A tragic accident robbed Xander Schauffele’s father of his Olympic dream. Now, golf’s golden boy is out to honor him again
CNN
Over 63 days, Xander Schauffele’s life and legacy changed forever. Yet the origins of the golfer’s success stretches back almost four decades to one road in Germany.
Sixty-three days. That’s all it took for Xander Schauffele’s life and legacy to change forever. Yet the origins of the golfer’s golden summer stretch back almost four decades – seven years before he was born – to one fateful road in Germany. Long-tarred with the backhanded label of ‘the most talented golfer never to win a major,’ the American shredded that tag with a vengeance, scooping both the PGA Championship and The Open Championship in a stunning two-month stretch. Before that, the 30-year-old’s most prestigious prize was an Olympic gold medal, clinched in Japan in 2021. On Thursday, he will tee off in Paris as the defending champion, but also as a son. Because his father, Stefan Schauffele, never got his shot at The Games. Those dreams of representing Germany in the decathlon were shattered in 1986 when, en route to the national training facility in Stuttgart, the 23-year-old was struck by a drunk driver. “Hit him pretty much head on,” world No. 2 Schauffele told CNN Sport’s Don Riddell. “Went completely blind in his left eye. He was in and out of hospital for two years.”