finished third, three shots back.
“I was pretty nervous,” Schauffele said. “It’s been over a year since I even wanted to win a golf tournament. I was probably as nervous as she was because I’ve done it before and I had to dig deep into my memory to do it again.”
The win marks a memorable moment for Schauffele in an otherwise forgettable year. He was sidelined by a rib injury in early 2025, but never regained the form he showed in 2024, when he won two majors and rose to No. 2 in the World Golf Ranking. Although the subpar play at times dented his confidence, Schauffele said he took positives away from this year’s Ryder Cup, where he earned three points in a losing American effort and defeated Jon Rahm in the singles match on Sunday.
“I thought I played pretty solid at the Ryder Cup,” Schauffele said. “It’s a very high-stakes, high-pressure wave and I started hitting some shots that I haven’t really hit all year.”
At Baycurrent, Schauffele looked even more like his old self while playing in front of some familiar faces. Several family members were in the crowd, including his 81-year-old grandmother, who walked the course with him. Schauffele’s mother and mother-in-law both grew up in Japan, as did his wife Maya, who is half Japanese. Although he was born and raised in Southern California, Schauffele said he felt connected to Japan from an early age.
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“I’ve been coming here since I was about 9 years old to visit my grandparents,” Schauffele said. “I fell in love with this country a long time ago.”
At home in the US, Schauffele’s family is larger than at the beginning of the year. Just over a month ago, he and Maya welcomed their first child, a milestone that came with a change in mindset.
“Mentally, I definitely felt different,” Schauffele said. “I’m a young dad. He’s only a little over six weeks old, but yeah, it’s weird. I would do anything for him. That part feels mentally different than anything else — I haven’t really identified exactly what it is. It’s still a little fresh. But it’s definitely cool to be a dad and I’m so excited to be home with him and Maya after this.”
In time, Schauffele said, he plans to do for his son what his own parents did for him.
“I can’t wait to bring (him) here when he’s old enough to kind of understand and appreciate the culture in Japan,” Schauffele said.
In the meantime, he had to attend a local party, albeit a quiet one.
“Probably a big get-together, just a few drinks,” Schauffele said. “You saw that many of my relatives are not yet of the age to drink alcohol, so just have a few drinks with the family and relax a bit.”
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