"He's Rory McIlroy, you know?” - Xander Schauffele heaps praise on World No.2 golfer after losing to him at the Wells Fargo Championship

Xander Schauffele praised Rory McIlroy even after losing the Wells Fargo Championship 2024 to the current World No. 2. Schauffele held the lead following the tournament's third round on Saturday, May 11 but struggled in the final, resulting in him finishing in solo second place.

Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy displayed a fabulous performance in the final round on Sunday, May 12, securing his 26th PGA Tour event victory. He shot 65 in the fourth round to register an incredible five-stroke win over Schauffele.

Following the tournament, Xander Schauffele opened up about his performance while speaking to reporters during a press conference. The American golfer praised McIlroy's beautiful game at the event and congratulated him on his victory. Speaking of McIlroy, Schauffele said (via Ten Golf's YouTube channel):

"He's Rory McIlroy, you know? He hits it 350 yards in the air downwind and he has shorter clubs into firm greens than anyone else. When he's on, he's on. Hats off to him for winning. Yeah, he played unbelievably well."(1:18-1:33)

Xander Schauffele also reflected on his own game and admitted that he needed to improve his "short game" to enhance his performance. Adding to his statement, Schauffele said:

"I felt like I controlled the ball off the tee pretty well, some of those fairways are pretty daunting. Hit some incredible iron shots that I haven't been able to do in quite some time, you know, right to left and left to right. Overall, I just need to clean up my short game, it's always been a deciding factor whether I win a tournament or not, sort of a trigger stat for me, and it definitely hurt me today."(1:33:2:00)

Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy will next tee off at this week's PGA Championship 2024. The second Major of the year will commence with its first round on Thursday, May 16, and will run through the weekend. It will have its finale on Sunday, May 19, at the Valhalla Golf Course.

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Xander Schauffele notches second runner-up finish of 2024 PGA Tour season

Schauffele finished second at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, marking his second runner-up finish of the season. He previously secured a tie for second place at The Players Championship earlier in the year, missing out on victory by just one stroke. Scottie Scheffler claimed the title at The Players Championship in 2024.

Throughout the Wells Fargo Championship, Schauffele displayed strong performance and remained in contention for the title. He maintained his dominance through the first three rounds but struggled in the final round, shooting a 71 and slipping one position on the leaderboard. Schauffele began the event with an impressive round of 64, followed by rounds of 67 and 70.

Schauffele has played in 12 tournaments this season and recorded two runner-up positions. He did not miss any cuts this season.