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2021 Hero World Challenge: Top 10 power rankings at Albany

By Mike Randleman

December 2, 2017; New Providence, The Bahamas; Detail view of the trophy on the first hole during the third round of the Hero World Challenge golf tournament at Albany. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
December 2, 2017; New Providence, The Bahamas; Detail view of the trophy on the first hole during the third round of the Hero World Challenge golf tournament at Albany. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 26, 2021; Haven, Wisconsin, USA; Team USA player Xander Schauffele plays his shot from the first tee during day three singles rounds for the 43rd Ryder Cup golf competition at Whistling Straits. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 26, 2021; Haven, Wisconsin, USA; Team USA player Xander Schauffele plays his shot from the first tee during day three singles rounds for the 43rd Ryder Cup golf competition at Whistling Straits. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Even if you haven’t necessarily played your best golf at the Hero World Challenge, it’s an accomplishment in its own right just to have multiple tournament appearances.

For Xander Schauffele, this is his third. He finished T-8th (73-68-66-70) in 2018 and T-10th (73-70-70-68) in 2019. Cut out a pair of slow first rounds and he’s in contention.

Schauffele should be in a good frame of mind in search of a nice capper to 2021. He was an Olympic gold medalist and winning Ryder Cup member who played incredibly consistent golf all year.

The American has been ranked between fourth and sixth all year long and missed just two cuts. The last MC was in May at the PGA Championship. Schauffele finished tied for fifth place in the 2020-21 FedEx Cup.

He was still left wanting about a winless season on the PGA Tour, but there was enough to celebrate from 2021 to keep him afloat.

“So a weird, sort of, weird space that I’m in mentally, but overall I think celebrating the Ryder Cup win with my teammates sort of got me over the edge of feeling like I failed this season,” Schauffele was quoted in a profile by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The 28-year-old gained strokes in every category last season on the PGA Tour.  He was up to 14th in SG approach (.65) and 16th in SG putting (.48).

The Hero World Challenge tends to be a birdie fest. Schauffele was 12th in birdie average (4.28).

He has a knack at winning limited field, no-cut events, so adding a trophy at Albany would be par for the course.

Schauffele has been off since the Zozo Championship in late October, so he ought to be plenty rested like the rest of the field.

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