Schauffele’s special premiere at the Porsche European Open
Xander Schauffele is the top star at the 2019 Porsche European Open. The world number nine, he is the highest ranked player in the strong field competing for the title on the Porsche Nord Course.
Proof is provided by the large posters dotted all around the Green Eagle Golf Courses venue that showcase him together with the new Porsche Cayenne Coupé. “It’s nice to see,” said the US golf star, who together with the latest Cayenne, appears in the “I am Athlete” campaign.
Schauffele and Porsche – a twosome that is bonded by more than just high-performance sport and powerful sports cars. Schauffele’s father grew up in Stuttgart, the home of Porsche – and Schauffele’s brother was born there too. These days the family lives in San Diego, California and Schauffele’s mother Ping Yi has Taiwanese-Japanese roots. “I carry Stuttgart and Germany around in me, just like Porsche. The Porsche European Open is therefore something very special for me. And for my family.”
For Xander Schauffele it is the first appearance as a golfer in Germany
Schauffele is using every opportunity to look around Hamburg during the tournament week. For starters on Tuesday, he enjoyed the atmosphere on the Reeperbahn during the Porsche Urban Golf Challenge on the Spielbudenplatz square. In between the rounds, he also drove a Porsche 911 S around Hamburg city centre taking in the Jungfernstieg and Hafencity.
For the 25-year old, second this year in the US Tour’s season ranking, it is his first appearance as a golfer in Germany. It was also clear that the Porsche European Open was the only tournament that was ever going to come into question. “I grew up with Porsche. The logo with the pointer to Stuttgart was always very important to my father. And therefore for me to. There was always the rule, if I splash out money for a car then for a Porsche,” relates Schauffele.
Schauffele sees the German in him in his persistence. “I’m a perfectionist, my father says we’re both very stubborn. My work ethic is definitely also German. And they’re attributes I also see in Porsche. Never give up trying to get better, I like that.” Something that Schauffele will be taking out with him in the Sunday’s final round of the Porsche European Open.
