Ah, golf. The sport can giveth and the sport can taketh away.
Xander Schauffele found out both Sunday at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
After bogeying his opening hole of the final round at Kapalua’s Plantation Course, Schauffele birdied four holes in a five-hole stretch on the front nine before holing a chip from 18 yards out for eagle at the par-5 ninth hole.
Two holes later, Schauffele, with a wedge in his hand at the par-4 12th, holed out from 107 yards for his second eagle of the day. The shot, at the time, moved him to just a shot back of leader Gary Woodland.
But then on the very next hole, Schauffele topped his drive. His ball exited the face at just 158 mph and reached an apex height of just 32 feet. Even worse, it rolled into a fairway bunker.
Luckily for Schauffele, he avoided disaster and remained 7 under on his round by two-putting for par from 75 feet on the hole.
Looks like the golf gods continue to be on Schauffele’s side Sunday in Maui.
