“Disciplined” is how you’d define Xander Schauffele. But it wasn’t always the case. When he was 9, for instance, he hadn’t yet fallen for golf. It was football, but after his coach failed to deliver on his promise of offering more offensive scoring, he dropped it. Then came golf, and so did his multiple tantrums, butting heads with his father, and simultaneously spending more time with the older Schauffele, Stefan.

That meant the pro enjoyed a different kind of lifestyle than kids his age. And as lovely as the result is now, it was a sacrifice for Schauffele as a kid. “To a junior, I mean, I think that was where I struggled the most,” Schauffele confessed on ALTUS PERFORMANCE. “Those were the biggest fights I got into with my dad.” But not without his reason. Schauffele felt like an “outcast.” He’d had “sit-downs” with his dad while kids his age spent time “hanging out.” That meant missing out on high school dances or bailing out on someone. What could be worse than that for a kid?

“It was tricky. I think it sort of switched when I turned 17 or 18. It was like a different level of commitment,” Schauffele continued and then admitted, “It’s a lot of alone time for a kid. Luckily, I had my friend with me, so that helped a ton.” Usually, Stefan faced the brunt of it. In fact, one of their heated exchanges escalated to the point where Xander destroyed their bathroom. Then, guilt set in, and so Schauffele conceded to his father slowly but surely.

Now, over a decade later, he offers Zen-like advice to everyone. “In order to be really good at something, you just have to spend a lot of time doing it. There’s no better time to start than when you’re young, and you can develop a lot of really good habits when you’re young,” Schauffele admits during the interview. And there’s little to argue against Schauffele when he has 2 majors, 1 Olympic medal, and 10 PGA Tour wins under his belt.

But Schauffele isn’t the only pro to have dealt with the demands of an individual sport. Take LPGA pro Danielle Kang, for instance. Now a six-time champion, Kang developed a love-hate relationship with golf after missing out on many essential experiences. Experiences like friendships, graduation, and family time. But the love of golf remained.

On the other hand, in Schauffele’s case, the strict parenting has resulted in plenty of good things for him, but he is still cautious about it. Early this year, for instance, he confessed, “I’m hopeful to have a family myself, and I don’t know if I’m going to go that route exactly the way he did it, to be honest.” Yes, it was useful, but there’s always an off-chance that it may “backfire.” But that has affected neither his love of golf nor his love for his parents.

Xander Schauffele gives a nod to his parents’ strict but amazing parenting

“My mom was pretty strict, when it came to homework and certain things of that nature,” Xander said last year ahead of the 2024 ZOZO Championship, crediting his mom’s discipline for his success. Ping-Yi joked about making her kids “kind of strict” and ensuring they followed the rules, adding, “I mean sorry, but not sorry because they turned out to be okay.” Despite their cultural differences, Ping-Yi’s husband, Stefan, a German father, and she instilled values like hard work, honesty, and respect in their children.

Ping-Yi’s parenting style was influenced by her Japanese upbringing, where respect for elders and discipline were paramount. “He [Xander] is kind to everyone and very polite,” Ping-Yi said of her son. Xander affectionately calls his mom “hamster” due to her tendency to hold on to things and be a bit restless. Despite the strict upbringing, Xander was a mischievous child, often getting into trouble and earning the nickname “monkey” from his family. Hilarious!

“I felt the Asian side from my mom, making sure that we were on top of all our stuff, and being tough in that manner,” Xander said. His mother’s Asian values and influences played a significant role in shaping his career. Now, as a world-class golfer, Xander continues to create memories in Japan, having won the 2025 Baycurrent Classic not only in Japan but in the presence of his entire family. And yes, that helps him stay connected to his roots.