PLAYERS Championship: Power ranking the top 10 at TPC Sawgrass

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL – MAY 12: Xander Schauffele of the United States plays his shot from the 17th tee during the third round of THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on May 12, 2018 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) /

Not unlike Augusta, TPC Sawgrass is a tough course to get down pat even after a few starts. That makes Xander Schauffele’s T2 in his 2018 debut all the more impressive.

Save for Webb Simpson going nuts to win, no one played better than the X Man. Schauffele was under par all four rounds (68-68-71-67) and finished the week hitting over 72 percent of greens in regulation.

The 25-year-old may still claim to the round of 2019 when he shot 62 on Sunday to win the Tournament of Champions. He’s since posted T25-T10-T15-T14 and comes in off a couple weeks of rest following his last start at the WGC-Mexico Championship.

Schauffele’s shots gained stats on the season are impressive across the board: 40th off the tee, 11th on approach, 54th around the green, 13th putting as well as tee to green and fourth overall.

He’s 16th in scrambling, too, which could be a key stat in projected tough conditions.

While still in just his third season on Tour, Schauffele has a track record of showing up for the big events. He owns wins at the Tour Championship and WGC-HSBC Champions along with a T2 at the Open Championship and two top-10s at the U.S. Open.

Schauffele’s made four cuts in a row and seven of his last eight.

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