Tiger in surgery following serious car accident

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Even the most advanced analytics can’t measure this intangible talent.   It’s the ability to summon one’s best on the biggest stages. Only a select few have it.   Xander Schauffele confirmed he’s one of them with his win at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions. He closed with three consecutive birdies – the last in a one-hole playoff with Tony Finau – to win at Shanghai’s Sheshan International Golf Club.   Schauffele, 25, now has three PGA TOUR titles. He may have been overshadowed by classmates Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas in his amateur days, but Schauffele has proven in his brief pro career that he performs best when the stakes are highest.   It started in 2017, when, as an anonymous rookie, he finished fifth in the U.S. Open at Erin Hills. That began a run that resulted in the best FedExCup finish for a rookie. He closed the season with a one-shot win over Thomas at the TOUR Championship.   Schauffele didn’t win in his second season, but his best finishes came in two of the game’s biggest events. He was runner-up at both THE PLAYERS Championship and The Open Championship. He finished four behind runaway winner Webb Simpson at TPC Sawgrass, then performed admirably at Carnoustie while playing in the final group of a major for the first time.   Then, needing a high finish to earn a return to East Lake, Schauffele finished third in the BMW Championship. He’s finished in the top 15 of the FedExCup in each of his first two seasons and seems headed for another high finish in the season-long race. He is atop the standings after his win. “We all want that as much as a major,â€� Schauffele said about the FedExCup. “I guess this is a good start.â€� That’s been engraved in him forever, to be tough. He doesn’t want it to be sugarcoated.” A good start, indeed, after a remarkable finish. He started the final round three shots behind Finau.   Schauffele’s 68 was the low round of the day. Brooks Koepka and Francesco Molinari, who combined to win three of this year’s majors, were the only other players to break 70 on Sunday. Schauffele was the only player to shoot in the 60s in both the third and fourth rounds.   “I was definitely in sort of an attack mode, and I was hitting good shots all day, making good putts. I was doing everything that I needed to do,â€� he said.   His ball-striking was superb in windy conditions. He missed just three fairways and three greens.   He’s come from behind in all three of his wins. He was five shots back at the 2017 Greenbrier Classic and two behind entering the final round of the TOUR Championship.   “It was a finish we needed, and it feels good to clutch up when necessary,â€� he said.   On Thursday, Schauffele celebrated his 25th birthday with his parents. They got to see him win Sunday. His mother, Ping Yi, was born in Taiwan and raised in Japan.   Xander’s father, Stefan, was a competitive athlete whose career was derailed by a car accident. He turned to golf after the accident and has been his son’s only swing coach. His advice helped Xander keep calm during Sunday’s final holes.   “A lot of breathing and things he taught me when I was younger were put in play,â€� Xander said. “I was pretty nervous after I birdied 17 on the walk over to 18.â€�   Stefan’s straightforward assessments gave his son the toughness required to thrive in tough conditions.   “(Xander) is pretty thick-skinned. His dad was pretty blunt about things. He would tell him if it was good or bad,â€� said his college coach, Ryan Donovan of San Diego State. “Xander just rolled up his sleeves and did what he had to do. He never made excuses.â€�   Schauffele’s caddie, Austin Kaiser, concurred. “That’s been engraved in him forever, to be tough. He doesn’t want it to be sugarcoated,â€� he said. Schauffele showed that again Sunday.

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No matter the time of the year, sweaty feet can cause blisters and ruin a great round of golf. To combat the uncomfortable condition of swamp foot, ECCO’s new BIOM® COOL PRO is bringing 360° of breathability to the course in a completely waterproof shoe. The key to the BIOM COOL PRO’s unique combination of breathability and waterproof protection is the revolutionary SURROUND® technology, which was created through a partnership between ECCO and GORE-TEX®. SURROUND creates a microclimate for the foot by channeling heat and moisture away from it in every direction. Then, like the grill on a high-end sports car, ECCO’s T.PU Exhaust Grid in the midsole allows that heat and moisture to escape while fresh air flows to the sole of the foot. And if you step in a puddle? The waterproof laminate envelopes the foot to keep it dry. “BIOM COOL PRO is the only golf shoe on the market featuring this innovative microclimate technology,� says Jesper Thuen, General Manager, ECCO GOLF USA. “This unique partnership with GORE-TEX is just another example of how ECCO continues to push the envelope of style, comfort and performance.� Not surprisingly, BIOM COOL PRO is leveraging many of the tried and true technologies that ECCO has employed on previous BIOM models, starting with the NATURAL MOTION® last. Most golfers don’t give much thought to the last when selecting a shoe, but it can make the difference between a comfortable stroll and a good walk spoiled. While developing NATURAL MOTION, ECCO used more than 2,500 scans of athletes’ feet to create a last that mirrors the contours of the foot. As a result, it allows the foot to move naturally and sit closer to the ground for a higher level of responsiveness. Dating back to those ECCO hybrids that Fred Couples laced up at the 2010 Masters, ECCO has been a pioneer in spikeless outsoles. The BIOM COOL PRO sits atop the brand’s TRI-FI-GRIP outsole with three multi-purpose segments. The first is located on the lateral side of the shoe and uses large lugs to provide stability throughout the swing. The second zone, found in the middle of the outsole, is designed for durability, allowing the shoe to easily transition from the course to the streets. Slimmer, more rounded lugs sit in the third zone and are designed to keep the body effortlessly rotating through the swing. For the upper, ECCO once again is turning to a thin yak leather. The strong, durable leather is manufactured in the brand’s tanneries and has been a distinguishing feature in the BIOM range of golf shoes. Perforations on the forefoot add to the breathability of the shoe and a cushioned neoprene tongue provides the comfort needed to go 18 holes and beyond. Bonding the upper to the outsole is another one of ECCO’s technologies called FLUIDFORM™. No stitching or glues are used. Instead, a ‘state change’ process that uses specialized fluid materials to form around an anatomical last ensures a balance of cushioning and rebound, while also creating a flexible and durable bond. The ECCO BIOM COOL PRO is now available in three colorways for men.

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