CARNOUSTIE, Scotland _ Xander Schauffele's young golf career is like a stung one-iron.
Impressive distance. Way under the radar.
Schauffele, who was born in La Jolla, Calif., and attended San Diego State, heads into Sunday with a share of the lead in the British Open. He's at nine under par, tied with Jordan Spieth and Kevin Kisner, after shooting a 67 at Carnoustie on Saturday.
He was in the same pairing with the ultra-popular Rory McIlroy and was the "other guy" despite his impressive round.
"I played in front of Rory's crowd, I guess, and guys were just yelling all the time, even while he's trying to putt, and he had to step off a few times," said Schauffele, sounding thankful for his incognito status. "No one was yelling at me while I was putting.
"So I kind of enjoy just hanging back and relaxing, sort of the San Diego, SoCal vibe, whatever you call it. It's cool with me. It doesn't bother me at all."
The way he's playing, Schauffele won't be in the shadows for long. He joined the PGA Tour last year, won two tournaments and rookie-of-the-year honors, finished tied for sixth at the U.S. Open last month and tied for fifth at the 2017 U.S. Open. Among his accomplishments this year, he tied for sixth at the U.S. Open and for second at the Players Championship.
"The finish I had last year, it boosted my expectations, just like it would to anyone else," he said. "Maybe I put a lot more pressure on myself, which is also fine. And I feel like I've done OK maybe, nothing too crazy. So just like everyone says, the more you can put yourself into contention to win, that means you're playing good golf. Sooner or later, you're more likely to get it done."
