Xander Schauffele Reveals Frustrating 8-Week Recovery from Rib Injury
Xander Schauffele returns to competition at the Arnold Palmer Invitational after an eight-week layoff due to a rib injury that began just before Christmas.
The injury, diagnosed as an intercostal strain with a small cartilage tear, developed while his trainer was away renewing his visa. Schauffele continued training and playing without proper support, which he admits was a mistake.
"I was left on my own and apparently I'm still a toddler," Schauffele said. "I kept training and golfing, and I'm used to having someone either hold my hand or do something as simple as soft tissue."
The injury particularly frustrated Schauffele by forcing him to miss playing at Torrey Pines South twice, one of his career dreams. While the pain wasn't constant, it would flare up during golf swings or sudden movements.
Recent medical scans came back clean, and doctors have cleared him to play without risk of worsening the injury. Schauffele has gradually returned to playing full rounds, completing 18 holes at home, nine holes on Tuesday at Bay Hill, and 18 holes on Wednesday.
Looking to Scottie Scheffler's recent return from injury as inspiration, Schauffele remains optimistic about his comeback. "I've been practicing mentally to convince myself that I'm still in some crazy good form," he said. "I don't see why I can't put myself back in the mix."
This marks Schauffele's first significant injury in his professional golf career, and he's approaching his return with measured expectations while maintaining his competitive mindset.