Even without hostile NY crowds, this US Open is tough enough

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The PGA TOUR announced today that Will Zalatoris has been named the 2021 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year as voted by the TOUR’s membership for the 2020-21 season. Zalatoris, 25, is competing in this week’s Fortinet Championship to open his first full season as a member of the PGA TOUR. Zalatoris, who will receive the Arnold Palmer Award for winning PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year, was selected for the honor over Garrick Higgo. “On behalf of the PGA TOUR, my congratulations to Will Zalatoris on being voted the 2021 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year by the TOUR’s membership,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Will’s success despite not having PGA TOUR membership status at the outset of the 2020-21 season is a testament to not only his ability but also his hard work and attitude.” Zalatoris joined the PGA TOUR as a Special Temporary Member in November and collected 1,296 non-member FedExCup points to earn full-time membership for the 2021-22 season. He recorded eight top-10s and made 21 cuts in 25 starts, highlighted by a runner-up at the 2021 Masters Tournament. The last Special Temporary Member to win PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year was Charles Howell III in 2001. Zalatoris also made 16 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2020 and recorded 10 top-10s, highlighted by a win at the TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes and a runner-up at the Evans Scholars Invitational. He earned a spot in the 2020 U.S. Open via his play on the Korn Ferry Tour after changes to the tournament’s eligibility criteria and finished in a tie for sixth in his first start of the PGA TOUR season. Following the U.S. Open, Zalatoris finished in the top 10 in two of his next three starts (T8/Corales Puntacana Championship, T5/Shriners Children’s Open) and crossed the threshold for Special Temporary Membership with another top-25 result at the Bermuda Championship. Throughout the 2021 portion of the season, Zalatoris went on to play in THE PLAYERS Championship, all four major championships and three World Golf Championships events, with top-10s in three of those eight appearances. His best result of his season came at the 2021 Masters Tournament, where he finished solo-second and was the only player in the field to record four under-par scores. PGA TOUR members who played at least 15 official FedExCup events during the 2020-21 season were eligible to vote.

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ERIN, Wis. – Xander Schauffele’s name may be featured prominently on the large white leaderboards at Erin Hills, but that doesn’t mean everyone on the property recognizes the PGA TOUR rookie who’s contending at the U.S. Open. “I’ll sign some autographs and kids will be like, ‘Dad, who is that?’â€� Schauffele said. “That’s just how it is. … Schauffele is a pretty weird name to remember.â€� More people are becoming familiar with the German surname that translate to “tiny shovel,â€� a testament to his family’s centuries-long lineage in the construction business. Schauffele held the lead for parts of Friday morning before finishing at 5-under 139 (66-73). Erin Hills’ wide, fescue-lined fairways and bent-grass greens remind the 23-year-old of one of his home courses in college, Barona Creek, where he won a tournament during his senior year. And the same strong ballstriking and mental fortitude that has helped him make a quick progression through pro golf’s meritocracy is paying off in this notoriously tough tournament. “That’s been engraved in him forever, to be tough,â€� said his caddie and former college teammate, Austin Kaiser. “His attitude is huge. … He doesn’t want it to be sugar-coated.â€� His father, Stefan, has tried to imbue such fortitude in his son from a young age. Stefan, whose German roots give him a strong preference for honesty over flattery, is his son’s only swing coach. Now he’s watching the fruits of their labor in this major championship that always concludes on Father’s Day. Stefan started his son in the game at age 9, when he was strong enough to carry his junior bag for 18 holes. Xander wasn’t allowed to use tees in those early junior tournaments on par-3 courses, knowing that the temporary disadvantage would pay off later. It has this week, at the tournament that puts such a heavy emphasis on accurate ballstriking. We may have seen a record number of sub-par scores in the first round, but this U.S. Open is not a warm and cuddly championship. The struggles of several of the game’s stars show that Erin Hills is no pushover for those who are errant off the tee. Schauffele has averaged 314.8 yards off the tee this week, while hitting 11 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in each of the first two rounds. He’s learned how to handle pressure from his father, who passed along the breathing and concentration techniques he learned from his own athletic days. Stefan played semipro soccer in Germany and was en route to a training session for Germany’s national decathlon team when he was hit head-on by a drunk driver. He was in and out of the hospital for two years because of multiple surgeries on his left eye, which he lost sight in. The accident convinced him to take a risk and move to the United States when he was 23. He landed in San Diego and lived next to a golf course. With his physical activity limited because of the accident, he decided to take up the game. His first instructor, A.J. Bonar, related the golf swing to the sports like discus that Stefan was familiar with. He was scratch within two years. Xander has had a rapid rise in pro golf. He aced the grueling examinations that young pros face, Q-School and the Web.com Tour Finals, on his first try. After turning pro in 2015, the San Diego State alum needed just one season on the Web.com Tour to earn his card. Now Schauffele, who ranks 135th in the FedExCup, is playing well in his first major championship. “He just keeps improving every year,â€� said Ryan Ressa, who recruited him to Long Beach State, where Schauffele played his freshman season before transferring to San Diego State. “He always seemed to have a knack for (playing well) when he needed to.â€� For proof, Ressa refers to a 2-under round during a windy final day at the 2015 Web.com Tour Q-School that allowed Schauffele to earn his card on the number. Then he finished T9 in the final tournament of last year’s Web.com Tour season to earn his TOUR card for this season. And now he’s excelling in his first U.S. Open.

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How it works: Each week, our experts from PGATOUR.COM will make their selections in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO. Each lineup consists of four starters and two bench players that can be rotated after each round. Adding to the challenge is that every golfer can be used only three time per each of four Segments. The first fantasy golf game to utilize live ShotLink data, PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO allows you to see scores update live during competition. Aside from the experts below, Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton breaks down the field at this year’s FedEx St. Jude Classic in his edition of the Power Rankings. THINK YOU’RE BETTER THAN OUR EXPERTS? The PGA TOUR Experts league is once again open to the public. You can play our free fantasy game and see how you measure up against our experts below. Joining the league is simple. Just click here to sign up or log in. Once you create your team, click the “Leagues” tab and search for “PGA TOUR Experts.” After that? Pick your players and start talking smack. SEASON SEGMENT

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