Xander Schauffele Mean Mugs the Greens at Pinehurst No. 2 After Unfortunate Roll

One of the storylines going into the U.S. Open was the blazing speed of the greens at Pinehurst No. 2.

In fact, on Tuesday night, it appeared that course officials were trying to slow things down by watering the putting surfaces.

But in Friday’s second round, PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele wasn’t thrilled over what happened to him:

Xander’s face here is killing me. Absolutely seething. pic.twitter.com/JvUXrxYwuR

— Sam Harrop (@sam_golf) June 14, 2024

Schauffele’s approach shot looked terrific – for a non-U.S. Open course. The backspin, instead of stopping his ball, sent it all the way off the green. But the reason Schauffele makes the big bucks is to put this disappointment behind him.

Xander Schauffele has flipped the script. Started the day with 2 straight bogeys but has made 5 birdies since.. 7 3’s on his card in his last 10 holes…and is now just 2 off the lead

— trey wingo (@wingoz) June 14, 2024

The greens have been the subject of quite a bit of conversation this week. Pinehurst No. 2 is already known as an extremely difficult golf course that requires the full attention of the golfer. Even the smallest misses will be penalized, as we saw with Schauffele’s shot during the second round. 

But it is not a new issue at hand. Players were already discussing the green speeds before this week, and as they arrived, the practice rounds showed the true thoughts of several players, including defending champion Wyndham Clark.

The grounds crew ended up applying water to the greens on Wednesday in an attempt to slow them down for the beginning of the tournament. There were evidently a lot more birdies out there on Thursday, as Friday is already proving to be the tougher of the two days.

Schauffele rebounded to finish with a 1-under 69 on Friday, putting him at -1 for the tournament. He will be in striking distance of catching the leaders with a strong round on Saturday.

Cover Image via The Pilot