For a perennial contender like Xander Schauffele, the question heading into Augusta isn’t about talent, but about the quiet confidence needed to conquer it. During a brief exchange with Amanda Balionis ahead of his ninth Masters appearance, he opened up about how he feels about his game.
“Yeah, I mean, the cliche, just trying to worry about what I can worry about here with my team and get myself in good shape. But, yeah, it’s nice to have a few good events under my belt coming into the first major, no doubt,” the American professional said when asked about his confidence.
Xander Schauffele is making his 9th appearance at the Masters. He caught up with our @Amanda_Balionis on Wednesday morning. pic.twitter.com/Y6GA0bguJb
— Golf on CBS
(@GolfonCBS) April 8, 2026
This mindset separates him from many peers who admit to obsessively watching the leaderboard, a habit that can derail a Masters run.
Xander’s confidence is well-founded, as he’s built momentum by making the cut in all six of his PGA Tour starts this year, including a string of five consecutive top-25 finishes highlighted by a solo third at The Players Championship and a T4 at the 2026 Valspar Championship.
However, despite some good results, the 10x PGA Tour winner’s overall season has been “mediocre.” Xander missed the cut at his debut event of the season. Carding rounds of 73 and 69 in the initial two rounds, he put on 2-under 142, which was not enough to get him into the weekend. Then, at the 2026 WM Phoenix Open, Xander finished T41 with rounds of 71-70-73-65. He also finished T24 at the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational and T19 at the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
But Xander isn’t the only golfer who has struggled before The Masters. Sergio Garcia struggled for 20 years before winning at the 2017 Masters Tournament. He became famous young and came close many times, but kept losing it, which affected his confidence. At one point, he even felt he might never return.
In 2017, he stayed calm and played strongly. On the final day, he had a close contest with Justin Rose. Even after a mistake, he recovered well and kept fighting. The match went to a playoff, where Garcia made a winning putt, finally grabbing his first major title. It was special because it happened on the birthday of his idol, Seve Ballesteros.
Xander had decent finishes for The Masters, including a T2 in 2019. Given his experience at Augusta National, he also discussed the greens with Balionis. According to him, the greens are firm, which adds to the competitiveness at Augusta National.
“Yeah, I mean, I think I’ve been here enough times to know when the SubAir is gone. I haven’t heard that thing ripping on property yet, so I think they’re in a really good spot. We’ve had cooler, cooler mornings the last two days, and they’re just waiting, waiting to turn those things on and really firm them up. So I think they’re in a really, they’re definitely firm, firm enough for an incredible tournament,” he said.
While the SubAir system might not have been activated yet, American professionals believe it will be. He is optimistic that the management will use the vacuum tech to dry the greens quickly and make them firmer. This means that long hitters would have an advantage, just like 2x winner Jose Maria Olazabal analyzed. With an average driving distance of 310 yards in 2026, the American professional has the conditions in his favor.
While he is confident and focused on The Masters, Xander would also like to become a patron one day.
Xander Schauffele opens up on his plans if he becomes a patron for a day
Xander has played in the 8 Masters before this year. However, when Balionis asked what he would do if he entered Augusta National as a patron for a day, he candidly said:
“I feel like I would try it all, to be honest. If I’m on the grounds, I’d probably drink everything, try everything. Definitely get the peach ice cream sandwich, all the sandwiches they have to offer.”
Xander will aim to enjoy as a patron for a day and not worry about the game or the results. He will probably keep watching professionals play the game while he enjoys sandwiches and drinks. Xander added that he would like to get everything that the merchandise shops have to offer.
Xander will be chasing his first green jacket this year. After several close finishes, he will eye to get past the finish line this time. And he has a good chance to do that. His betting profile is impressive, and he has good odds, too. The American professional is 5th on the Masters odds list at +1500. The other four ahead of him are Scottie Scheffler (+500), Bryson DeChambeau (+1000), Jon Rahm (+1000), and Rory McIlroy (+1300).
While his odds are longer than Scheffler’s or Rahm’s, Schauffele’s blend of course history and a relaxed mindset makes him a dangerous contender, poised to turn another Sunday afternoon in contention into a career-defining victory.
