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.”Yeah it was better, a little bit,” said Schauffele, who won the PGA Championship and the British Open in a breakthrough 2024.
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XanderSchauffelerecoveredonFridayafteranopeningdaynightmareattheUSPGATour’sZozoChampionshipinJapan(ToshifumiKITAMURA)BirthdayboyXanderSchauffeleshotafive-under-par65attheUSPGATour’sZozoChampionshipinJapanonFridaytomakeupgroundfollowinghisopening-dayquadruplebogey.
Thedoublemajorwinnerwas10strokesbehindleaderNicoEchavarriaofColombiaatthehalfwaystageatNarashinoCountryClub.
Echavarriawas12-underoverall,twostrokesaheadofAmericansTaylorMooreandJustinThomas.
SchauffelegothistitlebidofftoadisastrousstartonThursdaywhenhecardedaneightonthepar-fourninthholeafterhisteeshotwedgeditselfamongtreeroots.
TheAmericantwiceattemptedtohittheballbutfailedtodislodgeitandlookedsettotakeathirdswipeatitbeforeshakinghishead,lau