Xander Schauffele in perfect position to win The Masters

After a thrilling Saturday at The Masters, Sunday looks to be one for the ages.

After an incredible third-round 65 Hideki Matsuyama carries the 54-hole lead into Sunday. Matsuyama is on the doorstep of history, as he is looking to become the first Japanese born player to win a major championship on the PGA Tour.

However, for Hideki to obtain that history he will need to fend off many challengers including Justin Rose, Marc Leishman, Xander Schauffele, and Will Zalatoris, who are all tied for second.

Although it can still be anyone’s tournament, in my opinion Xander Schauffele is in the best position to win the tournament of anyone, including Matsuyama.

You may remember way back when I predicted Xander would be a Masters champion, and I still believe that. However, in our staff picks article this week I picked JT. I am now regretting that decision.

So why do I feel this way about Xander? It’s pretty simple.

Xander has been well criticized for not winning when he has the lead. Although in recent months Tony Finau has been receiving more criticism than Xander. It’s still a proven fact Xander hasn’t been able to get it done with a 54-hole lead.

Most notably Xander shared the 54-hole lead at the 2018 Open Championship with Kevin Kisner. Both Kisner and Schauffele shot final round 74’s and finished in a tie for second.

However, the Open wasn’t the only time it happened. Xander held the 54-hole lead last year at the Charles Schwab Challenge, eventually won by Daniel Berger. This year he was tied for the lead with Jordan Spieth at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, eventually won by Brooks Koepka.

So, Xander’s struggles are well documented when playing from the front. But what isn’t talked about enough is his play from behind.

In all four of Xander Schauffele’s PGA Tour victories he was not the 54-hole leader.

Xander trailed Sebastian Munoz by three shots at the 2017 Greenbrier Classic, which he went on to win for his first PGA Tour win.

He trailed Paul Casey by two shots at the 2017 Tour Championship, Tony Finau by three shots at the 2018 WGC-HSBC, and Gary Woodland by five shots at the 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions, all events he went on to win.

So, the comeback history is there, but he also has a bit of comeback history at Augusta. At the 2019 Masters Xander was T7 after 54 holes, five shots back of the lead. Schauffele obviously didn’t win the 2019 Masters, the GOAT did, but he did make up those shots, and finished T2.

Anyone who knows me, or who’s talked golf with me knows I have famously said Xander Schauffele will win The Masters. But I’ve been very clear to say he needs to be a couple shots back going into Sunday. And here we are.

All the pressure will be on Hideki Matsuyama to close out a historic Masters Championship, and the second biggest story will be Justin Rose.

Rose was the first and second round leader, he’s a ten-time PGA Tour winner, and the 2013 U.S. Open champion. Rose is a former world number one and has five career top-ten finishes at Augusta.

Schauffele will be flying under the radar on Sunday at Augusta, but don’t look past him. I think Xander will make a major run, see what I did there, and maybe even walk out with a green jacket.