SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Xander Schauffele’s easy-going persona makes him one of the most likable guys on the PGA Tour. Until you ask about the legitimacy of his Olympic gold medal as a victory, that is.
After a smooth-as-silk 65 during the second of the WM Phoenix Open, a reporter asked if Schauffele counts his victory at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Japan as a win. The response was a little out of character for the unflappable Californian.
“Do you count the Olympics as a win?” the former No. 8 snapped back. “I’m pretty sure I’ve gotten more recognition or attention for the Olympics and the gold medal than more than I’ve ever imagined. I think the longer that marinates, the better it gets for me.
“At first, I didn’t just because it was just new and people were telling me no. And then I kind of sat down and looked at it and I was like — hmmm, screw everybody else, like I think this is a win. So if you want to talk about PGA Tour official wins, then, yes, I’m lagging on that end, so we’ll pick up the slack.”
Although he hasn’t hoisted a trophy on the PGA Tour since the 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions, Schauffele has consistently been in the mix, and he enters the weekend in Arizona at 10 under, tied with Brooks Koepka for second and just two shots behind leader Sahith Theegala.
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Schauffele called Friday’s round “stress-free,” which is a term rarely associated with a place where obstreperous galleries are the norm.
He did, however, mention that one of the things he loves about TPC Scottsdale has come back to bite him thus far.
“Typically the pureness of the greens,” Schauffele said, when asked why he feels comfortable on the course, “but the putter’s kind of holding me back right now, which is kind of unfortunate. So I guess I can take that as a positive and it means I’m playing good golf overall.”
Considering his putter is typically an asset — Schauffele has finished in the top 50 in strokes gained putting in four of his five previous years on Tour — an improvement with the flat stick could mean ending a drought that’s lasted more than three years. Well, a PGA Tour drought, of course.
“It’s nice, it means you’re doing a lot of things well,” he said. “For me, it feels like I’ve been putting pretty bad, so whether it’s just not seeing it or the greens being a little bit faster I think and maybe my putting off certain memory is kind of faulting me.
“But we’ll have to clean it up if I want to win this thing.”
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