Xander Schauffele entered Saturday with a chance at the U.S. Open lead, but poor putting and a pair of double bogeys left him seven strokes behind leader Wyndham Clark.
What happened?
Schauffele started the third round at 3 under and was only three behind after Clark bogeyed the first hole. But Schauffele soon went backward, with bogeys on the third and sixth holes.
Why it matters for Xander Schauffele
The two-time major winner and career U.S. Open scoring leader was among the chorus of chasers at Shinnecock Hills saying it was Clark’s tournament to lose. Only Arnold Palmer in 1960 has overcome a seven-stroke deficit to win a U.S. Open.
Schauffele followed a near-flawless 66 on Friday with a 73 on Saturday. He made just 47 feet of putts Saturday, with his longest being just 6 1/2 feet.
What comes next?
Schauffele plays exceptionally well in the U.S. Open, but hasn’t won the tournament. He finished in the top 10 in seven of his nine previous appearances, including a tie for third in 2019, and owns the best scoring average among players with at least 20 rounds.
The American golfer needs a strong final round to catch up, and he knows it won't be easy. “It’s all in Wyndham’s hands, really,” Schauffele said. “If he plays a really solid round of golf tomorrow, if he shoots even par or 1 over or 2 over, he’s going to win the golf tournament.”
Schauffele ranks 48th on the PGA Tour this season in strokes gained putting, 101st in putts per round and 115th in putting average. Birdies on 13 and 15 and a sand save for par on 11 salvaged Schauffele’s day.
On 10, Schauffele put his tee shot in the rough, his approach in the sand and rolled his bunker shot off the back of the elevated green. On 12, he three-putted after stops in the rough and a bunker short of the green.
Schauffele described his day as “kind of a long day, U.S. Open day.” He had a bad stretch of golf from 10 to 12, but managed to recover with some good shots later on.
The way this tournament is panning out, Schauffele thinks he needs to get to 4 or 5 under to have any chance of winning. “That would be all-world,” he said. “I’m not even sure if that’s possible tomorrow.”
Schauffele will have to wait and see how the final round unfolds, but for now, he's focused on his own game. He knows he has the talent and the skill to compete at the highest level, and he's determined to give it his all on Sunday.