Xander Schauffele, You Have Our Attention at the Memorial Tournament

Xander Schauffele might be the third-ranked player in the world, but the two guys above him have used the first several months of the year to put a pretty insane amount of separation on the podium. It really does feel like it’s Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, a pretty big gap, and then the rest of the world—you could probably argue Bryson DeChambeau is closer than anyone else, but the point stands.

But if Xander wants to put his hat back in the ring, rejoin the conversation, or any other way you want to say that, this week feels like a great spot.

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He’s loved him some Muirfield Village Golf Club over the years. Since missing the cut in his debut back in 2018, he’s finished T-14, T-13, T-11, T-18, T-24, and T-8 at the Memorial Tournament.

I’d say that’s pretty good, right?

And it’s not too surprising. Jack’s Place is all about the tee-to-green game. If you’re not striping it, you have zero chance of winning. Hell, if you’re off by just a little, you’re probably going home early.

Schauffele hits it as well as anyone. Although he’s struggled with hitting fairways this season—ranked 159th (53.13%)—he’s inside the top 25 in driving distance and ranked ninth in Strokes Gained: Approach.

And despite some army golf off the box, Schauffele has started to turn in some pretty decent finishes. Since finishing 72nd at THE PLAYERS, he’s grabbed four top-18 finishes across his last five starts.

It’s taken him a bit to get all the way back from his rib injury, but it certainly seems like he’s getting his mojo back.

Schauffele has always felt like a player destined to shake Jack's hand in victory. And I think this is the perfect week for him to get it done.