Stefan Schauffelle has revealed why he is fed up with the Ryder Cup and insisted that he would not be attending the tournament at Bethpage Black. Stefan, who is Xander Schauffele’s father, slammed the biennial event and labelled it “utterly disgusting and unwatchable” in a recent interview.
Stefan Doesn’t Miss The PGA Tour and Won’t Attend Ryder Cup
Stefan shared a deeply troubling moment from the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in a recent interview. According to him, a fan shouted a vile insult at Shane Lowry’s wife in front of both her and Lowry himself. Stefan also complained about how outrageous the Ryder Cup has become in recent years and said he has no plans to attend this September at Bethpage.
“Do I miss the PGA Tour? No. I’m not going to the Ryder Cup either. I’m afraid of what’s going to happen in New York. I was there [at Whistling Straits] when they called Shane Lowry’s wife a w**** in front of him. I couldn’t believe my ears.”
Stefan also pointed to another controversial moment at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, when Rory McIlroy had a heated confrontation in the parking lot with American caddie Joe LaCava. The drama unfolded after McIlroy felt LaCava disrespected him by celebrating too close during a crucial match.
“Then I saw what happened in Rome. That was utterly disgusting, claiming this money bullsh*t and Rory (McIlroy) behaved disgustingly in my opinion (when he confronted Cantlay’s caddie, Joe LaCava, in the car park) It’s only going to get worse. It’s ruined my appetite for the Ryder Cup. It becomes unwatchable.”
Stefan Reveals His Son Turned Down Huge Amount To Remain in PGA Tour
Stefan also revealed Xander once turned down a staggering $200 million offer from LIV Golf. Despite the huge payday, Stefan said the decision was easy. He insisted that Xander was more concerned about his integrity and wouldn’t have joined LIV Golf even if they offered $400 million.
Stefan had dreams of his own long before Xander became a golf star. He was a German decathlete and had his sights set on the Olympics. But in 1986, a drunk driver crashed into him and ended his athletic career before it truly began.
Years later, Xander fulfilled that Olympic dream for both of them by winning gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021. After the win, he handed the medal to his father. “You’re going to make me cry just thinking about it,” Stefan said. “He understood how huge the Olympics was for me. We got in the car and he gave me the medal and said, ‘This is for you.’”
Main Photo Credit: © Peter Casey-Imagn Images
