Xander Schauffele is trailing co-leaders Matthew NeSmith and Mark Hubbard by three following Round 1 of the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Schauffele, the highest-ranked player in contention after Day 1 from TPC Scottsdale, shot a 5-under 66 early on Thursday. The world No. 4 has been playing exceptionally consistent lately, with five top-five finishes over his last seven starts. But he hasn't won during that stretch.
"It keeps me hungry and keeps me humble, but yeah, the ultimate goal is winning and it kind of just dangles right in front of you every tournament, and you just try your best," Schauffele said of his near-misses, according to ASAP Sports. "I've knocked on the door a few times and kind of messed up and choked, I guess, if you want to call it that. But just try to learn from every moment."
Schauffele is well-positioned to claim PGA Tour title No. 5 at a course where he's been successful. He's played TPC Scottsdale three times, finishing no worse than a tie for 17th.
As for the co-leaders, NeSmith and Hubbard posted brilliant rounds of 63 during the morning wave. The lowest rounds of the day all came early, with 53-year-old Steve Stricker providing the exception while shooting 6-under to sit alone in fifth.
Here's the top of the leaderboard after Round 1:
| Place | Player | To Par | R1 Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Matthew NeSmith | -8 | 63 |
| T1 | Mark Hubbard | -8 | 63 |
| T3 | Nate Lashley | -7 | 64 |
| T3 | Sam Burns | -7 | 64 |
| 5 | Steve Stricker | -6 | 65 |
| T6 | Tom Hoge | -5 | 66 |
| T6 | Xander Schauffele | -5 | 66 |
| T6 | Ted Potter Jr. | -5 | 66 |
| T6 | Keegan Bradley | -5 | 66 |
| T6 | Billy Horschel | -5 | 66 |
| T6 | Kyoung-Hoon Lee | -5 | 66 |
Jordan Spieth put together a tidy round of 67 that included a single bogey. He's in a share of 12th at 4-under.
Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka carded opening rounds of 68. It was Koepka's first sub-70 round since the Masters in November.
Justin Thomas was cruising along nicely until a triple-bogey on No. 17 derailed his round. Meanwhile, Rory McIlory started his first Phoenix Open appearance by playing the opening two holes at 3-over, but then he battled back with five birdies. Both players shot 1-under 70.
Round 2 of the Phoenix Open begins at 9:20 a.m. ET on Friday. Golf Channel's coverage of the event starts at 3 p.m.
