WATCH: Xander Schauffele Makes An Albatross At The American Express
The American carded the rarest bird of them all at the par 5 fifth hole
It's safe to say that the scoring at this week's American Express has been crazy! Not only was the three-round cut 10-under-par, yes you did read that correctly, but players have been finding eagles and birdies galore.
An example of this was Davis Thompson who, after his two rounds had already tied the PGA Tour record for the most eagles in a 72-hole tournament. Now though, on Sunday, it was all about Xander Schauffele as he found the bottom of the cup from 225 yards for the rarest bird of them all.
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Starting his day at 15-under-par, it was always unlikely that Schauffele would challenge the leaders who began their day at 23-under-par. Opening his final day with four pars, he came to the par 5 fifth hole, which had been playing as one of the easiest of the week.
Striping his drive 314-yards down the middle of the fairway, the American was faced with a long iron into the green to a tucked pin. What's more, the flag was perched just a few yards over the water, which ran all the way down the right hand side.
As he struck his iron, Schauffele watched it with intent, as his ball headed straight at the flag. Although many would think it's not a pin to go at, the 29-year-old is one of the best ball strikers on the planet and, as it pitched on the front edge of the green, it duly rolled into the hole at dead weight for an albatross.
Obviously, the commentary team were excited by the occasion, with one announcer calling it in the hole before it had even rolled up to it. For Schauffele, he also found the funny side of it, as he fist bumped his playing partners with a huge, beaming smile on his face.
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Matt joined Golf Monthly in February 2021 covering weekend news, before also transitioning to equipment and testing. After freelancing for Golf Monthly and The PGA for 18 months, he was offered a full-time position at the company in October 2022 and continues to cover weekend news and social media, as well as help look after Golf Monthly’s many buyers’ guides and equipment reviews.
Taking up the game when he was just seven years of age, Matt made it into his county squad just a year later and continues to play the game at a high standard, with a handicap of around 2-4. To date, his best round came in 2016, where he shot a six-under-par 66 having been seven-under through nine holes. He currently plays at Witney Lakes in Oxfordshire and his favourite player is Rory McIlroy, despite nearly being struck by his second shot at the 17th during the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.
Matt’s current What’s In The Bag?
Driver: Honma TW747, 8.75°
Fairway Wood: TaylorMade Rocketballz Stage 2, 15°, 19°
Hybrid: Adams Super Hybrid, 22°
Irons: Mizuno MP54, 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Tour Satin, 50°, 56°, 60°
Putter: Cleveland TFI 2135 Satin Cero
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
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