Xander Schauffele had a tough break at the Zozo Championship, carding a quadruple bogey on the ninth hole that left him 10 shots behind the lead after the first round. The World No. 2, back in action at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Inzai, Japan, had a brutal break when his tee shot wedged against a tree root. Despite a relatively low-stress round, Schauffele lamented his poor decisions on the ninth hole that led to an otherwise clean card being stained on day one.
After attempting to pitch out from the “bad spot” on the ninth hole twice, Schauffele eventually declared an unplayable, leading to an eight on the hole and a three-over start to his tournament. Reflecting on his decisions, Schauffele admitted that his overconfidence and stubbornness led to the meltdown on the ninth hole, something he hadn’t experienced in a long time. Despite the setback, Schauffele maintained good spirits and laughed off the situation, acknowledging that all he could do at that point was to move on and focus on the remaining rounds.
Thankful for having three more rounds to right his wrongs at the no-cut event, Schauffele remained hopeful of being able to battle his way back into contention. Admitting that he was suffering from a bit of rust in his first round back since the Presidents Cup last month, Schauffele acknowledged that he needed to tighten up his iron shots and get the hang of it as the tournament progressed. With a positive mindset and determination to bounce back, Schauffele aimed to shoot low scores in the following rounds to climb back up the leaderboard.
Taylor Moore led the Zozo Championship after the first round, shooting a seven-under 63 to hold a one-stroke lead over Max Greyserman, Nico Echavarria, and Eric Cole. With the competition heating up at the top of the leaderboard, Schauffele knew he had to put together a string of under-par rounds to have a chance at contending for the title. Despite the setback on the ninth hole, Schauffele remained focused on the task at hand and was determined to make a comeback in the tournament.
As the second round approached, Schauffele prepared himself mentally and physically to tackle the challenges of the golf course. With a positive attitude and a mindset focused on improvement, Schauffele was ready to put the past behind him and give his best effort on the course. With three more rounds ahead of him, Schauffele was optimistic about his chances of climbing back up the leaderboard and showcasing his skills on the course.
