Sam Torrance: Schauffele’s Ryder Cup revenge on Finau will help him develop in his career
Xander Schauffele produced an excellent finish to beat compatriot Tony Finau in a play-off and win the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai over the weekend.
The 25-year-old American shot three consecutive birdies on the final two holes and in the sudden death par-five to claim a third PGA title and put a winless season behind him.
Schauffele is a young man who has been spoken highly of for so long, but he would have been bitterly disappointed to narrowly miss out on a place the Ryder Cup team to Finau. Revenge can be sweet.
He was rookie of the year in 2016-17 after winning two titles, but has gone without another since then. He was runner-up at The Open, but hasn’t repeated his previous form.
So to produce such a performance in a WGC event shows his talent and powers of concentration. Schauffele, who moved up to No12 in the world with the win, was making a statement that he will be there for America in the 2020 Ryder Cup in Wisconsin.
These things carry on in your career. It changes your thinking, because it allows you to think positively. If he’s ever faced with a similar situation he’ll know he’s done it before.
America currently have 16 of the top 30 players in the world rankings, but after coming third in Shanghai it’s Justin Rose who will be most focused on the list.
Rose is defending his title at the Turkish Airlines Open, which starts on Thursday, and has the chance to past Brooks Koepka and back to No1, where he had an all-too-short stay previously.
It’s a great opportunity for Rose as he now has that carrot dangling in front of him.
Big-hitting
I was intrigued to see Cameron Champ claim his first PGA Tour title with victory in the Sanderson Farms Championship on Sunday.
The 23-year-old American has caught the eye for his driving, averaging 334 yards off the tee at the weekend and boasting nearly 130mph in average club head speed.
To win on just his seventh tour start shows Champ himself has a lot more than just long drives, but he is indicative of a growing trend of big hitters.
I think Le Golf National in France showed the way forward – to make the game about pin-point accuracy, not just hitting the ball miles. You had 24 of the best golfers in the world playing a challenging, interesting course and that was reflected in what we saw.
My way forward would follow the recent Ryder Cup: when you miss the fairway you’re penalised. It means the class of players comes to the fore. Rough should be severe, so as to punish bad shots
Big-hitting is more prominent across the Atlantic, but it’s a growing phenomenon worldwide and we can’t keep making courses longer. As fans we love to see players hit the ball a long way, but they need to be accurate.
There’s no-one to blame for the increase in length off the tee. As in other sports, advances in technology mean the metal woods and graphite shafts are getting better and allowing longer shots.
Developing has gone on off the course – maybe now it’s time for it to start on the course.