Xander Schauffele has his work reduce out for him at this week’s Tour Championship.
Tracy Wilcox/PGA Tour through Getty Pictures
Maybe no golfer has carried out higher at East Lake Golf Membership, the longtime residence of the Tour Championship, than Xander Schauffele. However Schauffele has precisely zero FedEx Cups to indicate for his efforts. That would change this week, however he gained’t be capable of depend on the trove after all information and feels he’s amassed over time.
That’s thanks to an enormous restoration effort that has left the course nearly unrecognizable, no less than in line with Schauffele.
However first, Schauffele’s file at East Lake. The World No. 2 has performed the Tour Championship seven instances. In three of these iterations, he completed with the bottom mixture rating. Regardless of that, he has just one official Tour Championship win on his resume and no FedEx Cup victories. Right here’s why.
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In his first look as a rookie in 2017, he gained. However again then, the Tour Championship winner didn’t robotically declare the FedEx Cup. Justin Thomas nonetheless had essentially the most factors after East Lake, so he took residence the Cup. Schauffele completed third in that race.
In 2019, Schauffele once more put collectively one of the best four-round mixture rating at East Lake, however as a result of he began six photographs behind chief Justin Thomas, he did not win the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup titles, which went to Dustin Johnson.
An identical story performed out final season. Schauffele tied Viktor Hovland for the bottom mixture rating at East Lake in 2023, however due to their beginning scores, Hovland ended up on prime and hoisted the Cup.
This yr, Schauffele will start the match in his greatest place but. He begins in second with a rating of eight beneath, solely two photographs behind chief Scottie Scheffler.
However all of Schauffele’s previous excellence at East Lake will present him little assist as he tries to win his first FedEx Cup this week. Why? East Lake, which grew to become the everlasting residence of the Tour Championship again in 2004, underwent a dramatic restoration by the hands of architect Andrew Inexperienced forward of the 2024 enjoying of the occasion.
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In consequence, the gamers will probably be confronted with a “new golf course,” as Schauffele known as it in his pre-tournament press convention on Tuesday.
“No matter file I had is the previous. I’ve no reminiscence or something actually on any gap to go off of, not even a tree I may intention at that I used to intention at. It’s simply that completely different,” Schauffele defined to reporters.
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“I’ve performed plenty of new programs this yr that I’ve executed okay at, and this can be a model new property,” Schauffele stated, earlier than detailing the intensive modifications, “Actually the bunkers are new, the grasses are new within the fairways, the greens are new, the grass on the greens are new, the runouts are completely different, the slopes are completely different. I feel the one factor that’s the identical are the instructions of the outlet.”
“It’s simply new. It’s agency. It’s quick. Must settle in,” he continued. “It’s a really model new — I’m not enormous in agronomy, however I’ve performed some new programs earlier than, they usually’re a bit of bouncy. Nevertheless it was designed to be performed, it’s going to be a bit of bit completely different for the primary two years simply because it hasn’t settled in.”
To place a finer level on it, Schauffele said that just about the one factor that’s the identical post-restoration is the course’s title and footprint.
“To me, it’s bought the identical title; it’s East Lake Golf Membership. It’s in the identical property, related sq. footage. However that’s about it.”
As for his incapability to win the FedEx Cup regardless of enjoying so effectively at East Lake, Schauffele admitted he was pissed off, however developing brief previously has made him “hungry” to lastly carry a Cup residence with him.
“I figured they only wanted to vary the course so I’ve a greater likelihood,” Schauffele joked. “Yeah, I imply, you’re going to be fairly hungry whenever you get shut. You’re champing on the bit. It’s proper there in entrance of your face. You’re by no means in a position to maintain on to it. Little question in any respect, I’m very hungry.”
Schauffele’s newest try and fulfill that starvation begins on Thursday when he tees off for the primary spherical alongside Scheffler at 2 p.m. ET.
