PGA TOUR Power Rankings: The CJ Cup at Nine Bridges

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KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – OCTOBER 15: Xander Schauffele of the United States in action during the final round of the 2017 CIMB Classic at TPC Kuala Lumpur on October 15, 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo by Stanley Chou/Getty Images) /

Xander Schauffele is the best kind of young, rising star on the PGA TOUR. He’s got all the game to hang with the absolute best on the planet, but he’s just starting to realize his own potential. It began at the U.S. Open back in June, but he’s carried over that momentum to the tune of two PGA TOUR wins and the 2017 Rookie of the Year honors.

In his first action since winning the TOUR Championship at East Lake, Schauffele put himself in a great position to potentially go back-to-back in the wraparound season. He opened the CIMB Classic with rounds of 65-67-67 to reach -17 through three rounds. Even though he was four shots behind Pat Perez, he appeared ready to take advantage of any slip-up the 41-year-old leader may make.

That’s when a bit of the youth factor kicked in. Perez, to his credit, never slipped up. Schauffele had to press a little bit, realizing that his playing partner was content to just grind out par after par, and it reflected in his play. Still, despite four bogeys and an even-par round of 72 at the low-scoring TPC Kuala Lumpur, Schauffele still ended up in a tie for third place. Not bad for a “down” end of the week, right?

Schauffele is learning more about himself and the TOUR life with each passing week. Look for him to translate that to even more success in Korea this week.

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