Xander Schauffele pulled off an incredible comeback at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, keeping alive what’s now the longest active cut streak in professional golf.
The two-time Major champ had to dig deep after what he described as “getting hit in the face with a frying pan” – back-to-back double bogeys that threatened to end his remarkable run of making tournament cuts.
His streak now stands at 58 straight tournaments. That’s the longest since Tiger Woods’ legendary run of 142 events between 1998 and 2005.
“Austin and I are proud of our cut streak, no doubt,” Schauffele said, referring to his caddie Austin Kaiser. “Is it what we think about? No. But usually when you focus on winning you make a lot of cuts and end up somewhere in between.”
The drama unfolded on the notoriously tough back nine at Bay Hill. After those two devastating double bogeys on holes 11 and 12, Schauffele showed why he’s known as one of golf’s most consistent players.
He responded with three birdies in four holes.
Despite dropping a shot on the final hole, it was enough to keep his streak alive and advance to the weekend rounds.
What makes this even more impressive? This was Schauffele’s first tournament in six weeks after recovering from a rib injury.
“I just need as much golf as possible,” the 31-year-old said. “I knew it was going to be tough, and I’m glad I made the weekend. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I am really happy I can get two more rounds of golf on a really tough property.”
It’s been quite a year for Schauffele, who finally broke through to win his first Major at the PGA Championship last year. He didn’t stop there, adding The Open Championship at Royal Troon to his trophy case in July.
Now, with the Masters coming up next month, this gutsy performance might be exactly what he needed.
“I feel good, physically great,” he said. “I had to go to a special place to play decent golf, and I had to dig deep. So it was good practice on that front.”
