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LAS VEGAS – Xander Schauffele is usually the tenacious bulldog in these situations. He fights for every scrap and usually gets the bone. But the four-time PGA TOUR winner came up short in the dogfight with Jason Kokrak at THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK and vowed to learn from the experience.
Starting behind Russell Henley’s three-shot cushion, the two were playing together on Sunday and by the time they made the turn, had become the most likely champions. This was despite having to slow their tempo after Jason Day, the groups third, had to withdraw on the second hole with a neck injury.
When Schauffele birdied the 13th hole, the pair were tied at the top and had a three-shot buffer on the chasers. It was basically match play. And Schauffele loves that sort of fight. He was a firestorm in the 2019 Presidents Cup Singles, taking out the spiritual on course leader of the Internationals in Adam Scott, in Scott’s home country, to help spark a huge comeback win for the U.S.
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Surely Kokrak’s nerves would take over. He hadn’t won on TOUR in 322 tries. But this time, Kokrak stayed firm while Schauffele was left to lament a loose drive on the par-5 16th. It found a tree and then wedged up against some pine straw and the rough. His next swing left the former TOUR Rookie of the Year fighting an uphill battle he’d ultimately lose.
“There was a woodchip underneath, kind of part of it was touching the ball. It was one of those, if I were to pull it, my ball would have moved, so I just assumed just swing through it,” Schauffele explained.
“There was a little branch behind me, but I think a woodchip did fly out. I didn’t really feel a whole lot of ball when I hit it. All I have to do is hit the fairway and it would have been a different story.”
He would bogey the hole as the squeezed shot would travel just 85 yards and back into thick rough. He failed to reach the green in regulation and would fall one behind Kokrak when he couldn’t get up and down. The deficit proved costly and any real hope was lost when he once again missed the fairway on the par-5 18th.
In hindsight, a 2-over 74 Saturday round that saw him drop from three clear in front of the field to three behind was the real killer.
“It was a good fight,” he said after a 6-under 66 left him two off Kokrak’s winning total. The biggest takeaway for me is this is the first time after two rounds of golf I had a three‑shot lead.
“Obviously I showed a rookie move there shooting 74 on moving day but just to know that my really good golf is that good… it’s nice to know that I do have it in me to do it and hopefully I learn for next time I can create an opportunity.”
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Source: PGA tour