PGA Tour Star's Father Announces He's Boycotting Ryder Cup

One of the top American golfers projected to make this year's Ryder Cup squad apparently won't have his father and longtime coach supporting him in person at the event.

Stefan Schauffele, the father of two-time major winner Xander Schauffele, told The Times of London in a wide-ranging interview that he's boycotting the prestigious competition, set for Sept. 26-28 at Bethpage Black in New York.

“Do I miss the PGA Tour? No. I’m not going to the Ryder Cup either," the German-born Stefan said. "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---e in front of him. I couldn’t believe my ears.

"Then I saw what happened in Rome. That was utterly disgusting claiming this money bulls--- 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.”

The altercation between McIlroy, Cantlay and LaCava played out in 2023. The Northern Irishman was angry in part because of how LaCava celebrated a clutch putt by his player on the 18th hole.

As for the incident involving Lowry's wife, that happened in Wisconsin in 2021, the last time the Ryder Cup was on U.S. soil. There have been numerous issues of unruly fan behavior during the event over the years, with this being one of the most recent.

Xander Schauffele has competed for the United States in the last two Ryder Cups, playing a key role in the team's 2021 win. As of today, he has the second-most points of any American player in the Ryder Cup standings, behind Scottie Scheffler, who is so far the only person to clinch a spot on the U.S. team.

The top six eligible players following the BMW Championship on August 17 will automatically qualify for the roster. 

We will almost definitely see Xander there at the iconic Bethpage Black course in September, but it seems like his father won't be joining him.