Xander Schauffele has heated run-in with officials over illegal driver at The Open
OPEN contender Xander Schauffele had a heated run-in with rules official after they found he was using an illegal driver.
American Schauffele, 25, thought he had been unfairly treated and moaned that “130 other players” could be using a club banned by the rules as well.
The R&A began randomly testing players’ clubs at last year’s Open and Tiger Woods – who missed the cut at Royal Portrush – had his measured too.
Woods’ club was deemed fine but Schauffele, who was runner-up in The Masters and third in the US Open, was left scrambling for a new one after his was found to breach the rules on Tuesday.
Fuming Schauffele said: “I had a little bit of a run-in with them because they only test 30 players. I thought it was a little bit unfair.
“I would gladly give up my driver if it’s not conforming. But there’s still 130 other players in the field that potentially have a nonconforming driver, as well.
“I had a word with them and hopefully they take my comments seriously. I had a bit of a run-in with the R&A, which wasn’t the most fun.”
Schauffele struggled in a first-round three-over 74 in which he hit just six of 14 fairways.
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But he surged back with a 65 yesterday to sit on three under, five behind leaders Shane Lowry and JB Holmes, after finding a driver that matched up.
Schauffele added: “In the first round it wasn’t really matching my bag, which was a bummer. I was getting a little upset on the golf course.
“Before the second round I was testing a little bit on the range again with two different heads. But moved a few weights around and sort of found a good setting.”