Xander Schauffele, a two-time major champion, expressed frustration with himself after recording a quadruple-bogey eight during the opening round of the PGA Tour's Zozo Championship in Japan on Thursday. Schauffele finished the day with a three-over 73, placing him ten strokes behind the first-round leader, American Taylor Moore, who shot a remarkable 63 that included an eagle on the 18th hole.
The 30-year-old golfer's troubles began on the par-four ninth hole at Narashino Country Club when his errant tee shot became lodged among tree roots. After unsuccessfully attempting to hit the ball twice, he considered a third swing but ultimately decided to take a penalty drop for an unplayable lie.
Reflecting on the situation, Schauffele humorously remarked, "I wanted to take a photo of it almost, how bad it was," acknowledging his poor decision-making during the play.
He described his stubbornness in trying to free the ball, admitting, "I should have just taken an unplayable, but I was an idiot and tried to hit it." Despite the eight on his scorecard, the rest of his round featured one birdie and 16 pars, leading him to conclude that the day was not as stressful as it could have been. "Overall, it was pretty low stress for most of the day," he noted, although he finished the round tied for 70th.
Schauffele wasn't the only notable player facing challenges in Chiba. Defending champion Collin Morikawa started strong with a birdie on the first hole but encountered setbacks with a bogey and a double bogey shortly after. He managed to recover somewhat, finishing at one-under par with a 69.
Meanwhile, Japan's Hideki Matsuyama, a local favorite, had a rollercoaster round that included five bogeys and four birdies, ending with a one-over 71. Moore's impressive 63 gave him a one-stroke lead over Americans Max Greyserman and Eric Cole, along with Colombia's Nico Echavarria, who all finished with scores of 64.
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