Schauffele happy to have 2 rookie seasons behind him
Xander Schauffele was No. 352 in the world and No. 135 in the FedEx Cup when he tied for fifth in the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills, the start of a strong second half that led to two victories and PGA Tour rookie of the year honors.
He was excited about 2018. He’s even more excited about next year, and not just because of a third victory in the HSBC Champions.
Schauffele finally knows what to expect. Winning in July (Greenbrier) and September (Tour Championship) as a rookie meant he felt like a rookie all over again to start this year. He played nine tournaments before the U.S. Open that he wasn’t in the previous year — Kapalua, Phoenix, Riviera, the Mexico Championship, Match Play, the Masters, Hilton Head, The Players Championship and the Memorial.
“It’s comforting to know next year I’ll know wherever I’m going,” he said.
The new events weren’t a big struggle. He made the cut in all of them except the Memorial. Schauffele was a distant runner-up to Webb Simpson in The Players, and he had a top-10 finish in the Genesis Open at Riviera.
The only concern now is staying fresh. His plan was to take off the last two months of the year and start on the West Coast. “And then China happened,” he said.
His victory in the World Golf Championships event in Shanghai moved him to No. 5 in Europe, so he went over to the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. It also got him into the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas and the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Kapalua.
“So it split up my offseason into bits and pieces,” he said. “Which is all right. I’ll take it.”
END OF AN ERA
Damon Green faced an awkward introduction and handled it like a pro. He had decided to leave Scott Hoch and caddie for Zach Johnson. Green’s final time with Hoch was at the Sony Open, and it was there he introduced Hoch to the 27-year-old Johnson, who was fresh off winning the 2003 Nationwide Tour money list.
Hoch looked the kid over, offered a handshake and went back to putting.
It proved to be the right move. Johnson won as a rookie. Three years later, he was a Masters champion. He won a claret jug at St. Andrews in 2015.
And now that relationship has run its course.
Green told The Caddie Network that Johnson will have a new caddie next year. They worked together for 15 years, 12 victories, two majors and more than $44 million in PGA Tour earnings.
“Zach saidI: `think we need to take a break. It’s not a firing. We’re too good friends for that,“’ Green said. “I just think he didn’t want to say the wordf,i`re.“’
Johnson hasn’t won since the 2015 British Open and hasn’t made it to the Tour Championship since that season. Green said while he was shocked by the split, he says he was able to work alongside a player who could wind up in the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Next up for Green? He’s not sure.
“I’m thankful I don’t have work again if I don’t want to,” he said. “But there’s a part of me that loves caddying. I’d say it’s probably 80 percent I’ll caddie again. But it has to be the right situation.”
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