ATLANTA — Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler have performed numerous golf collectively in 2024, a lot in order that they’ve joked about how they don’t have a lot to say to one another anymore.
And but, Schauffele has lots to speak about after Thursday’s spherical. He had a front-row seat for Scheffler’s masterful 6-under 65, the bottom spherical of the day on the Tour Championship that has given the World No. 1 a document lead.
“Scottie was nearly in each fairway it regarded like,” Schauffele stated cheekily.
“It regarded like he was going via wedge follow whereas he was on the market. If you happen to’re within the fairway, you’ll be able to assault this golf course.”
Certainly, Scheffler missed solely 4 fairways on Thursday, giving himself loads of alternatives. After bogeying the primary gap, the place he missed the green method proper, Scheffler performed East Lake in 7-under par. He made seven bogeys and 10 pars and now holds a commanding seven-shot lead over Schauffele and Collin Morikawa.
Schauffele, in the meantime, tied Scheffler proper out of the gate. He birdied the opening gap, leaping as much as 9-under and right into a share of the lead. Scheffler started the Tour Championship at 10-under by way of the beginning strokes format, whereas Schauffele teed off at 8-under.
However a lot in contrast to Scheffler, Schauffele cooled off the remainder of the best way. He made solely two birdies, on the par-5 sixth and par-5 14th, after which countered these with two dropped photographs on the par-3 eleventh and par-4 sixteenth.
“Began off hitting it okay,” Schauffele stated of his 1-under 70.
“Yeah, I most likely simply reverted a bit of bit, sadly. I’m going to go hit some balls proper now with the setting solar right here, however I’ll determine it out.”
Schauffele solely discovered seven fairways, but he did handle to hit 13 greens.
“I hit it within the tough rather a lot, and with model new greens, I believe I scored okay for a way dangerous I hit it,” Schauffele added.
“However yeah, total, it was type of a meh day. Wasn’t one thing for happy with or disgusted by.”
He nonetheless has three days to beat a seven-shot deficit, nevertheless it will not be straightforward. That stated, Schauffele has a terrific document at East Lake, so something is feasible.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By. Be sure you try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as effectively.
