Inside the Stats Fueling Xander Schauffele’s Comeback from Injury

The 2025 PGA Tour season has been filled with surprises and iconic moments, including Rory McIlroy’s Masters win. There have already been five first-time winners in 2025 but a few of the world’s top players haven’t been in the form that we’re accustomed to seeing.

Scottie Scheffler has been the No. 1 golfer in the Official World Golf Rankings for nearly 100 weeks, second only to Tiger Woods. But after a historic 2024 season, the world’s best golfer is still looking for his first win of the year.  

The same goes for Xander Schauffele, who has struggled after winning the first two majors of his career a year ago. Schauffele’s start has been a bit more concerning. While he’s fresh off of an eighth-place finish at Augusta, he’s finished 30th or worse in three of his five starts this year. 

Below, we’ll reveal what’s wrong with Schauffele, analyze his early-season stats, and debate whether the two-time major champion can turn things around.

Schauffele’s Struggles Haven’t Gone Unnoticed

While Scheffler hasn’t won, he has four top-10 finishes in seven starts and appears ready to break through at any moment.

Schauffele’s performance, on the other hand, hasn’t gone unnoticed. 

In 2024, he was a dominant force, finally breaking with two major victories at the PGA Championship and The Open. But 2025 has been a different story. Through the first few months of the season, Schauffele has yet to put it all together with missed cuts and middle-of-the-pack results becoming far too familiar.

Part of the reason for the slow start is physical. Schauffele suffered an intercostal strain—a painful tear of the muscles between the ribs. The injury forced him to miss eight weeks, including several early-season events where he typically plays well. 

Though he returned to action in March at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the recovery process hasn’t gone smoothly.

“I’ve been practicing mentally to convince myself that I’m still in some crazy good form,” he said in a March interview. 

But the truth is, he’s struggled on the Tour this season and while the injury may have played a major role, there’s plenty of room for improvement in his game.

Analyzing Shauffele’s Stats: The Ball Doesn’t Lie

Statistically, the story is clear — Schauffele needs to play better. 

Heading into the 2025 RBC Heritage, he currently ranks 130th in Strokes Gained: Total (-0.317), stunning for a player who finished 2024 with elite numbers in nearly every category. 

Despite that mark, Schauffele is still elite with his irons, ranking 3rd in SG: Approach the Green (+1.022), but nearly every other facet of his game has taken a hit. He ranks 161st Off the Tee (-0.421), 163rd Around the Green (-0.344), and 164th in Putting (-0.574). 

In total, he ranks 70th in SG: Tee-to-Green, showing that his long game remains decent, but it’s being undercut by costly mistakes off the tee and an ice-cold putter.

The ball-striking is still there too. He’s averaging 301.2 yards on measured drives (84th), and his club head speed of 121.51 mph ranks 21st on Tour. But accuracy is an issue, as he has hit just 53.93% of fairways (142nd).

Plenty Of Time To Turn Things Around

Just got this stat confirmed from our @PGATOUR data team. 👀

Xander Schauffele gained 11.276 strokes on approach at the Valspar Championship. That is the highest total he has ever had in his PGA TOUR career.

Played last week hoping to find form for the Masters. Progress made✅ pic.twitter.com/HD6LVhgwl1

— Paul Hodowanic (@PaulHodowanic) March 24, 2025

When healthy, Schauffele’s talent is undeniable and there’s still plenty of reason to believe he can turn things around this year.

After a slow start, Schauffele has posted back-to-back top-20 finishes. He followed up a T12 finish at the Valspar Championship with an 8th-place finish at the 2025 Masters, a sign that he’s starting to build some positive momentum.

Overall, Schauffele is still one of the most complete players on tour. He’s elite off the tee, consistent with his irons, and clutch under pressure. More importantly, he’s proven that he can win at the highest level.

As the calendar moves toward the summer stretch, Schauffele will be looking to regain the form that made him a double-major champion just a year ago. 

And if history is any indication, counting him out would be a mistake.