Xander Schauffele produced a strong performance at The Players Championship, finishing third at TPC Sawgrass after a consistent week.
The American ended the tournament on 11-under-par, two shots behind champion Cameron Young, and showed plenty of encouraging signs in his game.
Schauffele is building momentum as the season moves closer to the Masters at Augusta National, where he will again be among the contenders.
However, despite the positive result, he admitted there is one part of his game that still needs work before the year’s first major.
Xander Schauffele says putting must improve before the Masters
Schauffele explained that many parts of his game were working well throughout the week at TPC Sawgrass.
His approach play stood out in particular, while he also revealed that his driving accuracy was excellent across the tournament.
But the American acknowledged that his putting from close range is something he would like to improve.
“Yeah, a lot of good things. I’d say my approach was really good through the first couple of rounds. I’d say it was pretty solid this week. Didn’t miss a fairway,” Schauffele said.
“Would like to clean the putter up just a little bit. I feel like I’m missing some of those inside five- to ten-foot range. Other than that, I’ve got time.”
With several weeks remaining before the Masters begins, Schauffele believes there is still enough time to sharpen that area of his game.
Xander Schauffele pleased with his Players Championship performance
Despite narrowly missing out on the title, Schauffele said he was happy with his overall performance at The Players Championship.
The American highlighted the difficulty of playing in the final groups at TPC Sawgrass, where conditions can become much more demanding.
“Yeah, [I’m happy] for sure. It would have been a shame to have two events in a row where I shot over par on the weekend,” he reflected.
“Obviously, last week played really hard, and this weekend, when you’re in those later groups, it’s playing a little bit harder. It’s a little crispier. The wind is up.
“But you kind of know what you need to do to earn it around this property, and just happy to be stuck in it.”
Schauffele’s third-place finish suggests his game is trending in the right direction as the season’s first major approaches, even if he feels there is still room for improvement.
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