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World No. 2 Xander Schauffele, sidelined most of this season because of a rib injury, told Golfweek that he’s targeting a return at the Arnold Palmer Invitational next month.
Schauffele is coming off his best season as a pro, winning his first major title at the PGA Championship and then following that up several weeks later with a victory at the Open Championship.
But he told Golfweek in a story published Friday that he hurt his rib cage during the offseason, tried to play through it at the season-opening Sentry in Hawaii (where he finished 30th) and then realized it was best to shut it down and rehab. He has since missed signature events like the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and this week’s Genesis Invitational, and he also withdrew from The American Express and the Farmers Insurance Open.
And he also hasn’t been able to play for his New York Golf Club TGL team since opening night.
“I need a little more TLC, especially at 31 versus 25 and make sure everything is oiled correctly,” he told Golfweek. “I thought I’d be fine and kept going and played through it at Sentry and at the first TGL match. I was pretty much tapped. I knew it was getting significantly worse and needed time off.”
Schauffele said he’s been hitting balls but not comfortably enough to feel like he can play in a four-day tournament. But he said he thinks he should be ready by the Arnold Palmer, another signature event March 6-9 and key prep ahead of the Players Championship later in March and then the Masters in April.
“With really thick rough, I could potentially reinjure myself,” Schauffele told Golfweek. “Everyone I’ve talked to said the worst thing you can do is come back too soon. Guys have told me about being hurt 6-12 weeks later. I don’t want to deal with a stop and go. Once I’m back, I just want to go. I’ve been instructed to be patient and make sure I’m 100 percent.”