“He’s one of those guys” – Justin Thomas lauds Xander Schauffele for big lead at the PGA Championship 2024
Justin Thomas was among those who praised Xander Schauffele for an amazing Round 1 at the 2024 PGA Championship. After 18 holes at the Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky, Schauffele shot -9 under 62, placing him in first place on the leaderboard. His score is also the lowest round in PGA history.
After such a spectacular outing, several people lauded Schauffele. One such man is Thomas, who is tied for 32nd place after the end of Round 1. Thomas said Schauffele is one of those guys who seem to be in contention every time they tee it up.
The 2017 PGA Championship winner said (via PGA Tour X handle):
"You feel like he's one of those guys every time he tees it up right now, he's going to be in contention."
You can check what Justin Thomas said about Xander Schauffele's performance at Round 1 of the PGA Championship in the tweet below:
Post Round 1, Schauffele has managed to register an impressive 3-stroke lead over Tony Finau, Sahith Theegala, and Mark Hubbard. This lead came through for Schauffele because he was able to have a bogey-free round, along with consecutive birdies on holes 11 through 14.
Xander Schauffele comments on his performance after Round 1 at the 2024 PGA Championship
Xander Schauffele's record-setting performance at the 2024 PGA Championship is historic for more than one reason. While he shot 62 to set the lowest round in PGA History, he did the same earlier at the US Open in 2023. Hence, for him to repeat this feat in 2024 is massive.
In the media interaction after Round 1 of the 2024 PGA Championship, Schauffele didn't celebrate plenty. While he mentioned he was happy with his performance, he added that it's just one day and he will have to tee it up in further rounds. The 30-year-old American golfer said:
“It's just one day. Very happy with how I played. I can't think much more of it. I have to tee it up tomorrow.”
You can check out Schauffele's media interaction after Round 1 in the video below:
All in all, Xander Schauffele made good use of the rain-softened conditions at the Valhalla Golf Club. Schauffele's performance included elite driving, precise iron play, and confident putting. In Round 2 of the competition, the American golfer will tee off at 1:18 PM ET.
He will be paired up with the likes of Ludvig Aberg and Justin Thomas. If Schauffele is able to play some good golf in the coming rounds, he will most likely be able to win his first PGA Championship. However, before setting sights on the title, Schauffele must focus on Round 2.