PGA Championship 2025: 'A pretty ridiculous setup': Xander Schauffele warns leaders that this hole will be key down the stretch
David Cannon
Xander Schauffele was absolutely cooking on Sunday at Quail Hollow. Then, he arrived at the Green Mile, where "cook-offs" become "cool-offs."
Schauffele, sitting at five under on the day and three under for the championship, blocked his drive into the right fairway bunker at the par-4 16th, which already inflicted some pain on the defending champion on Thursday. That time, it was a mud ball that led to a double bogey. This time, it was just a poor fairway bunker shot, which found the water and led to another crushing six.
But it wasn't the 16th that Schauffele warned would be a key hole for the leaders down the stretch in Sunday's final round. That was the par-3 17th, where Schauffele's tee shot landed pin high and bounded off the back of the green, flirting with the water. The hole location is 21 paces on and just six from the left. With a rock hard putting surface, the par 3 it will undoubtedly play a huge role in the end of this tournament, provided Scottie Scheffler hasn't opened up a 10-shot lead by then.
"17 is a pretty ridiculous setup today," Schauffele said. "That will be one to keep an eye on. You have one, I don't know, like a 10-foot window to land it to keep it somewhere like pin high."
While some may roll there eyes and chalk this up as more tour pro whining, Schauffele may have a point. The hole is playing to a scoring average of 3.514 so far on Sunday, making it the hardest-ranked hole on the property right now. Of the 37 players who have come through so far, there have been two birdies (one a 50-foot putt from Eric Cole), 19 pars, 12 bogeys and four doubles or worse. And of course, it comes right after 16, which is the No. 2-ranked hardest hole on Sunday, and then 18, which is fifth.
In other words, the Green Mile is doing Green Mile things, and we've barely even started. Getcha popcorn ready.
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