‘It was terrible’… Xander Schauffele shares what happened to him at TPC Sawgrass yesterday

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Xander Schauffele finds himself tied for second place after completing his second round at The Players Championship.

The 30-year-old’s three-under 69 puts him four back of Wyndham Clark, who leads the way on fourteen under.

Schauffele’s front nine was fairly uneventful. A solitary birdie at the par-five second hole accompanied eight pars, which took him out in 35.

However, the back nine was the complete opposite for the American.

A birdie on the par four 10th was followed by a double bogey on the par five 11th. However, Schauffele managed to eagle 16 to keep himself firmly in contention.

After his round, he admitted what happened on the 11th was “terrible”.

Xander Schauffele makes ‘terrible’ admission after second round at The Players

In his post-round interview, he admitted he felt uneasy after his struggles at the start of his back nine.

“Yeah [it was important to respond], it was a terrible swing and was a bit uneasy,” he said. “I watched two great shots into that green and thought I could power one on there and cut the lead.”

Schauffele added: “To go backwards on a par five is never what we are trying to do, compounded by a terrible wedge shot on top of it. I was happy to birdie the next and bonus to make that eagle on 16.”

Schauffele well-placed ahead of the weekend at The Players

Considering he has a double bogey on his scorecard, the seven-time PGA event winner will be delighted to be tied for second place.

Despite his excellent position after Friday’s round, his compatriot Clark looks ominous. His seven-under 65 means he’s in control heading into the weekend.

Yes, there’s a contingent of quality players in the chasing pack, but a four-shot lead could be hard to overhaul, considering the 30-year-old’s current form.

Another to watch is Scottie Scheffler, who sits tied for sixth on eight under. The 2022 Masters Champion seems to have found form with his putter and could quickly surge up the leaderboard as he attempts to retain his 2023 title.