Xander Schauffele withdraws from Sentry TOC

KAPALUA, Maui – World No. 6 Xander Schauffele withdrew from the Sentry Tournament of Champions after playing eight holes of his second round Friday at Kapalua.

A three-time winner last season, Schauffele, 29, has been fighting back pain for the first time in his career and was 1 over for his second round, 2 under for the tournament, when he withdrew.

“I got everyone working on it,” Schauffele, a seven-time PGA TOUR winner, said after signing for a 3-under 70 in the opening round. “Just trying to figure out what it is.”

But all the work did not allow him to continue.

The loss of Schauffele brings the total number of players in this elite, no-cut event down to 38, meaning no one else will have to play as a single over the weekend. Max Homa was paired with Schauffele for the second round and was left to take on the back nine on his own.

Schauffele is coming off a banner season in which he won three times, including back-to-back starts at the Travelers Championship and Genesis Scottish Open, and scored the clinching point for the U.S. Presidents Cup Team. He said he began experiencing back pain while finishing fourth at the unofficial Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in December.

His WD at the Sentry comes after he had to skip the Wednesday pro-am.

“Speed’s down,” he said after the first round. “Kind of just swinging, a little powderpuffing it out there on a few holes. … Just chipping it around.”