Cheating Accusations Haunt Xander Schauffele as ‘Relief’ Controversy Casts Shadow Over His Wells Fargo Feat

Xander Schauffele, in pursuit of his first victory this season following seven top-10 finishes, is off to a good start. At the Wells Fargo Championship, he currently sits atop the leaderboard with a remarkable 7-under 64 after the opening round. Instead of receiving praise for the performance, Schauffele is encountering the community’s criticism instead.

Following his eagle on the seventh hole, which propelled the pro to a lead of 6 under, the golfer proceeded to tee off on the eighth hole. Unfortunately, his shot veered into the woods and came to rest near a metal fence line. However, rather than taking the next shot from the penalty zone, Schauffele opted to call out a rules official.

Surprisingly, the 31-year-old received relief, stating, “You’ve got to be OK with this because this is literally the only shot I can hit,” as reported on @NUCLRGOLF on X, formerly known as Twitter. Later, officials repositioned Schauffele outside of the woods after relocating “two massive rocks that weren’t embedded,” enabling him to take the shot.

Despite the challenging conditions on the pine straw, the pro executed a second shot, landing it roughly 34 feet away, and then managed to two-putt for a par. This incident captured the community’s attention, prompting fans to take it a step further and criticize the golfer for exploiting the rules to his advantage.

Fans’ anger directed towards Xander Schauffele

During the 2023 US Open, a comparable situation unfolded when Wyndham Clark faced allegations of moving his ball during a chip shot, possibly resulting in its displacement. According to the rules, if a ball moves during play, a penalty may be warranted. However, in Clark’s case, no penalty was imposed. This fan didn’t just call out the pro; they also aimed for the Tour, “that ain’t golf,” alluding to the disparity between the rules of golf and the treatment seen on the PGA Tour. One fan outright branded the 31-year-old as a “cheater,” implying that instead of opting for a re-tee or taking a shot from the penalty zone, Schauffele strategically utilized the officials and the situation to his advantage.

One fan sarcastically remarked, “Wyndham Clark was seen after the round asking Xander what the name of the rules official was,” implying that Schauffele used similar tactics to Wyndham Clark, who encountered accusations of cheating for taking a drop on the par-4 12th at THE Players Championship. Another fan criticized the 31-year-old, commenting, “Hard to watch. Embarrassing that he did that,“ implying discomfort in seeing an accomplished pro like Xander Schauffele, who has secured seven PGA Tour victories, employing such tactics to gain an advantage by utilizing the officials.

In a similar event during the 2022 WGC-Dell Match Play, Thomas Pieters found himself in a situation where his ball raced through the green toward the water but was halted by a sprinkler; however, the ball was situated within the penalty area according to the rules. Pieters faced the decision of either playing the ball from its current position or opting for a drop with a one-stroke penalty.

Schauffele’s situation was something similar but the decision made by the rules official was not, which stunned one fan as they commented, “Saw this live, how’s it possible to not make him take a penalty?? This makes zero sense. Not a good look” They emphasized witnessing the incident firsthand and raised the question of why Schauffele wasn’t required to take a penalty considering the ball was in the penalty area.

After just one round, despite leading the leaderboard, Xander Schauffele receives no praise from the community. Do you believe the 31-year-old can turn the situation around by winning the tournament? Share your thoughts in the comments below.