CASTLE ROCK — The PGA Tour’s best hunter arrived at the driving range Thursday at 8:30 a.m.
Two golfers to his right, the guy everyone else is chasing, was already into his pre-round routine ahead of their 9 a.m. tee time. The two best golfers in the world were paired together in the first round of the BMW Championship at Castle Pines Golf Club, and a large throng of patrons followed their every move around the 8,130-yard course.
It has been a spectacular year for Xander Schauffele, including two major championship victories. His one problem? Scottie Scheffler has had a season for the ages — one of the two best by anyone not named Tiger Woods in the tour’s modern era.
“I’ve done probably the best job of getting the closest to him, but it’s still very far away,” Schauffele said before the tournament began.
For one day, the hunter got the best of his target under the big Colorado sky at Castle Pines. Schauffele finished with a 3-under 69, while Scheffler dealt with a stiff back and an inconsistent putter en route to a 1-under 71.
Both started cautiously, but Schauffele started firing approach shots closer to the pins to earn birdies on the sixth and eighth holes and a two-shot lead at the turn. Every player is making calculations this week to account for the thin air and the longest course in tour history.
Schauffele made his lone altitude-related mistake at No. 10, one of the toughest holes on the course. He crushed his longest tee shot of the day (417 yards) but then went farther with his approach than he wanted before still scrambling to make par.
“I went to San Diego State. I haven’t done that much math in a while,” Schauffele quipped.
Scheffler got his putter going to make birdies on the 11th, 12th and 14th holes. For about 15 minutes, he was ahead of his playing partner. The round flipped for both players at No. 15.
Scheffler’s approach stopped inches short of being his best shot of the day. Instead, the backspin carried it down off the green and into the water. He scrambled well to save bogey, but Schauffele nailed his longest putt of the day for a birdie, then added another at No. 17.
The roving gallery following the top two-ranked players was often too wide for the designated walking areas. Both players are almost certainly locked into the top two spots for the Tour Championship next week in Atlanta, so the vibe might have been more relaxed for the pairing.
Schauffele gave a high-five to a small child as he walked between holes. Scheffler stopped to check out a small turtle that had put its life in danger by wandering into a potential landing zone near the green at the third hole.
“Teddy (Scott) and Scottie, yeah, they’re fun to be around,” Schauffele said of Scheffler and his caddie. “We can talk if we want. We don’t have to if we don’t want to. We’re not talking too much walking up these hills trying to catch our breath getting to the ball. But yeah, it’s a comfy pairing.”
It will be a more competitive pairing next week. Given the format of the PGA Tour’s postseason, the No. 1-ranked player will start next week at minus-10, No. 2 will begin at minus-8 and on down to the No. 26-30 guys starting at even.
Schauffele already knows that he will most likely be paired with Scheffler again next Thursday while facing a two-shot deficit. He insists he doesn’t think about it much while walking the course, but it’s definitely in the back of his mind.
“I think in preparation, training-wise, sort of practicing-wise, rest-wise, I think (about it) a lot,” Schauffele said. “Everything I’m doing is to try and make sure I’m geared up and as fresh as I can be for next week.”
It took Schauffele only eight holes to gain a two-shot advantage Thursday, but he offered a warning: Scheffler has had back tightness at multiple points this season, and it didn’t really slow him down.
They will be paired together again Friday at Castle Pines, with a little later start time (11 a.m.). Schauffele’s pursuit of Scheffler will go on. The hunt continues.
“Becoming No. 1 in the world? It’s a very big goal of mine,” Schauffele said. “Yes, I’ve been told that Scottie is an outlier in several years, and I would be (No. 1). But it’s not really good enough, is it? That doesn’t take away from what I’ve done or how I feel. I’m proud with the work that I’ve put in and with the people that are around me and that have helped me.
“I’m just going to keep knocking. That’s what I do.”
Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.
Originally Published:
