After Xander Schauffele finally broke through and won not one but two majors in 2024, his career arrow was pointing up. Like, straight up. Maybe he couldn't challenge Scottie Scheffler for world supremacy, though overtaking Rory McIlroy certainly was in play.
But an injury in January cost Schauffele two months and 2025 turned into a disaster. He had only three top-10s and didn't even qualify for the TOUR Championship. He was even passed in the world rankings by, gulp, Russell Henley.
But if it's possible to turn a terrible season into a net positive merely by winning one event -- and a fall event at that -- Schauffele did just that Sunday.
Coming a mere six weeks after the birth of his first child and in a country where he has a deep heritage, Schauffele shot a sterling 64 to edge Max Greyserman by a shot to win the Baycurrent Classic at Yokohama Country Club in Japan.
X marks the spot 🏆@XSchauffele secures TOUR win no. 10 in Japan @Baycurrent_Clsc! pic.twitter.com/e0tnlZz5dJ
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 12, 2025
It was the 10th career title for Schauffele, whose mother was born in Japan and whose maternal grandparents still live there.
"I've been coming here since I was about nine years old to visit my grandparents," Schauffele said in his winning news conference. "I sort of fell in love with this country a long time ago. I can't wait to bring my son here when he's old enough to sort of understand and appreciate the culture here in Japan.
"Yeah, the ties run deep for the Schauffele family here in Japan."
Schauffele had never won this tournament before -- it used to be called the ZOZO Championship -- but he did win the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
This year, Schauffele played in the season-opening Sentry in January, then was idled by a side injury and didn't return till Bay Hill in March. He tied for eighth a month later at the Masters and everyone thought, okay, he's back. But it was four months till his next top-10 and by then, the season had been lost.
Schauffele had trouble all year keeping his driver in the fairway. While his wedge game has often been dicey and he lost strokes around the green, he was ranked a surprising and disastrous 130th in SG: Putting.
At least Schauffele could rely on his experience in Sunday's final grouping against two non-winners on Tour in Greyserman and Michael Thorbjornsen. He clearly was the best player down the stretch, even though he won by only one shot.
There's no reason to think that Schauffele can't be elite again in 2026 and even challenge for a third major. Although becoming a dad does add a component to his life that wasn't there before. Not that he would change a thing.
"I was running out of events in 2025 to sort of put my mark on it," Schauffele said. "I'm sure when I look back on 2025 at the end of my career I'll smile and think it was a great year."
Heck, he even passed Henley to return to No. 3 in the world rankings.
MONDAY BACKSPIN
Max Greyserman
It's clear that Greyserman is knocking on the door for his first Tour title. He now has five career runners-up. This season, he was a playoff loser to Aldrich Potgieter at the Rocket Classic and on Sunday came within a foot of forcing Schauffele into a playoff. Needing eagle to tie for the lead, his approach from 182 yards on 18 landed about 12 inches short. Ranked outside the top 100 on Tour in both Strokes Gained: Approach and greens in regulation, it's clear where the emerging Greyserman needs to improve. The latest runner-up moved him from 58th in the FedExCup Fall Standings to 51st, all but ensuring he'll get one of the 10 available spots into the first two Signature Events next season for those finishing between 51st and 60th in points.
Michael Thorbjornsen
Thorbjornsen shot a 64 on Sunday. Great, right? It could've been SO much better. He missed birdie putts of eight and nine feet on Nos. 14 and 15, then a five-footer for par on 16 and an 11-footer for birdie on 17. Of course, after things had been decided, he drained a 21-footer for birdie on 18. Thorbjornsen ranks first overall on Tour in greens in regulation yet is 88th in the standings. So it's obvious where he needs to improve to break into the upper echelon of golfers and win for the first time.
Takumi Kanaya
The former world No. 1 amateur has forged a good career so far -- nine wins in Asia -- except when playing PGA Tour events. His tie for fourth was his best showing in 50 Tour starts.
Rico Hoey
The big-hitting Hoey began the week 96th in points, a little too close for comfort to that No. 100 cutoff point for Tour cards. But he tied for fourth, moving up to 91st, which should be enough to at least keep him inside the top 100 after the remaining four events of the fall season.
Alex Smalley
By mid-March, Smalley had six top-25s. He was off to his best season on Tour. So it was a stunner that he didn't even make the playoffs. He was all-or-nothing: In 25 starts, nine top-25s but also 11 missed cuts. So this week's tie for fourth with a closing 64 was quite welcome. Smalley moved from 87th in points to 77th, giving him a good boost as he tries to get into the top 60 by season's end.
Garrick Higgo
If there's been a star of the fall season, it's been the South African. He's finished T7, runner-up and now T4 in Japan. Higgo was the one player to move into the top 60 this week and now sits 57th. And remember, he also won a tournament earlier this year, albeit the alternate-field event at Puntacana.
Byeong Hun An
An missed three cuts in a row leading up the playoffs and wound up 74th in points, missing the postseason. Brutal. This week's tie for fourth was his best showing in six months and only his third top-10 all year. An had a career renaissance in 2024, when he reached the TOUR Championship. But that is looking like an outlier season.
Collin Morikawa
Morikawa had a very good season by most players' standards -- but not his own. He tied for 14th in Japan. Again, good for most guys but not him. Morikawa has not had a top-10 since June and is on the verge of falling out of the top 10 of the OWGR. No matter how good your iron play is, when you're ranked about 150th in SG: Putting, it's tough to finish in the top 10, much less win tournaments.
Matt McCarty
McCarty walked to No. 18 on Sunday needing birdie for a magical 58. He promptly hit his drive out of bounds(!) and did well to get a bogey. He wound up with a 60 -- which under the circumstances could be the saddest 60 ever. McCarty tied for 14th.
"One bad swing from a 58."
Needing a birdie on his final hole of the day for a 58, Matt McCarty's drive went OB. He still saved bogey for a career-best 60 @Baycurrent_Clsc. pic.twitter.com/RGvwL46wTo
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 12, 2025
Hideki Matsuyama
The crowd favorite in his homeland, Matsuyama continued a so-so season with a tie for 20th. He still sits on one top-10 all year -- his win at the season-opening Sentry in January.
Adam Scott
Scott is exempt for next season thanks to reaching the 2024 TOUR Championship. That is incredibly fortunate because his play this year, at age 45, has been poor. Scott has zero top-10s and only five top-25s in 18 starts, including this week's tie for 27th. He is 96th in points, which has no bearing on his card but is a point of reference.
Max Homa
Homa's improved play this fall hit a speed bump with a tie for 40th. It's just one week, so nothing to be overly discouraged about from Homa's perspective.
KORN FERRY TOUR
The KF Tour Championship finalized the 20 players jumping to the PGA Tour next season. Johnny Keefer was the star all season and should be able to make a dent on the big tour. As the points leader, he will be in both the 2026 PLAYERS Championship and U.S. Open. Chandler Blanchet won the season-ending event to finish second on the points list. Other names of note include Neal Shipley, Austin Smotherman and Christo Lamprecht. The full list of the 20 graduates can be found here.
DP WORLD TOUR
Englishman Marco Penge won for the third time this year on the DP World Tour, and this one -- at the Open de Espana -- will change the course of his career. As a national championship, it will get him into the Masters for the first time. He'll also return to the Open Championship in 2026. Further, leading the DP World Tour in points and ensuring he will be top-10 at season's end will make him eligible for 2026 PGA Tour membership. Penge will also move up to a personal best of No. 31 in the OWGR after edging countryman Daniel Brown in a playoff.
For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, tournament participation and overall golfer performance, head to RotoWire's latest golf news or follow @RotoWireGolf on X.
