Xander Schauffele had fairly a celebration after his PGA Championship win final month.
However fortunately for him, his hangover didn’t linger into this week’s Memorial Event, the place he carded a clear 4-under 68 throughout Thursday’s opening spherical.
“I’m proud of how I performed, with how I caught in there, and actually glad my quick sport bailed me out on a day that might have been lots worse,” Schauffele mentioned.
“I do know I want to wash up a few of that longer stuff. This course is absolutely onerous, and the wind is meant to blow actually onerous tomorrow, much more than as we speak, so I do know I want to wash it up.”
Schauffele made zero bogeys on Thursday, due to his putter. He gained practically 4 strokes on the greens, rating first of the 73 gamers within the area throughout the first spherical. He made quite a few par saves, particularly on the fifth, eighth, and ninth holes, to maintain a clear card on the entrance 9.
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He then saved it rolling on the again, opening the closing facet with a 16-foot par save on the tenth.
“If I didn’t make among the putts I wanted as we speak, it will have been a 2-over or in all probability worse,” Schauffele mentioned.
“I noticed the strains kind of rapidly, even from the get-go. I used to be taking a look at leaving putts within the coronary heart quick. So, as quickly as I received the pace down, I used to be rolling.”
Schauffele didn’t have his greatest stuff from tee to inexperienced, however he has not performed competitively in three weeks. But, he did reveal that he started working towards once more on the Thursday after the PGA Championship—the identical day because the opening spherical of the Charles Schwab Problem.
“I began working towards, imagine it or not—I do know you noticed some bizarre photographs as we speak, however I used to be working towards—I began working towards on Thursday after I received residence,” Schauffele mentioned.
“I used to be hungover on Monday, I had media on Tuesday and Wednesday, after which I began {golfing} on Thursday.”
At the least that hangover has subsided now, or else Schauffele wouldn’t have seen his strains as clearly as he did throughout the opening spherical. However in some way, due to his sizzling putter, Schauffele sits two photographs behind chief Adam Hadwin and one again of Scottie Scheffler, who sits in solo second.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying Via. You’ll want to try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.
