PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – After hitting just 5 of 14 fairways in the opening round of The Players, Xander Schauffele met with his swing instructor, Chris Como, around 7:30 p.m., before the sun went down to find a feeling that might click the next day.
“I felt like it was close,” he said. “I hit a lot of really good iron shots yesterday, and if I’m doing that, I know the driver and sort of longer stuff isn’t too far off.”
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Whatever Schauffele found, he ought to bottle it as he hit all 14 fairways in the second round at the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, just the third time in his career that he’s ever done. Playing from the fairway all day, Schauffele carded eight birdies, including the final two holes of the day, and posted 7-under 65 to grab the 36-hole lead at 10-under 134.
Afterward, PGA Tour Radio’s Mark Zecchino shared with Schauffele that he had told listeners that he’d been living in the middle of the fairway all day.
“Glad the commentators’ curse didn’t catch me there,” Schauffele said with a smile. “Definitely nice to hit all of them, especially on this property. Definitely, for the most part, I felt like I was in control and felt like I was attacking the golf course versus playing defensive.”
Mar 13, 2026; Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA; Xander Schauffele acknowledges the crowd on the ninth hole during the second round of THE PLAYERS Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Romance-Imagn Images
Schauffele was also frustrated with his lackluster putting performance in the first round and his anger grew when he three-putted from 21 feet at the par-3 13th, missing from inside 3 feet for par for his lone bogey of the day. But he bounced back by sticking his approach from 173 yards to 4 inches at 14, the hardest hole in the first round at TPC, and the first of three straight birdies.
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The hole finally opened up as Schauffele poured in two left-to-right swinging putts for birdies – first from 23 feet at No. 4 and then 38 feet at No. 8.
“A weird day on the greens, for sure,” Schauffele said. “I missed some putts I should have made and made some I shouldn’t have.”
He capped off the round by pitching close at the par-5 ninth for a tap-in birdie, tying his career-low at the Pete Dye layout (2024 Players in the first and third rounds). Schauffele, who won two majors in 2024, struggled for most of last season before winning at the Zozo Championship in October. So far, he’s recorded just one top 10 in five starts this season.
TPC Sawgrass has been a course that has been feast or famine for Schauffele: in seven previous starts, he has two runner-up finishes but also missed the cut three times. He shot 77-81 last year on the weekend as he tried to mount a return from being sidelined with a rib injury, but this time his game is trending and he has the added joy of young Victor, his first child, who was born in late August. Schauffele said this marks the second week that Victor has traveled on the Tour, with his sister-in-law and wife handling the brunt of the parenting duties.
“I get the fun times in the morning, leave for work and get the fun times at night,” he said.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Xander Schauffele leads The Players after round two
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