Schauffele ends drought, Titicul ends winning streak

Check out our writers and editors for their unfiltered opinions on the hottest topics in the sport every week, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we discuss Xander Schauffele’s return to the winner’s circle, Jeeno Thitikul breaking his LPGA winning streak, former pros competing in America’s midfield, Tiger Woods’ latest surgery, and more.

Xander Schauffele won the first two majors of his career last season but was without a win in an injury-plagued 2025 – until this weekend, when he won the Baycurrent Classic in Japan over Max Greyserman, who has now finished runner-up on the tour five times but was yet to win. Who needs Sunday’s trophy more, Schauffele or Greiserman?

Sean Zucker, Senior Writer (@shawnzak): The right answer is probably Greatherman, as we saw when talking about the difficulty of needing to overcome the first win. But Schauffele did struggle with some confidence issues this year. Remember, we’re counting on Xander to mount a serious defense of Scottie Scheffler’s war with pro golfers. Schauffele considered himself a few points below Scheffler at the start of 2025, and his status had to improve as the season went on without any wins or even real competitive moments. It meant a lot to him, just to remind himself— You are one of the five best golfers in the world.

Nick Piastowski, Senior Editor (@nickpia): I think the answer depends on what you prefer – a breakout or a re-breakout. Glaserman has been on the PGA Tour for several years now and is one of the hardest-working players in professional golf, and you get the feeling one win will lead to three more quickly – so you could argue he needs it more because you want to see him keep going. But if you’re a fan of high-level stars and players, the answer is Schauffele. The two-time Grand Slam champion has been recovering from injuries this season, which will undoubtedly be beneficial for his top priority starting next year.

Josh Sens, Senior Writer (@joshsens): Nick, that’s a great way to frame it. Glaserman is still looking for that first W, so he needs it even more. But when someone like Schauffele is in sync, the entire game becomes more compelling.

Jeeno Thitikul became the first two-time winner on the LPGA Tour this season with a playoff win at the LPGA Shanghai, ending an astonishing streak of 26 different players winning the previous 26 events this season. This comes just one year after Nelly Korda won seven times last year. Which is better, a draw or one or two players dominating?

Zack: This is not parity. I guarantee you this is not parity. TV ratings, overall interest, etc. would support this. The LPGA needs at least one, if not two or three, front-runners competing against each other and setting some standards for players ages 5-30.

Piastovsky: The depth of talent on the LPGA is astonishing — but greatness speaks for itself. You listen to the Tom Brady show. For Michael Jordan. For Nellie Korda. I think hopefully the players around her will push her to greater heights.

Feel: Fierce competition is the best. This obviously requires a rare talent, but it also requires a certain personality type. I’ve heard some complainers complain about the “Pete Sampras” effect of Scotty Scheffler – the lack of flash or full acceptance of the spotlight’s dominance can have a dull effect. As Sean said, the LPGA needs players like Korda at their best – preferably with some foil around them.

2025 U.S. Mid-Amateur Champion Brandon Holtz joins GOLF’s Subpar Podcast to break down his Mid-Amateur title and tournament at Augusta National, where he also discusses the controversial topic of former pros regaining amateur status. At the US Mid-Season Championship, 14 of the final 16 players were former pros. Do you have any questions about this? Should it be more difficult for pro players to return to amateur status?

Zack: The problem with the wording of this question is that it makes all 14 cases look the same. They are not! I do think the USGA could do a better job of publicizing its standards for former pros to re-qualify as professionals. What does a cup of coffee on the PGA Tour mean to this journey? I feel conflicted about not having good, reliable information and context to answer this question. Dear USGA, please help us and maybe we won’t talk about it anymore!

Piastovsky: I’m just wondering if this problem can’t be solved with another category – having people who have been playing as amateurs play one category and those who have been pros playing another category. Just a thought.

Feel: I’m not sure exactly what the answer is, but the issue needs to be addressed because events like mid-morning are losing their original identity. A similar issue arose at this year’s Walker Cup, which featured players who had only been playing professional golf a year earlier. Remember Pub-Links? Is it divorced from its roots, so overrun by university luminaries that it becomes unrecognizable and consigned to the dustbin? No one wants to see a repeat. A wise friend of mine said that, like many things in golf, Augusta National holds the card here: We don’t want to see a former pro making it to the Masters with an amateur win if the Green Jackets put their foot down and say something like that; that’s not in keeping with the Bobby Jones spirit of amateurism. So please do something about this or we will stop extending April invitations to some of your amateur event winners.

Last week saw two TV-centric announcements: the full schedule for season 2 of TGL and news that Netflix’s Full Swing is returning for a fourth season. Now that we have a handle on sample size, have these two supplementary productions succeeded in expanding the sport’s reach? What difference would you like to see between the two?

Zack: TGL has as much variability in shooting results as possible. What you think is a lot, I want more of. As for “Full Swing,” I’m paying very little attention to the show right now. But I am not the audience they are chasing! So if I were to ask anything, it would be to focus very narrowly on all the ways the PGA Tour is different from F1 or the ATP Tour. Because the same company makes a lot of the same documentaries on professional sports, these world tours all look slightly different, but they’re actually very, very different.

Piastovsky: To the first question, the answer is yes. Playing golf on a Monday night in the middle of winter is an added bonus, as TGL offers. Golf Stories on Demand is an add-on, as Full Swing offers. Below are some requirements. With TGL, there are fewer in-house ads; we don’t need constant reminders of why we’re listening. (I like Sean’s idea – give me something funky.) As for “Full Swing,” you’ve already established your “star,” so now let’s dig a little deeper. I don’t mind the season book approach, but, as my editor said, tell me something I don’t know.

Feel: I’m not sure whether to see these shows as engines of change or mirrors capturing how the game has evolved. Probably a little bit of both. Personally, I have a hard time getting very excited about any of them. But I’m not the target market, and based on my anecdotal experiences (paired with strangers on the course; listening to friends’ kids talk about golf), I’m not the best barometer of success. In fact, if I find it boring, there’s a good chance you’ll be wildly successful.

Tiger Woods announced Friday that he had his seventh back surgery, this time replacing a disc in his lower back that was causing pain and mobility issues. Do you think we’ll see tigers in 2026?

Zack: Not as a player. Hopefully as a very comfortable, walking 18 year old golf dad/coach! And most likely as TGL’s non-competition captain. For all the Tiger fans who are eager to see Woods become the next U.S. Ryder Cup captain, I think we forget that his priority in 2027 will be to watch/play with Charlie Woods’ blossoming college career.

Piastovsky: I don’t think so, and it would be a bit disappointing not to see him and his son Charlie at this year’s PNC Championship. But then again, it’s his decision and he knows his body best. You know, golf carts are also allowed on the Champions Tour golf courses.

Feel: Not competing. But he has other roles to play in the game and in life. It seems we should have given up on expecting more.

The Korn Ferry Tour season concluded on Sunday in French Lick, Indiana, with 20 players earning 2026 PGA Tour memberships. Who are the players casual fans should keep an eye on?

Zack: Recreational people like to indulge in longest Golfers in the professional game – I’m glad they’re in awe of Davis Chatfield, who didn’t hit the ball very far but just knew how to put it in the hole. He ranks 140th in driving distance but first in accuracy. That’s not necessarily a recipe for success in the KFT (Ultimate Mix and Chase Tour), but he found plenty of it with three top-three finishes. This will get you into the big leagues. No. What can you do with it?

Piastovsky: Neil Shipley. He’s a character. He is a player. He is a Waffle House lover. The PGA Tour needs it all.

Feel: Christo Lamprecht. Crazy high and crazy long. It is far different from other robot pros in appearance and playing style. We’ve seen flashes of him, like when he briefly led the Open a few years ago. It will be interesting to see more.