Xander Schauffele's Record Cut Streak in Jeopardy After Rough Bay Hill Return
Xander Schauffele faced significant challenges in his return to competitive golf at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, shooting a five-over-par 77 in the opening round at Bay Hill.
The World No. 3 struggled after nearly two months away due to an intercostal strain and rib cartilage tear. While he reported no physical discomfort during play, his game showed clear signs of rust at one of the PGA Tour's most demanding venues.
"It was, you know, I got my a– kicked," Schauffele admitted post-round. "It's a tough place to come back to, not going to lie."
His performance was particularly affected on and around the greens, losing 2.84 strokes putting and 1.79 shots in his short game. The challenging conditions at Bay Hill, which Schauffele likened to a "major championship setup," proved especially difficult for his return to competition.
The disappointing opening round places Schauffele's impressive streak of 57 consecutive cuts made - currently the longest active streak on Tour - in jeopardy. He now sits 10 shots behind leader Wyndham Clark, with the cut line including the top 50 players plus ties, and anyone within 10 strokes of the lead.
Schauffele, who hasn't missed a cut since the 2022 Masters, will need a strong second round performance to maintain his streak heading into next week's Players Championship.