PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland – Xander Schauffele figured he needed a “blackout” performance Sunday at The Open to have any chance of catching Scottie Scheffler, who continued to pull away from the field at Royal Portrush.
Despite a third-round 66 that moved him into the top 10 at the year’s final major, Schauffele has learned, repeatedly, how difficult it is when you spot the world No. 1 a commanding lead. In fact, when pressed to explain exactly what a “blackout” performance was, he deferred to Scheffler.
“Blackout would just be you’re so in your own world. For me, when I use the word ‘blackout’ in golf, it’s like when I watch Scottie play a lot, he just looks blacked out to me, just doing his thing,” said Schauffele, who is at 7 under. “He’s just in his own world and nothing’s going to bother him. He gets to that place often, which is a good thing for him.”
Schauffele added there are multiple definitions for “blackout.”
“It’s used in different terms. If you drink a few too many, if you go to Harbour Bar, there might be a few blackedout guys there,” Schauffele smiled.
If Scheffler continues his blackout performance Sunday at Royal Portrush, the rest of the field may opt for that second definition and head to the Harbour Bar for a few Guinness.
