Xander Schauffele used to be the kind of golfer who believed in a straightforward formula: practice harder, swing harder, get better. If he needed more distance, he’d grip it and rip it. If his game were off, he’d spend more hours on the range. It was the purist’s approach—just him, his clubs, and relentless repetition. But something changed between that version of Xander and the two-time major champion standing before us today, and one PGA Tour pro wanted answers so badly he sent his coach on a mission to find out.

That pro was Harry Higgs, and his request was desperate yet straightforward: “Find out what Xander did.” On the recent Earn Your Edge Podcast, Xander finally pulled back the curtain on his transformation. The answer? It’s refreshingly honest, surprisingly straightforward, and might change how you think about golf improvement.

The story starts around 2022-2023, when Higgs walked into his coach’s bay with one burning question. Meanwhile, Xander was quietly building something special. In late 2023, he made two critical hires. First came Chris Como, the biomechanics guru who’d worked with Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau. Then came David Sundberg, a fitness specialist who focuses on rotational power and mobility. Como acknowledged Sundberg’s impact directly: “He’s gotten some incredible clubhead speed with his trainer, David Sundberg, just really getting his body in top top shape in the gym.”

When the podcast host finally asked him about Harry’s desperate question, Xander’s answer was almost comically simple. “Harry, I’m sorry to tell you, Harry, but it’s kind of it,” Xander said. “I just started working out and lifting more weights.”

But Xander’s simple answer masked a deeper truth. He revealed a crucial aspect of his physical makeup. “I was so weak in certain areas,” he explained. His lower body had always been strong from golf and genetics. His upper body? That was a different story entirely. The mismatch was holding him back in ways he hadn’t fully understood.

Como helped him fix his swing path, moving from hitting down 2-3 degrees to hitting level or even up on the ball. That alone wasn’t revolutionary. But combine that technical adjustment with Sundberg’s strength program, and suddenly everything clicked. Xander went from averaging 304.1 yards off the tee in 2023 to 312.1 yards in 2025. That’s roughly 8-15 yards of pure distance gain.

Modern golf fitness isn’t about bulking up but about generating rotational speed, balance, and controlled explosiveness. Xander Schauffele’s transformation began when he understood how biomechanics — mobility, stability, and upper-body balance — affect energy transfer through the swing. His trainer, David Sundberg, emphasized core stability, hip mobility, and rotational strength to create usable power.

“He’s gotten some incredible clubhead speed with his trainer, David Sundberg, just really getting his body in top top shape in the gym,” said coach Chris Como, highlighting how scientific training, not just effort, fueled Xander’s leap.

When Tiger Woods brought strength training into golf in the early 2000s, he redefined athletic preparation in the sport. Bryson DeChambeau later pushed that to the extreme, chasing distance through raw speed and muscle.

Today, players like Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Schauffele are perfecting the balance — combining strength with mobility to produce controlled, efficient power. Xander’s evolution reflects that next stage in golf’s fitness revolution: smarter, stronger, and more precise.

“It was another thing I needed to commit to,” Xander admitted about the fitness work. He wasn’t just practicing harder anymore; he was building an athletic foundation. “David holds my hand through this whole process so I don’t get hurt,” he said, describing the careful progression from basic movement patterns to serious strength training.

The results speak volumes. In 2024, Xander won the PGA Championship at Valhalla with a record-breaking 21-under performance. Then he captured the Open Championship at Royal Troon at 9-under. Two majors in one season, something he’d chased for 27 starts without success.

Why Harry Higgs Needed to Know

At the time Higgs was searching for answers, he was struggling badly. He had missed 10 cuts in 18 starts. His driving distance sat at just 303 yards, ranking him 78th on tour. More importantly, he was battling something deeper than statistics. “Pretty miserable on the golf course for over a year,” Higgs later admitted after the RBC Canadian Open, revealing mental and emotional struggles that had consumed him.

The distance gap mattered. On a tour where power increasingly separates contenders from also-rans, Higgs needed every yard he could find. His best finish came at the 2021 PGA Championship, where he tied for fourth. But without the firepower to keep pace, even his solid ball-striking couldn’t carry him to victories.

For Higgs, the story has a redemptive arc. After rebuilding on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2024, he returned to the PGA Tour in 2025. His driving distance? Now 313.8 yards, ranking 22nd on tour. That’s a massive jump from his 2023 struggles. He nearly won at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, losing in a playoff. The secret that had Harry searching so desperately turned out to be no secret at all—just commitment, consistency, and the willingness to ask for help from the right people.