Xander Schauffele talks with his caddie on the third fairway during the first round of the 2022 Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut. (Photo: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)
Most players go through the same warm-up and preparation routine before every round. It usually includes stretching, then hitting a series of putts before moving to the range and progressing from wedges up to irons and finally some drivers. If the practice green is on the way to the first tee, maybe they’ll hit a few final putts before playing. That typically takes about an hour.
Thursday, Xander Schauffele got mixed up on his tee time and arrived at the practice area only 30 minutes before his 7:35 a.m. ET tee time.
“For whatever reason, I really thought I was teeing off at 7:50. My tee time tomorrow is 12:50, so maybe that was the mix-up,” said Schauffele. “But it was a pretty big rookie move on my behalf.”
The abbreviated warm-up didn’t seem to bother Schauffele too much. After making three straight pars to start his day, he birdied Nos. 13, 15, 17 and 18 to play his first nine holes in 31 shots. He finished with a 7-under 63. He also went 18-for-18 hitting in greens in regulation.
Grinning after he signed his card, Schauffele said, “When I’m at home, I’ll warm up in the gym or with a physio, but when I’m at home I’ll show up for an 8 tee time at 7:55, maybe hit two putts and then just start swinging, so take advantage of the youth, I guess,”
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