“The ribcage seems to be a nagging area”: Xander Schauffele provides major update on his fitness ahead of Arnold Palmer Invitational

Xander Schauffele will make his much-awaited return to golf at the Arnold Palmer Invitational next week. He had been struggling with a rib cage injury.

Schauffele hasn't played in any PGA Tour event since the season-opening Sentry in Hawaii in early January. He had finished T30 there. The ace golfer was last seen at the opening match of TGL, where he played for the New York Golf Club.

Recently, Schauffele broke his silence about his injury to Today's Golfer. He reportedly admitted that he hasn't played any holes yet and is currently on a ball count.

"It’s been a slow recovery, the ribcage seems to be a nagging, slowish recovery area due to a lack of blood flow and the constant use. I just wanted to be 100% before I returned and sacrificed a bit on this front end (of the season) to make sure the back end is safe," he said.

Schauffele had previously mentioned that he was initially aiming to make a comeback at either the WM Phoenix Open or the Genesis Invitational, but he had been asked to stay patient.

He recently made an appearance at the SoFi Center during the tenth match of the TGL that saw his side, New York Golf Club, take on Los Angeles Golf Club. Although he continued sitting out due to his injury, he made sure to attend the game.

Unfortunately for Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala, and Tony Finau helped LAGC get over the line in a scintillating display by the second-placed side. Finau joined the side on a one-match contract after Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood were both unavailable.

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"I want to get as many reps under the belt before the Masters" - Xander Schauffele

Xander Schauffele (Source: Imagn)

The Masters will take place at Augusta National in early April. Xander Schauffele has his eyes set on the Major Championship. When he announced his participation at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he had mentioned that he wanted to get as much practice in before the Masters as possible.

"Taking the Genesis off gives me three weeks leading into Bay Hill. I want to get as many reps under the belt before the Masters. It would be nice to get the competitive blood flowing a few times before going into a really big event and also have the Players coming up." he said via Golfweek.

The Arnold Palmer Invitational will be held from March 6th to 9th, 2025, at its usual home, Bay Hill Golf Club in Orlando.