After a 62 at Valhalla, Schauffele says, “It’s just Thursday”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Just Thursday. That was the reminder, the warning, if you will, from the man whose golf was just remarkable.

Just Thursday, but whatever day of the week it was becomes irrelevant after the sort of record round posted by Xander Schauffele, on day one of the PGA Championship.

The old saying echoed for years by golfers of any age is you can’t win a tournament in the first round but you can lose it. For sure Schauffele didn’t lose it.

And he certainly put himself in a beautiful position to win it.

Indeed there are three days remaining in this second major of the year, and the weather, beautiful Thursday, is forecast to turn wet and miserable, and Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka are only miniscule distances behind.

Still, Schauffele shot a 9-under par 62 on that course named for a mythological place of Norse warriors, Valhalla, where former champions include McIlroy and Tiger Woods.

“It’s a great start to a big tournament,” Schauffele said. “One I am obviously going to take. But it’s just Thursday, that’s about it.”

Not quite. Not when a few days ago, last Sunday to be specific, the 30-year-old Schauffele entered the Wells Fargo at Quail Hollow, and was blown away by McIlroy and ended up sighing, “When (Rory’s) on, he’s on. Hats off to him for winning. He played unbelievably well.”

As did Schauffele even though as he pointed out it might have been just Thursday.

The golfers are stronger these days, and more aggressive. The kids grow up watching The Golf Channel and ESPN. And playing in college competitions at places like Pinehurst. Numbers don’t intimidate them… Neither do absurdly long par-fives.

A 62 in a major?  Rickie Fowler did it in last year’s U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. So did Schauffele.

Asked one of those nonsensical questions about how he would compare the 62’s, Schauffele said, “I don't know. I can't nitpick. I'll take a 62 in any major any day.”

His German-born father, Stefan, was an Olympic decathlon hopeful until a drunken driver crashed into his car which cost him an eye. An aerospace engineer, Stefan settled in the San Diego area where Schauffele was born and grew up. As everyone down there does, he surfed. Under Stefan’s coaching, Xander developed in golf, after high school enrolling at Long Beach State, then transferring to San Diego State.

He took the men’s golf gold medal in the 2016 Tokyo Olympics, yet he’s never finished higher than second in any major. Thus did that 62 at the PGA create possibility. And pressure.   

 “Yeah, I think not winning makes you want to win more, as weird as that is. For me, at least, I react to it, and I want it more and more and more, and it makes me want to work harder and harder and harder.”