As the player who holds the unofficial title of “the best player to ever not win a major,” Xander Schauffele understands exactly how Rory McIlroy feels about his decision not to play in this week’s Travelers Championship.
McIlroy left Pinehurst No. 2 without speaking to reporters after missing two short putts on his final three holes to finish one shot behind Bryson DeChambeau at the U.S. Open, and announced the next day that he would not play again until next month's Scottish Open.
McIlroy's decade-long major drought will last until at least the British Open in July, while Schauffele is still basking in the glory of his first major title at last month's PGA Championship.
Before his one-shot win over DeChambeau at Valhalla Golf Club, Schauffele had a reputation for struggling to get close to the lead in finals.
“As a player, we all go through highs and lows to varying degrees. It's a tough time,” Schauffele said Tuesday when asked how much sympathy he had for McIlroy's current situation.
“I’m sure he and his team are discussing what happened and sometimes you just have to put everything aside and try to be objective because you’re very much in the moment and it obviously didn’t go the way he wanted.
“It's going to take him some time to figure out what's going on.”
McIlroy, who was criticized for not speaking to reporters as he left Pinehurst and headed home after his final round on Sunday, issued a statement on Monday congratulating DeChambeau and announcing he would take a few weeks off.
The Northern Irishman admitted it was “probably” the toughest day of his career but vowed to show resilience when he plays in the Scottish Open and then Royal Troon.
“Everybody’s situation is different. It’s hard for me to compare my loss to his loss,” Schauffele said. “I’d say his situation is more under the microscope. When things are going well, people are around him, and unfortunately, when things aren’t going well, people are around him.
“So, people are looking closely at why he didn't win and things like that, and sooner or later he's going to have to answer those questions, and he will, because he always does. So, for me, I take those questions very seriously, but sometimes it's good to just get back on track and compete.”
Xander Schauffele is seventh at the U.S. Open and as the world No. 3 enters the final signature tournament of the year, he has his seventh top-10 finish in his past eight individual tournaments.
Schauffele also earned one of four U.S. berths for the Paris Olympics, where he will defend his gold medal in August.

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“It’s so special,” he said. “It’s always an honor to represent my country in any tournament or event, so it’s really cool to be able to share it with my family after winning the gold medal. Qualifying was my first goal this year. It’s a very difficult team to qualify for, as you saw with the U.S. team.”
“Getting back on the court is a big goal for me and I’m really looking forward to competing again.”
Watch Xander Schauffele in action at this week's Travelers Championship, which you can watch live on Sky Sports Golf from 5pm on Thursday. Watch the PGA Tour, Majors and more with NOW.