Xander Schauffele has enjoyed past success playing at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, including a second-place finish in last year’s Tour Championship.
But now he barely recognizes the course two days before the start of this year’s Tour Championship, when he will take aim at winning the FedEx Cup.
“To me, it’s got the same name — it’s East Lake Golf Club,” Schauffele said during a press conference on Tuesday. “It’s in the same property, similar square footage. But that’s about it.”
The major revisions caught many in the 30-golfer field off-guard, including Schauffele. He said he has played the revised course and not much of it is recognizable.
“Literally the bunkers are new, the grasses are new in the fairways, the greens are new, the grass on the greens are new, the runouts are different, the slopes are different,” Schauffele said. “I think the only thing that’s the same are the directions of the hole.
“Whatever record I had is the past, I have no memory or anything really on any hole to go off of, not even a tree I could aim at that I used to aim at. It’s just that different.”
Schauffele, 30, will begin play in second place at 8 under, two shots behind Scottie Scheffler in the starting strokes format.
“You’re going to be pretty hungry when you get close,” Schauffele said of chasing the coveted crown. “You’re champing at the bit. It’s right there in front of your face. You’ve never able to hold on to it. No doubt at all, I’m very hungry.”
Schauffele is ranked second in the world, and his stellar season includes his first two career major victories — the PGA Championships at Valhalla and The Open at Royal Troon.
The San Diego State product also has three runner-up finishes this season among 14 top-10 placements in 20 starts. He didn’t miss a single cut.
He credits patience as a big part in his improved play. But make no mistake — Schauffele knows how to work a course.
Scheffler has seen it firsthand, and he’s also one of the people amazed with Schauffele’s campaign.
“When I see Xander winning a golf tournament and winning multiple majors in one year, I just look at him as a person that has really earned that,” Scheffler said. “He’s put in the work, he’s made the right sacrifices and he’s earned those wins and played good at the right time.
“I’m typically not one of the guys that’s there after the tournament. Once the tournament ends I usually leave. But like this year after The Open I wanted to make it a point to stay inside the scoring (area) and congratulate him when he got in, because first of all he’s a great guy, and second of all (I’m) really happy for him to be able to accomplish what he is accomplishing.”
Scheffler and Schauffele will tee off in the final grouping for Thursday’s first round.
