In golf, as with any sport or life in general, athletes bring a wide variation of names to the course. Some are straightforward (see: Justin Thomas or Tiger Woods), while others can be tongue twisters.
Xander Schauffele is one of those whose last name can be a mouthful.
The 30-year-old from California has been around on the PGA Tour for nearly a decade. He is aiming for his first major win in his career this weekend at Valhalla, as he is in contention to finish first at the 2024 PGA Championship.
Both his first and last name aren't exactly easy to pronounce. Even if you take a second look and really think about it, it might not immediately come to mind.
How do you pronounce Xander Schauffele's name? The Sporting News explains.
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How do you pronounce Xander Schauffele's name?
The correct way to pronounce Xander Schauffele's name is "zan-der" "shao-fil-eh."
For those who need to hear it pronounced to better understand how to say it, listen to the way the golfer says it for more clarity.
Xander Schauffele nationality
Schauffele is American. He was born in La Jolla, Calif., and grew up in the San Diego area, but his parents were both born outside of the United States.
His last name, "Schauffele," is taken from the homeland of his father, Stefan Schauffele. His father is French and German, while his mother is Taiwanese but was raised in Japan.
Per a bio from the PGA Tour, the last name dates back hundreds of years through Germany, back to when people took names from their trades. As such, "Schauffele" literally translates from German as "man with a small shovel."
Xander Schauffele career earnings
Schauffele has brought in an estimated total of $46,598,394 in his career on the PGA Tour, per Schauffele's PGA Tour page. He joined the tour in 2017.
So far this year, he has earned just over $7.6 million.
Here is a breakdown of his earnings year over year.
| Year | Total earnings |
| 2017 | $4,312,674 |
| 2018 | $4,047,538 |
| 2019 | $5,609,456 |
| 2020 | $3,813,636 |
| 2021 | $5,240,653 |
| 2022 | $7,427,299 |
| 2023 | $8,459,066 |
| 2024 | $7,688,071 |
| Total | $46,598,394 |
