Xander Schauffele’s recent struggles have put his World No. 3 ranking in jeopardy. The golfer, who began the 2025 season at No. 2, has already slipped one spot and now risks falling further. Yet, despite concerns over form and rankings, Schauffele remains remarkably calm. For him, this stretch of poor play has come at the perfect time—because life off the course has never been more rewarding.

Appearing on the recent episode of the Foreplay podcast, the American revealed that he and his wife, Maya, recently welcomed their first child, Victor. That milestone, he explained, outweighs any golfing setback. “Once I was out at BMW, I was very excited, sort of just, you know, one—start this new chapter, but two, just kind of have the time. We’re definitely pressed on time, and everyone who works knows that, and for me, it kind of hit a nice little window. You know, I told my wife there’s no better time for me to play bad than right now because I’m going to be home. I’m not going to miss the birth of our first kid. I’m going to be home.”

The 31-year-old surprised many when he withdrew from the Procore Championship—a key Ryder Cup tune-up where all his teammates were present. But for Schauffele, skipping the event was about prioritizing family. After the BMW Championship wrapped up on August 17, he devoted his time to supporting Maya through the final stage of pregnancy, choosing to stay away from the spotlight until Victor’s arrival.

Reflecting on that decision, Schauffele admitted the process brought more stress than he expected. “Yeah, I think I may have been more stressed than I was, maybe thinking I was. You know, everyone on my team knew, obviously, that I was having a kid. I didn’t feel the need to really share it. I wasn’t playing very good golf, and I didn’t want to, like dump my bad golf on this kid, you know what I mean? So, I just kind of just kept the whole thing to myself and my family, my team.”

In fact, the public only learned about the baby thanks to Kevin Kisner’s slip of the tongue during the BMW Championship. Until then, Schauffele had chosen to keep the news private, not wanting to connect his dip in form to such a joyful moment in his personal life.

Moreover, a lot of male golfers saw themselves entering fatherhood this year. Some of the notable include: Jordan Spieth and his wife, Annie, welcomed their third child. Additionally, Max Homa and his wife, Lacey, are welcoming their second child. Now with Schauffele, the list of good news for 2025 is extended.

However, his dip in performance cannot be ignored, given the fact that he had a spectacular 2024 season.

Xander Schauffele’s form might lead to an OWGR drop

For the two-time major winner and the PGA Tour Player of the Year 2024 contender, it has been a year filled with struggles. Initially, from January to March, he took a long break due to an injury, and since then, his struggle to perform has continued. Schauffele was placed #2 on the OWGR, but after his T40 finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he was dropped to #3, and Rory McIlroy became the World No. 2.

Since then, Schauffele has tried to regain his form, but unfortunately, he has only achieved a T7 as the best finish for 2025 so far. The result of his performance slump is a 226-point drop in 2025. Currently, Schauffele sits at 251.79 points, but just after him is Russell Henley, who is at 250.75. With that slight difference, Henley, who is currently playing at the Procore Championship, will take the lead and push Schauffele even further down on the list.

Unlike Schauffele, who started this season at #2 and is now dropping to #4, Henley has shown the opposite. The 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational winner started this season at #17 and has steadily climbed up to the #3 position. It will mark his career-best rank on the OWGR list. But it will bring worry for Schauffele even though he is enjoying his new chapter of life.

Can Xander Schauffele get on the redemption path and showcase his prime form again? What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments below.