Ben Jared
Xander Schauffele has a good memories at East Lake, having won the Tour Championship in 2017.

By Brian Wacker
ATLANTA — Rory McIlroy has been known to write down his yearly goals on a boarding pass. Justin Thomas does the same on his phone. Items on each of their lists include some obvious ones, like winning a major or more granular ones like improving on putting.

Xander Schauffele’s goal each day? It’s a little simpler.

“I’ve been trying to make my bed every day,” said the 2017 Tour Championship winner on Wednesday. “There’s been books about it, about how important it is to start the day with a win. I don’t know if it’s changing much, but for a few weeks now I’ve been trying to make my bed at home. My girlfriend makes the bed always. I’m pretty bad at that. But here on the road or hotel or AirBnB or whatever it is, I try and make my bed.

“So I think those are kind of the small little goals I try and make for myself during the day to make sure I feel like I had a productive and successful day.”

How has it worked out for Schauffele?

The 26-year-old is winless this year (so far) for the first time since 2016. He also hasn’t finished better than 25th in the first two FedEx Cup Playoffs events and comes into this week’s season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake 14th in the standings.

It hasn’t been all bad, though. Schauffele does have a runner-up, a third and two other top 10s during in the 2019-’20 season, and he has an outside shot at still winning the FedEx Cup (though he’ll start seven strokes back of leader Dustin Johnson).

So what’s the verdict on making one’s bed translating to better golf?

“I don’t think I’ve played a whole lot better, in all honesty,” Schauffele said. “But I do feel like I start the day with a win, which is nice. I know my girlfriend would be happy that I’m making the bed out here on the road.”