Phoenix Open: Xander Schauffele stays ‘in his lane,’ surges into lead with hot stretch

Xander Schauffele overcame a sluggish start and played 5 under during a four-hole stretch to catapult into the lead at the Phoenix Open.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Xander Schauffele has been preaching patience as the key for him to return to the winner’s circle for the first time in over two years. He’s developed a simple mantra to follow: “Control what we can control,” he said.

He and caddie Austin Kaiser did just that on Friday at TPC Scottsdale.

After seeing names leapfrog him on the leaderboard as he made just one birdie in his first 11 holes, Schauffele shifted into overdrive, playing the next four holes in 5 under, and coming home in 30.

“That’s sort of what the team and I talk about, just getting back to the old mentality where I am more patient, I don’t push as much, kind of let the round come to me,” he said. “If you’re playing well, if I try and force things sometimes it works out, but sometimes it doesn’t. So, try and kind of stay in our lane and keep doing what we’re doing.”

Schauffele stayed in his lane to the tune of a 7-under 64 and a 36-hole aggregate of 12-under 130 and a one-stroke lead over Steve Stricker and Keegan Bradley at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Waste Management Phoenix Open: Photos | Leaderboard

Schauffele has been the picture of consistency on the PGA Tour, finishing no worse than T-17 in his last six events, including a share of second last week at the Farmers Insurance Open. This marks the 26th time since the start of the 2017-18 season that he has been in the top-10 through 36 holes, most of any player during that span. The 27-year-old San Diego native has climbed to a career-best of No. 4 in the world and has claimed four career victories, but hasn’t lifted a trophy since the 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions, and went so far as to say on Thursday that he’s choked on occasion.

“I feel like I had a sense of urgency when I really didn’t need to,” Schauffele explained of some of his close calls that didn’t go his way. “I would look back at the week and I was like, ‘Man, why did I kind of jump the gun there? All I had to do was play decent and I would’ve been right there.’”

On Friday, the stretch beginning at No. 12 was nothing short of sensational: a 26-foot birdie putt at 12, a two-putt birdie at 13, sticking his approach from 180 yards to five feet at 14, and sinking a 21-foot eagle putt at 15. The latter just snuck in at the end.

“I thought it was going to miss just left,” he said. “Kind of had soft speed on it and kind of held, which is a bonus.”

Schauffele capped off his day by planting a short iron from 139 yards to five feet and sinking the birdie putt to sleep on the 36-hole lead.

Earlier in the day, Stricker, the U.S. Ryder Cup captain, carded a 5-under 66, meaning Tom Brady isn’t the only grizzled veteran seeking another title this Sunday. Stricker, who hasn’t recorded a top-10 finish since the 2017 John Deere Classic and last won on the Tour in 2012, turns 54 later this month. He’s bidding to shatter Sam Snead’s 56-year-old record as the oldest winner on Tour at age 52, 10 months, eight days when he won the Greater Greensboro Open in 1965. He would also become the first golfer age 50 and older to win on Tour since 51-year-old Davis Love III at the 2015 Wyndham Championship.

Waste Management Phoenix Open
Steve Stricker plays his third shot from a bunker on the second hole during round two of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. (Photo: Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic)

“I know it’s a long shot,” Stricker said. “I’ve got to play my very best, just like anybody else does out here. But you know, I’ve been there. I’ve won a few times out on this Tour and I know what it takes, although it’s been a while. It would be fun to see how I handle it if I do get that opportunity.”

Bradley came out of the gate with birdies on his first four holes en route to shooting 6-under 65 and tying Stricker for second.

“All it was was having some putts go in. With me, that’s kind of all I need to do,” he said. “I made one really long one last night, and sometimes those get you going.”

Scottie Scheffler (65), K.H. Lee (66) and Sam Burns (67) are tied for fourth at 10-under 132, and Scottsdale resident Nate Lashley (69) is in seventh at 133. The logjam at 8-under 134 includes former major champions Jordan Spieth (67) and Brooks Koepka (66). Spieth, who is mired in a slump that dates to his last win at the 2017 British Open, hit 10 fairways and 16 greens, while Koepka, who is winless since the 2019 PGA Championship, snapped a streak of three straight missed cuts. When asked if it feels as if it has been a long time since he’s tasted victory, Koepka said, “I would say so. In my mind last year didn’t even happen. I do know it’s been a long time so I’m itching to get a W.”

So is Schauffele, but he knows that his work is only half done.

“The fact that I haven’t won, I’m not satisfied,” he said.

The field was trimmed to 66 golfers at 3-under 139 or better. Cut casualties included former Phoenix Open champions Rickie Fowler and Gary Woodland, former major champion Jason Day, and Daniel Burger and Harris English, who both rank in the top 20 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Lucas Glover, who shot the low round of the day, a 63, Webb Simpson (65) and Justin Thomas (65) all rallied to play the weekend.

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