Sunday was a day to remember for pro golfer and San Diego’s own Xander Schauffele. His birdie on the final hole in the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, brought the crowd to a thunderous roar.
With arms raised high and his eyes to the sky, Xander had arrived at the pinnacle of his impressive golf journey—thus far.
“I’ve become very patient not knocking off any wins in the last couple of years. The people that are closest to me know how stubborn I can be.” said a victorious Schauffele in the official post game presser.
“I’ve said it earlier—winning is a result. This is awesome, it’s super sweet. But when I break it down, I’m really just proud of how I handled certain moments on the course today—different from the past.”
Xander’s amateur and professional road is one full of victories, but never on this particular stage.
From winning high school championships, to his time at San Diego State where he continued to elevate his performance—X made his mark on the world of golf in San Diego.
At SDSU under the direction of long time golf coach Ryan Donovan, Xander set the records for all-time lowest tournament score against par (−17); all-time career scoring average (71.50); as well as the seasonal records for par-5 performance (4.5135); birdies (171) and eagles (9).
San Diego State is where he met his wife Maya, and it is also where he and his caddie Austin Kaiser met. The two were both teammates for San Diego State’s Golf team.
For so many of Aztec Nation, Sunday’s Championship for Xander brought about the deepest senses of Aztec Pride that could be echoed all over social media.
It may have felt as if this was the first of it’s kind in achievement from an Aztec. But in fact, it’s another Aztec4Life that Xander has now joined the ranks of golf’s elite, that gives us pause today.
Or should we say the pause, after 63 years, has officially ended.
Gene Littler.
Gene, as an Aztec, was the 1950 CCAA conference medalist back in his time on the Montezuma Mesa. He graduated from San Diego State University and joined the United States Naval Academy from 1951-1954.
Days before setting off to his military duty, Gene married his wife Shirley Warren whom he like Xander, met during his time at SDSU.
According to Wikipedia, Gene played on the 1953 United States Walker Cup team, and won the U.S. Amateur and the California State Amateur that same year. The next year in 1954, he won the San Diego Open, a PGA Tour event as an amateur. This feat was rarely achieved.
He went pro in 1955 and six years later on June 17, 1961 he won his one & only major, the US Open Championship at the Oakland Hills Country Club in Birmingham, Michigan.
Littler ended his career a Seven-time member of the Ryder Cup team. He received the Ben Hogan Award in 1973 for a courageous comeback from injury or illness, after returning to the tour following treatment for malignant melanoma.
Also in 1973, he was given the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf
Littler was inducted into the PGA Hall of Fame in 1982 and he passed away at the age of 88, in 2019.
We all take a piece of Xander’s wonderful victory this weekend in our hearts & minds. But in memory we also honor the path set forth by Gene Littler.
Xander & Gene … Two San Diegans, Two Aztecs, Two Champions. Light up another stogie Xander, you are now in rarified air indeed.
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