As somebody who has held the unofficial title of ‘greatest participant but to win a significant’, Xander Schauffele can empathise with Rory McIlroy’s choice to not compete at this week’s Vacationers Championship.
On the heels of lacking a pair of brief putts over the ultimate three holes on Sunday to complete second by a stroke to Bryson DeChambeau on the US Open, McIlroy left Pinehurst No 2 with out talking to reporters and introduced the next day that he is not going to play once more till subsequent month’s Scottish Open.
McIlroy’s decade-long main drought will endure a minimum of till at The Open Championship in July. In the meantime, Schauffele continues to be driving the excessive of his first main title triumph ultimately month’s PGA Championship.
Till surviving DeChambeau by a stroke at Valhalla Golf Membership, Schauffele had a repute for struggling to shut on final-round leads.
“As a competitor, all of us have had our highs and lows to a certain degree. It’s a tough spot,” Schauffele mentioned when requested Tuesday how a lot empathy he has for McIlroy’s present scenario.
“I am positive him and his staff are discussing what occurred and typically you simply have to step away from all of it and actually attempt to be as goal as doable, since you’re very a lot within the second there and it clearly did not go his method.
“He needs some time away to figure out what’s going on.”
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Highlights from an exciting closing spherical of the US Open at Pinehurst No 2
McIlroy has been criticised for bolting Pinehurst and returning dwelling with out talking with reporters after Sunday’s closing spherical. He issued an announcement on Monday congratulating DeChambeau and asserting that he will likely be taking a break from golf for a number of weeks.
The Northern Irishman acknowledged that it was “probably the toughest” day of his skilled profession, however vowed to indicate resilience when he returns for the Scottish Open adopted by The Open at Royal Troon.
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Paul McGinley believes McIlroy’s drought in golf’s main tournaments is because of ‘not taking initiative’ however Brandel Chamblee thinks it is as a result of his swing is not pretty much as good because it was once
“It’s different for everyone. It’s hard to for me to compare my losses to his losses,” Schauffele mentioned. “I would say his, he’s under a bit more of a microscope. When things are going really well people are all over him, and unfortunately when things don’t go your way people are all over him.
“So, there is a microscope on him on why he did not win and issues of that nature and he will should reply these questions in some unspecified time in the future and he’ll, as a result of he at all times does. So, for me, I put on them fairly onerous, however typically it is good to only get again on the horse and compete.”
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Nick Faldo and Wayne Riley have been baffled by a number of the selections McIlroy was making in the direction of the tip of his closing spherical of the US Open, which he misplaced by one shot to DeChambeau
Schauffele is coming off a T7 on the US Open, the seventh prime 10 within the final eight particular person begins for the world’s No 3-ranked participant coming into the ultimate signature occasion of the 12 months.
Schauffele additionally secured one of many 4 spots on Staff USA for the Paris Olympics, the place he’ll defend his gold medal come August.
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“It’s super special,” he mentioned. “It’s always an honour to represent your country in any given tournament or event, so it was a really cool thing I was able to share with my family after winning the gold medal, and qualifying was my first goal this year. It’s a very hard team to qualify for, as you guys have seen on this US side.
“That was a extremely huge purpose of mine to get again and actually wanting ahead to competing once more.”
Watch Xander Schauffele at this week’s Travelers Championship, which you can watch live on Sky Sports Golf from Thursday at 5pm. Stream the PGA Tour, majors and extra with NOW.
