Inzai (Japan) (AFP) – Birthday boy Xander Schauffele shot a five-under-par 65 at the US PGA Tour’s Zozo Championship in Japan on Friday to make up ground following his opening-day quadruple bogey. The double major winner was 10 strokes behind leader Nico Echavarria of Colombia at the halfway stage at Narashino Country Club. Echavarria was 12-under overall, two strokes ahead of Americans Taylor Moore and Justin Thomas.
Schauffele got his title bid off to a disastrous start on Thursday when he carded an eight on the par-four ninth hole after his tee shot wedged itself among tree roots. The American twice attempted to hit the ball but failed to dislodge it and looked set to take a third swipe at it before shaking his head, laughing, and opting to take a penalty drop for an unplayable lie.
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Schauffele had more luck on Friday — his 31st birthday — hitting five birdies and no bogeys to leave him at two-under overall. “Yeah it was better, a little bit,” said Schauffele, who won the PGA Championship and the British Open in a breakthrough 2024. “I mean, besides one hole yesterday, I kind of fed off of a lot of my holes and I probably hit the ball a little bit better today. Missed some makeable putts and made some ones I shouldn’t make, so all in all it was a pretty solid day.”
Schauffele’s playing partner Rickie Fowler shot up the leaderboard after carding a six-under-par 64 to sit eight-under overall. Fowler, who finished in a tie for second at the tournament two years ago, had seven birdies and one bogey and said he played “a little better across the board.” “Drove it a little better than yesterday and hit some better iron shots,” said the American, who is tied seventh. “Not a whole lot different, tried to keep it simple.”
Defending champion Collin Morikawa had a double bogey for the second straight day but carded a 67 and was eight shots off the lead. Japan’s Olympic bronze medallist Hideki Matsuyama carded a 71 and was at two-over.
© 2024 AFP
