Winning a goal for Schauffele
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk had an easy time choosing three of his four picks for the Ryder Cup.
Xander Schauffele is making the last one a little more difficult.
Schauffele fired a 6-under 64 in the BMW Championship yesterday for the lowest 36-hole score of his career and a 2-shot lead over Justin Rose.
“I’m sort of in a position where I feel like a win is the only way I’d even be in consideration,” Schauffele said.
He also made it more difficult on Tiger Woods. One day after he opened with a 62 — his lowest score since his last victory more than five years ago — Woods went eight holes before his first birdie and didn’t make many after that. He finished with two bogeys for a 70 that left him 5 shots behind in a tie for 12th.
“Very simple. I didn’t make any putts,” Woods said. “I hit a lot of beautiful putts that were on the top of the edge, and then obviously hit a couple bad ones on the last hole, but looked like all the putts were going to go in. But they didn’t go in today.”
Schauffele was at 13-under 127 and will be paired in the third round with a familiar figure in Philadelphia. Rose, who played bogey-free for a 64, won the AT&T National at Aronimink in 2010, and his only major at nearby Merion in the 2013 U.S. Open.
“Cheese steaks, I guess,” Rose said. “I played well. The crowd latched onto it, for sure. I get good support around here. It’s nice when they’re reminding you all the time that it’s your town, as well. It’s nice to have the added bit of enthusiasm from the crowd.”
Aronimink was even softer than the opening round from a burst of rain overnight. Starting times were moved up four hours because of a forecast for more rain.
Hideki Matsuyama, who started the FedEx Cup playoffs at No. 76, had a 64 and was in a group 3 shots behind that included Keegan Bradley, Alex Noren and Rickie Fowler. Matsuyama suddenly is in position to be among the 30 who advance to East Lake in Atlanta in two weeks for the Tour Championship.
The same is true for Bradley and Noren, the Swede who makes his Ryder Cup debut at the end of the month. Noren holed out for eagle on the par-5 ninth for a 66, while Bradley keeps flirting with contention in these playoff events.
Rory McIlroy (67), FedEx Cup champion Justin Thomas (67) and Jason Day (64) were at 9-under 131.
Schauffele also needs a good week to get to East Lake, though he would like to extend his season an additional week in France at the Ryder Cup.
A runner-up at the British Open, the 24-year-old from San Diego finished 12th in the Ryder Cup standings. Furyk’s three picks on Tuesday — Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and Woods — were Nos. 9, 10, 11 in the standings. He has one more pick after the BMW Championship.
Tony Finau is regarded the leading candidate, and he did nothing to hurt his chances. Finau made seven birdies in his round of 64 and goes into the final 36 holes at Aronimink just 5 shots behind.
“The possibilities are cool, the potential of what could happen,” Finau said. “But nothing good comes from thinking too far ahead. I got a couple rounds in front of me, 36 holes to try and win this tournament. And winning takes care of everything.”
Schauffele said he was on a mission, and the Ryder Cup was merely a byproduct. He was the PGA Tour rookie of the year last season after winning the Tour Championship for his second PGA title. His mission?
“Just prove to myself that I can win again and just be clutch,” he said. “I’m trying to prove it to myself again.”