


Golfers everywhere can likely relate to what Xander Schauffele went through on the first hole of the third round at the U.S. Open on Saturday.
The 29-year-old Schauffele, two days removed from his tournament-record 62 at Los Angeles Country Club, failed twice to get out of a bunker after his tee shot hit the sand.
After Schauffele hit the lip of the bunker for the second time, one of the announcers on the NBC broadcast incredulously exclaimed, “Oh my goodness.”
Schauffele was finally able to get out of the sand trap on his third attempt and managed a bogey, starting a roller-coaster round that ended with a 3-over 73 on Saturday, leaving him at 5-under entering Sunday’s final round, five shots behind leaders Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark.
After three bogeys over his first five holes, Schauffele birdied three of the next four, but he then had three bogeys over his last six holes.
It was a far cry from the performance Schauffele had in the opening round on Thursday, when he shot 8-over 62, tying the just-set record for the lowest round ever at a U.S. Open.
Schauffele matched the feat Fowler had set just minutes earlier.
“Monkey see, monkey do,’’ Schauffele said with a smile after Thursday’s round. “[I] was just chasing Rickie up the leaderboard. Glad he was just in front of me.’’
Schauffele shot an even 70 in the second round on Friday before Saturday’s setback.