Xander Schauffele reacts to photos he’s seen of East Lake ahead of the 2024 Tour Championship

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The countdown to the 2024 Tour Championship has begun, and world number two Xander Schauffele has looked ahead to the East Lake event.

The American, along with Scottie Scheffler, has dominated in 2024, landing two major championship titles since the turn of the year.

Schauffele is on course to break a Tiger Woods record and also threaten Scheffler’s position atop the FedEx Cup standings.

The duo’s form has seen discussion emerge over who has had a better year, and Smylie Kaufman believes several PGA Tour pros would want Schauffele’s record.

The 30-year-old’s place at the PGA Tour finale is secure as he looks to finally land golf’s most profitable prize after several near misses.

Xander Schauffele shares initial thoughts on changes he’s noticed at East Lake

East Lake has undergone several course changes in recent times, and Schauffele has now admitted he’s treating the Tour Championship test as a completely fresh challenge.

“I am not sure how the course is going to look. The photos looked majestic online. You know, there are a few shots of the course. The photographer did a good job taking those photos at that time of day. The course looked like it was in a fairytale. But it looked different. The greens are different,” Schauffele explained.

He added: “You look at Colonial, where the greens are new and concrete. Balls are bouncing everywhere. That’s not how we are used to playing East Lake. We are used to being rewarded if you are in the fairway. You can’t bounce a ball up any hole because of the grass. It’s going to stick. I think they’ve changed the grass around the greens. I am looking at it like I am going to be there for the first time mentality.”

Xander Schauffele looking to finally end FedEx Cup woes

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Schauffele has finished second in the FedEx Cup standings three times since 2019 and inside the top five in the past five seasons.

Furthermore, the American also finished third in 2017. Given his previous form, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before he adds golf’s biggest cheque to his bank account.

Of course, he’s got the minor obstacle of Scheffler to overcome, but the world number one has previously struggled during the end-of-season finale. Scheffler knows all eyes will be on his performance, and that could end up playing into Schauffele’s hands over the next three weeks.