Playing The Long Game To Be No. 1

Schauffele will be patient in bid to displace 'beast' Scheffler at top of world rankings

Xander Schauffele has not forgotten or given up on one of his biggest career goals, though he knows how difficult the climb will be.

The American has said in the past that he wants to earn the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) some day, but even with top-ranked Scottie Scheffler out of the field at the Jan 2-5 The Sentry, it is not as simple as Schauffele winning a few more tournaments.

The 2025 season begins with Scheffler leading No. 2 Schauffele by 6.3727 average points in the OWGR, which utilises a two-year rolling period, emphasises players' most recent performances and factors in tournaments' strength of field.

When speaking with reporters on Dec 31 ahead of The Sentry in Kapalua, Hawaii, Schauffele nodded to the dominant year Scheffler had to build such a massive lead in the OWGR.

He agreed that he feels "under the radar" - despite a year in which he won his first two Major championships at the PGA Championship and British Open.

"Yeah, just kind of cruising around right where I want to be," Schauffele said.