October 24th 2024.
Xander Schauffele had a tough start at the Zozo Championship in Japan, causing him to label himself as an "idiot." After coming back from the Presidents Cup, the world's second-ranked golfer began his round with eight pars in a row. However, things took a turn for the worse when his tee shot on the ninth hole landed in some tree roots. Instead of taking a penalty drop, Xander attempted to hit the ball twice and failed both times before finally accepting his fate and taking an unplayable. He and his caddie, Austin Kaiser, found some humor in the situation, but ultimately he had to settle for a quadruple-bogey eight.
Reflecting on the incident, Xander admitted that he should have just taken an unplayable from the start, but his stubbornness and belief that he could make something happen got the best of him. He even joked that he was going to try a third time, but realized it was a bad spot and decided against it. Laughing it off, he said that it was the first time in a year that he had a meltdown like that on the course, and all he could do was shake his head at the terrible luck.
Despite the unfortunate quadruple-bogey, Xander managed to regain one shot on the par-3 13th and ended the day with a 73. He acknowledged that he still had three more days to make up for his mistake and that he should take solace in that fact. If it had been the final day, he would have been much more frustrated and upset. However, he was determined to brush it off and focus on the remaining rounds. He also noted that playing in the morning might give him an advantage, as the greens would be less bumpy.
Xander also shared his plan for the remaining days, mentioning that if he could shoot seven or eight under par, it would be incredible. He believed that if he could string together a few rounds of three to five under par, he could still have a chance to win. On the other end of the leaderboard was Raylor Moore, a fellow American, who shot a fantastic seven-under-par in the first round, giving him a one-stroke lead. Max Greyserman, Eric Cole, and Nico Echavarria were also close contenders, all shooting six under par. Despite the unfortunate start, Xander was determined to bounce back and compete for the championship title.
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