One of the biggest disappointments of the recently-concluded PGA Tour season was the play of Xander Schauffele (Callaway Chrome Tour). 

So much was expected of him after he finally broke through the previous season, highlighted by wins in two majors. 

But he never really got untracked this past season, though a rib injury incurred after the 2024 season certainly played a factor. The injury was identified as an intercostal strain and cartilage tear. 

It is not uncommon for golfers, the elite and recreational, to suffer back or knee injuries, but a rib injury is quite unusual. And as is the case with tears and strains, there is no particular time frame for recovery.  

Schauffele started the 2025 season playing in The Sentry in January and tied for 30th, but he did not return until the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March and finished tied for 40th. It was basically that kind of year posting only three top-10 finishes, the best a T7. 

But there were signs Schauffele was slowly rounding into form, with a T8 in the Scottish Open and a T7 in The Open. Perhaps the best indicator he was finding his groove again came in the Ryder Cup, in which he posted a 3-1 record, one of the few Americans to record a winning ledger. 

So his dominating win in the Baycurrent Classic in Japan last week showed the Xand Man is back in form. While the field did not include many of the top players on the PGA Tour who are enjoying some down time, a win is a win, particularly for someone who needed it. Along with becoming a father, you couldn’t blame Schauffele for flashing his trademark grin. The fact his mother and mother-in-law grew up in Japan could also be a reason for Schauffele to rejoice.  

BRIDGESTONE BALL DELIVERS: Can a two-piece golf ball perform better overall than a four-piece or five-piece ball? 

Apparently so. 

Today’s Golfer, which does equipment reviews, published a recent report that tested 62 different balls, including 21 two-piece ones from 11 brands, using a $100,000 robot. The report indicated the machine delivered exactly the same strike every time, so the only variable in the test was the ball itself. Each of the balls were tested using five different shot types to get a complete picture of how the balls stacked up. 

The Bridgestone e12 Speed, a two-piece ball, held it own again some of the big-name brands with several more layers. 

James Hogg, a golf equipment writer with the company, noted: “The e12 Speed performed well in every area we tested, and overall, it even performed better than Tour-proven models like the Titleist Pro V1, TaylorMade TP5 and Bridgestone Tour B X.” Moreover, he added: “Of all eight Bridgestone models we tested, the e12 Speed emerged as the best.” 

Hey, if you can’t afford the cost of the big-name brand balls, go with something that is not cost prohibitive. 

SPEAKING OF BRIDGESTONE: Remember when Bridgestone balls were the rage in golf, largely because of Tiger Woods? 

Well, with Woods basically limited to playing competitively and Bryson DeChambeau no longer affiliated with Bridgestone after switching to Titleist, you don’t see too many players on the PGA representing the brand. According to Bridgestone’s golf site, the ones still playing one of the brand’s balls are Matt Kuchar, Boo Weekley, Chris Gotterup, Jason Day, Kurt Kitiyama, Harry Hall and Takumi Kanay. Fred Couples uses a colored Bridgestone balls on the Champions Tour. Several LPGA players use Bridgestone balls, such as Mao Saigo, Akaya Furue, Saki Baba and Yuri Yoshida.