ATLANTA — Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler have performed a whole lot of golf collectively in 2024, a lot in order that they’ve joked about how they don’t have a lot to say to one another anymore.
And but, Schauffele has loads to speak about after Thursday’s spherical. He had a front-row seat for Scheffler’s masterful 6-under 65, the bottom spherical of the day on the Tour Championship that has given the World No. 1 a file lead.
“Scottie was nearly in each fairway it seemed like,” Schauffele mentioned cheekily.
“It seemed like he was going by wedge observe whereas he was on the market. For those who’re within the fairway, you may assault this golf course.”
Certainly, Scheffler missed solely 4 fairways on Thursday, giving himself loads of alternatives. After bogeying the primary gap, the place he missed the golf green manner proper, Scheffler performed East Lake in 7-under par. He made seven birdies and 10 pars and now holds a commanding seven-shot lead over Schauffele and Collin Morikawa.
Schauffele, in the meantime, tied Scheffler proper out of the gate. He birdied the opening gap, leaping as much as 9-under and right into a share of the lead. Scheffler started the Tour Championship at 10-under by way of the beginning strokes format, whereas Schauffele teed off at 8-under.
However a lot not like Scheffler, Schauffele cooled off the remainder of the best way. He made solely two birdies, on the par-5 sixth and par-5 14th, after which countered these with two dropped photographs on the par-3 eleventh and par-4 sixteenth.
“Began off hitting it okay,” Schauffele mentioned of his 1-under 70.
“Yeah, I most likely simply reverted just a little bit, sadly. I’m going to go hit some balls proper now with the setting solar right here, however I’ll determine it out.”
Schauffele solely discovered seven fairways, but he did handle to hit 13 greens.
“I hit it within the tough quite a bit, and with model new greens, I believe I scored okay for a way dangerous I hit it,” Schauffele added.
“However yeah, total, it was type of a meh day. Wasn’t one thing for pleased with or disgusted by.”
He nonetheless has three days to beat a seven-shot deficit, nevertheless it will not be straightforward. That mentioned, Schauffele has a terrific file at East Lake, so something is feasible.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By way of. You’ll want to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.