Phoenix Open, Round 2: Schauffele leads, Stricker regenerates, Rory catches a cactus

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PGA Tour 2021 - Waste Management Phoenix Open - Round Two

At the end of the second round of the Phoenix Open Xander Schauffele is at top of the leaderboard, 12-under par.   Tied second on 11-under are Steve Stricker and Keegan Bradley.  Sam Burns, Scottie Scheffler and Kyoung-Hoon Lee follow on 10-under.

Xander Schauffele "stays on a hot streak" - DJ Cadden, ProGolf Now:

Since the PGA Tour returned to play amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, Xander Schauffele has played in 16 events. In those 16 events, Schauffele has made every cut and only has one finish outside the top-25.

Despite this hot streak, which includes eight top-10 finishes, Schauffele has not won a tournament since the 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Currently sitting at No. 4 in the most recent World Golf Rankings, it was no surprise that Schauffele was among the favourites entering this week. 

Schauffele's 2nd round:  

After one birdie in his first 11 holes, Schauffele played his final seven holes in 6 under.

The back-nine 30 included birdies at Nos. 12 (from 25 feet), 13, 14 and 18 (after hitting his approach from the left fairway bunker to 5 feet). Schauffele also canned a 21-footer for eagle at the par-5 15^th.  - Romine at Yahoo!Sports

Rory McIlroy   ...hits his drive into a prickly pear cactus, takes an unplayable, and then drains an epic 40-footer to save par at the par-4 11th hole.   On the par-5 13th hole, he drives one alongside another cactus, plays out the hole and makes another par. (See video above.)

Steve Stricker could become the oldest ever winner in PGA TOUR history: 

Steve Stricker is having too much fun at the Waste Management Phoenix Open to stress over a messy finish Friday.

Trying to become the oldest winner in PGA Tour history, the 53-year-old U.S. Ryder Cup captain shot a 5-under 66 to get within a stroke of leader Xander Schauffele entering the weekend at TPC Scottsdale.  

Stricker hit fairways and greens and took just 24 putts. At 53, he would be the TOUR’s oldest winner, besting Sam Snead (52 years, 10 months, 8 days) at the 1965 Greater Greensboro Open.

Stricker scrambled for par on the eighth, but couldn’t overcome another poor approach on No. 9 in a closing bogey.  “Just hit an awful iron into the green on No. 9,” Stricker said. “But overall a good day.”  -  Nicholson, Yahoo!Sports

(Stricker turns 54 in just over two weeks - on 23rd Feb)

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