CJ Cup: Xander Schauffele takes commanding lead with Friday 64
By Tim Letcher
Xander Schauffele recorded six straight birdies to shoot 29 on the front side on Friday at the CJ Cup. He holds a four-shot lead with 36 holes left.
Xander Schauffele quietly shot 66 in the first round of the CJ Cup on Thursday and sat one shot behind 18-hole leader Tyrrell Hatton after one day. But on day two, Schauffele caught fire early and by the time the day was over, he held a significant lead with 36 holes to play.
Playing the back nine first, Schauffele’s round didn’t start exceptionally well. He parred the 10th hole, then birdied the short par-4 11th hole to get under par on the day.
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Schauffele would par the 12th hole before his round got going. And when it did, it got going in a big way.
The hot streak started on the par-3 13th hole, where Schauffele stuck his tee shot about three feet from the cup. He would make the birdie to get to 2-under on his round.
Then on the par-4 14th hole, Schauffele hit his approach shot to about 25 feet and ran in the putt for birdie. He was 3-under at that point.
On the 15th, he was at it again, knocking in a birdie from 37 feet to get to 4-under. Then on the par-5 16th hole, he was on the fringe in two and got up and down for his fourth birdie in a row and fifth of the day.
Schauffele decided to try something different on the par-3 17th hole. He missed the green in regulation, but it did not matter, as he chipped in from the rough.
On the par-5 18th hole, Schauffele hit his tee shot into a fairway bunker, pitched out into the fairway then chipped onto the green. And, of course, he rolled in his 13-foot par for birdie. That was six birdies in a row, seven total, as Schauffele shot 29 on his first nine.
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He did cool off at that point, recording pars on holes one through six, remaining 7-under par on his round. But he carded another birdie on the par-5 seventh hole before parring the final two holes to shoot an 8-under par 64.
After his Friday-best round, Schauffele will take a three-shot lead into the weekend as he looks for his fifth PGA Tour victory. If he plays like he did on Friday, there will be no catching him.