Xander Schauffele Shines at PGA Championship with Record 62

Schauffele Fires Record-Tying 62 at PGA Championship

On a sun-drenched Thursday morning at the 106th PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, Xander Schauffele put on a dominant display at Valhalla Golf Club. The Olympic champion and San Diego native fired a scintillating 9-under 62, breaking the competitive course record and tying the lowest round in men’s major championship history.

Schauffele’s blemish-free opening round was a stark contrast to his final-round struggles the previous week at the Wells Fargo Championship, where he squandered a one-stroke lead before ultimately finishing five strokes behind champion Rory McIlroy. But the disappointment from that near-miss did not seem to linger, as the 29-year-old golfer made light work of the challenging Valhalla layout.

“I think not winning makes you want to win more, as weird as that is,” said Schauffele, reflecting on his Wells Fargo experience. “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.”

Posting an impressive nine birdies, with five of them coming on the back nine where he carded a sizzling 31, Schauffele’s performance left him three strokes clear of Tony Finau and Sahith Theegala, and four ahead of McIlroy and Robert MacIntyre at the conclusion of the morning session. Brooks Koepka and Ben Kohles were five shots back at 4-under par.

With this record-equaling round, Schauffele has firmly positioned himself as a leading contender for the 2023 WGC Dell Match Play title and the overall 2023 golf season. Golf enthusiasts and fans will undoubtedly be watching closely as the talented Californian continues his pursuit of a maiden major championship victory.

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