SCHAUFFELE HAS HOT STREAK IN VEGAS
Xander Schauffele began his second round by missing a 4-foot birdie putt. That was hardly a sign of what was to follow Friday in the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek in North Las Vegas.
The San Diego native made putts as short as 3 feet and as long as 35 feet. He chipped in from 20 feet. He seemingly couldn’t miss during a twohour stretch when he made seven birdies over eight holes, including six in a row, for a career-best 29 on the back nine.
His momentum slowed with the pace of play, and he settled for an 8-under 64 and a three-shot lead over Tyrrell Hatton.
“Some of those holes, you’re not really trying to birdie them, you’re just trying to leave yourself an uphill 35-footer. And fortunately, I made a couple of them,” Schauffele said. “It was a nice stretch. Got a little bit stale there on the other side. Pace of play slowed down a lot, kind of hot, easy to let the mind wander.
“Upset I didn’t make more birdies, but pleased I didn’t make any bogeys.”
He was at 14-under 130 and now has the course record at Shadow Creek, which is hosting the CJ Cup for this year only because the COVID-19 pandemic made travel to South Korea impractical.
Hatton, among six players who were in England last week for the European Tour’s f lagship event, was headed for a rocky finish when he laid up into the rough on the par-5 16th that led to a second straight bogey. He rallied to close with a pair of birdies for a 68.
Russell Henley (68) was another shot back at 10-under 134.
Defending champion Justin Thomas found some momentum with six birdies, despite missing two easy chances on par 5s, for a 66 and was eight shots behind at the halfway point.
“I guess I played my way somewhat back into it,” he said before turning to look at the scores on a nearby monitor. “But Xander kind of went off today, so that makes it a little harder.”
After Schauffele’s tee shot to 3 feet on the 211-yard 13th hole, he rolled in a 25-foot putt on the next hole, a birdie putt from just over 35 feet on the 15th, two-putted from a sidehill lie on the fringe at the par-5 16th and looked to be in trouble on the par-3 17th when his tee shot landed beyond the green near the creek.
The hop was gentle, leaving him in thick grass, and he chipped in. Then on the par-5 18th, he had to lay up from a fairway bunker, hit wedge to 15 feet below the hole and made that.
Jon Rahm, who can return to No. 1 in the world with a victory this week, made a 5-foot eagle putt on his fourth hole. He made four bogeys and no birdies over his next 10 holes, birdied the last for a 73 and was 10 shots behind.
Rory McIlroy had a mixed
bag of seven birdies and four bogeys for a 69, leaving him 12 behind and looking for momentum to carry into next week at Sherwood Country Club.
Elsewhere
English golfer Matt Wallace carded a 5-under 67 at Fairmont St Andrews to join Adrian Otaegui in the Scottish Championship lead in St Andrews, Scotland.
Wallace took advantage of favorable morning conditions by making six birdies and a single bogey to reach 12 under par.
He went into the clubhouse with a two-shot lead, but overnight leader Otaegui fought hard in his afternoon round, improving his fortunes on his back nine. There, the Spaniard made four birdies and a bogey to follow up his opening round of 62 with a 70.
The first round of the Dominion Energy Charity Classic was postponed because of rain in Richmond, Va.
The 54-hole tournament at the Country Club of Virginia was to be Phil Mickelson’s sec
ond start on the PGA Tour Champions. He won his debut on the over-50 tour at Ozarks National in August.
The tour planned to send players off from split tees this morning and the second round was set to begin this afternoon, with the goal of completing the tournament by Sunday evening.
Notable
The Houston Open will allow limited spectators next month at Memorial Park, the first domestic PGA Tour event to have fans since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down golf for three months on March 13.
The tour said 2,000 tickets will go on sale Wednesday through the tournament’s website.
The Houston Open is Nov. 5-8, one week before the Masters. Dustin Johnson, who tested positive for the coronavirus had to withdraw from the elite CJ Cup at Shadow Creek this week, and Brooks Koepka are among those planning to play.