Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele were grouped together for the opening two rounds of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and they’ll be in the same pairing again on Saturday after finishing with matching scores.
Spieth’s struggles have been well-documented, and he hasn’t won an event since April 2022. Schauffele, meanwhile, has just one win over the past 19 months. Despite that, both players have shown enough early form to feel optimistic heading into the weekend.
Schauffele has spoken in the past about picking up lessons from Spieth over the years, especially during a spell when he was sidelined with injury and watched Spieth closely on television.
Spieth, for his part, has noted how impressed he’s been by Schauffele’s physical development recently. He’s added serious speed to his swing and length off the tee in recent seasons.
And after playing alongside him again this week at Pebble Beach, Spieth couldn’t help but comment again on how much more power Schauffele is bringing to his game these days.
Jordan Spieth shares just how far Xander Schauffele can really hit it
Spieth isn’t lacking distance himself. He averaged just over 306 yards off the tee last season, ranking 56th.
This year, he’s up to 320 yards and sits 15th on the PGA Tour rankings.
Even so, he still can’t match the power of Schauffele, who continues to hit it longer than most in the game.
Speaking to reporters after his round, Spieth was asked about his decision to hit a three-wood on the sixth hole at Pebble Beach.
When asked if Schauffele went for driver instead, Spieth replied:
“No, but he kills it,” Spieth said. “No, he mashed a 3-wood. He hit 3-wood where my drive would have gone.”
Spieth noted that Schauffele’s three-wood goes over 300 yards—a reminder of just how much distance Xander has added in recent years.
Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele both in the mix at Pebble Beach
Schauffele consistently topped 180 mph ball speed, which is remarkable considering he’s not the tallest player on tour.
But what stands out even more is how smooth and balanced his swing looks, despite the power behind it.
The San Diego native has had a rough stretch over the past year and a half, but this week back in California, there have been clear signs that he’s turning a corner.
Spieth has also shown positive signs, raising hopes that this season could mark a return to form for both players.
They’ll be looking to build on their strong starts as they head into the weekend. But whether they can keep it going remains to be seen.
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