What’s your New Year’s resolution? For Chris Gotterup, it is renouncing Starbucks and making coffee at home in his new coffeemaker, which he still hasn’t figured out how to run. For Collin Morikawa? Well, he hasn’t made one yet. And what about Xander Schauffele?

Good that you ask, because he simply doesn’t “do that stuff,” much to the surprise of Billy Horschel.

As Horschel stood behind him and stared on, the Ryder Cup player explained his POV. “I mean, we all wish we could be Xander,” Horschel chimed in, munching on his chocolate. “I don’t know, you might be happier,” replied Schauffele.

For a second, Horschel was left stunned. A moment later, he broke into laughter.

This is not new to Schauffele. This was the same response he gave when he won two majors in 2024 (The PGA Championship and the Open). He was asked by the media how he felt then.

“Do I feel different sitting here talking to you now? No. I mean, I feel like me, fortunately. Same guy,” the 32-year-old said.

That’s classic Xander Schauffele for you. Amped up with his wry humor, Schauffele is what you call a self-aware man who very evidently loves being himself. And we love it too. This version of him was again on full display a few weeks back.

At the reboot of the Skins Game in November, the Panther National in Palm Beach experienced a day full of comedy in what would otherwise have been a basic, forgettable day. Schauffele won zero skins, keeping his payout at a big fat zero. Everyone couldn’t help but roast the American. And yet, somehow, Schauffele was the sportiest person on the course.

“This is actually my first check I’ve ever gotten… I’m gonna take Keegan’s advice. I’m gonna frame this in the living room,” a smiling Xander Schauffele said, an obvious jibe at Keegan Bradley‘s golf bag lore from Miracle at Medinah. “That’s motivation. Probably the last Skins Game I ever play.”

Throughout the game, he kept the spirits alive. At times, with his surgical impressions of Bradley, his Louisiana accents, and, other times, getting back at Colt Knost for mocking his $0 win. ‘Crappy,’ he called the feeling when he found out his and Colt’s results matched on skins.

This same energy followed him into TGL Season 2. After a breakout performance in Season 1, leading his New York Golf Club to the finals when it actually seemed impossible, Schauffele is back again with his crew. Competing co-incidentally against Horschel’s Atlanta Drive GC – the ultimate winner – the match didn’t finish without some struggle. Comedic struggle, if we may.

It ensued on the new ‘Stinger’ hole at par 4. Designed to force low, piercing tee shots, under 50 feet, both contemporaries drilled the artificial rock formation that guarded the fairway. The golf balls in both cases bounced and dropped into a hazard. Horschel laughed in disbelief before hitting the second-longest putt in TGL history for an eagle, taking his team to the win. Schauffele, on the other hand, couldn’t help but smirk at his stupidity.

And that’s how he stands out. Xander Schauffele’s comedic brilliance is highlighted by his low-key efforts. There’s never a buildup, only dry humor mixed with a bit of shade. You can notice it when he clarifies his son’s name (No, it’s not based on Viktor Hovland), or a subtle jab at Horschel to be like him, even though ironically it is Schauffele who has lost to him in their first face-off.

Nevertheless, Schauffele likes being himself, and there’s nothing he would want to change. But that’s not the case with Horschel.

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What’s Billy Horschel’s New Year’s resolution?

Billy Horschel’s own answer to the same question is completely different from Xander Schauffele’s. Calling it a loaded question, the 39-year-old reflected for a moment before answering it truthfully.

“Be a better version of myself,” he said to the camera. Then, almost stopping himself, he chimed in, “Off the golf course. Be a better person.”

That pause tells you everything about 2026 Billy Horschel. Almost sitting at middle age, he is not aggressively chasing any wins. He already holds eight PGA Tour victories, a FedEx Cup title, and nearly $40 M in career earnings. The scoreboard is not the measure of his success anymore; it is his character.

This open vulnerability is not new. Back in May 2023, at the Memorial Tournament, Horschel was the defending champion. As he struggled to reclaim his title, he shot a catastrophic 12-over 84 in the first round. In the post-round presser, a visibly distraught Horschel broke down:

“My confidence is the lowest it’s been in my entire career.”

In the end, he couldn’t make the cut. But he did learn how to embrace his emotions, which in 2026 he seems to continue.

Then there’s also his personal life. Married to his wife, Brittany, for 15 years, their relationship has seen a lot of hits. Brittany, a fellow golfer herself, stopped playing due to injuries. A few years later, she became an alcoholic. It was then that Billy Horschel stepped up, taking care of their toddler, moving houses, and competing on the tour at the same time.

“He silently battled through,” Brittany said back then.

Almost 10 years sober now, it is through Horschel’s support that the household survived. As he enters a new year, he continues to evolve.