KAWAGOE, Japan — Xander Schauffele has been pointing to the Olympics ever since he began his rise into the elite of American golf three years ago.
Now that he’s here, in the country where his mother was raised and enjoying an Olympic experience his father could only dream about, he is trying to treat this like any other week.
His play Friday indicated otherwise. Already with two eagles on his card, Schauffele surged into the 36-hole lead at Kasumigaseki Country Club by finishing with three straight birdies to tie the Olympic record with an 8-under 63.
He had a one-shot lead over Carlos Ortiz of Mexico, who is sharing a suite with a boxer and delivered a few good punches himself in a round of 67.