Cantlay and Schauffele Break Records With Stunning Alternate Shot Score at Zurich Classic

Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele skyrocketed up the Zurich Classic leaderboard with a modified alternate shot score of 9-under on Friday, and unsurprisingly, they broke records while doing so. 

The pair of best friends, who happen to be ranked No. 4 and No. 5 in the world, knew they needed to post a low number after a slow start in Thursday’s best ball round. Cantlay and Schauffele—the defending champions of this year’s Louisiana team event—finished with a 5-under 67 playing their own balls, six strokes off the lead. 

“Three bogeys in best ball is not ideal,” Cantlay said. 

But on Friday, the team experienced a major gear switch in the more difficult of the two formats: foursomes. The two Americans are alternate shot experts after all. At the 2021 Ryder Cup, Canltay and Schauffele went 2-0 in foursomes matches and helped lead the United States to a crushing victory. 

Teeing off on No. 10 on Friday, the pair quickly made up ground with back-to-back opening birdies. They followed that up with an eagle and four more birdies throughout the rest of the round, which was interrupted by a weather delay at 11:12 a.m. CT. Play resumed at 1:44 p.m CT, and the team finished the stellar round with three steady pars. 

“Xander is really good, and I can play well, too, so when we get two guys together that are really good, and I think it helps that we're friends, but when you get two world-class players playing together and we both have a day where we're on like today, we can post a low one,” Cantlay said.

The 9-under 63 beat the 18-hole foursomes scoring record by two shots. The previous record was set at 7-under by John Rahm and Ryan Palmer in 2019. In 2022, the teams of Garrick Higgo and Branden Grace as well as Jason Day and Jason Scrivener tied that score. 

Cantlay and Schauffele had a record-breaking round on their hands before they even crossed the 18 hole finish line. Their opening-nine 6-under 30 set the record for lowest foursomes nine-hole score at the Zurich Classic. 

Despite posting a historic round on Friday, Cantlay and Schauffele see no limits to their potential to go low. 

“A low as possible,” Schauffele answered when asked if the pair had a number in mind for best ball on Saturday. 

“We’d like to get that 59 again in best ball,” Cantlay said. “We’re going to try.”