The U.S. Open and Xander Schauffele are inseparable. In six appearances, Schauffele’s worst result was a 14th-place finish in 2022. He has also finished 5th, 6th, 3rd, 5th alone and 10th at the U.S. Open.
But the 30-year-old has yet to take home a U.S. Open trophy – instead, his first major tournament was the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club.
So what’s his strategy for golf’s toughest test yet? Ahead of the 124th U.S. Open, he explained why he’s been playing his best golf this week.
“You just need to have a little bit of patience, a little bit more patience these past few weeks,” Schauffele said. “Every U.S. Open is unique, but par feels like a great score.”
“You just have to go around the property and make a plan. I got here a week ago and the course already plays a lot differently. I can only imagine what it’s going to be like in two days.”
Schauffele’s success in the past six U.S. Opens has come on a variety of course types, but they all have one thing in common:
“You plan around the property,” Schauffele said. “It’s a little bit old-fashioned golf. You play on the thick side of the green. It’s OK to lay up on a par 5.”
“Not that I’m against it, but modern golf is all about hitting it as far as you can, getting as close to the green as you can, getting as close as you can with a wedge, getting up and down on the par 5s, that sort of thing. I think if I work on a little strategy with my caddie Austin, I’ll have a little bit of an advantage.”
Schauffele knows that given the firmness of the greens at Pinehurst, the putter will likely be one of his favorite clubs this week.
Photo: Sean M. Hafey/Getty Images
“I grew up in San Diego, but the Texas Wedge is my friend,” he said.
His patience strategy should come in handy this week. Pinehurst is rigged to cause problems and mayhem, so taking things slow and playing golf the old-fashioned way might help him win a second straight major.
Schauffele will play the first two days of the U.S. Open along with Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, who tee off at 1:14 p.m. ET on Thursday and 7:29 a.m. ET on Friday.
Savannah Lee Richardson is a Golf Staff Writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow us for more golf articles. Follow You can follow us on all major social platforms. You can also follow us on Twitter Follow Instagram: @savannah_leigh_sports
