TROON, Scotland — X won the PGA Championship at Valhalla in May.
The X now marks the spot for the 152nd British Open, which will be held at Royal Troon.
Xander Schauffele had a stunning victory at the British Open on Sunday.
He was never fazed, shooting a 6-under 65 in the final round to finish at 9 under par and leave Justin Rose (67) and Billy Horschel (68) in a tie for second at 7 under.
Entering 2024, the player was still searching for his first major win, but he has recorded 13 top 10s, six top fives and two runner-up finishes in major championships and has won two of the four majors this year.
“It took a long time to even get one win, so to win two is special,” Schauffele said. “It’s a dream come true. It was really hard. The first one was amazing. [the PGA] It really helped me on the back nine today. I felt calm.”
No one knows where this magic carpet ride will end for Schauffele, but he has proven himself to be the most complete player in the world, one without any weaknesses.
Schauffele has the perfect attitude for golf, especially links golf, with its unpredictable, quirky bounces and ever-changing wind directions that can drive even the most grounded golfer crazy.
Watch all the highlights of Schauffele on the golf course you want and look for the moments when you see him get visibly frustrated, hear him swear or see him jump for joy.
You’ll find evidence of this quicker than finding a McDonald’s franchise serving food inside Troon’s clubhouse.
“I think, honestly, he has the perfect attitude for any game of golf,” said Rose’s caddie, Mark Fulcher. “He’s clearly one of the best golfers of his generation, but it just took him a little while to get across the finish line.”
“Is there anything Xander doesn’t like on the golf course?” Fulcher was asked.
“Well… I haven’t seen it yet,” he said. “He’s actually pretty nice. He’s a bit of a wanker, which I think is OK, but he’s really nice. A lovely guy. I’m glad I got to know him. I’m glad I didn’t have to pay for a ticket to watch the whole day, because it was amazing.”
As Schauffele and Rose approached the 18th green, Rose and Fulcher stood back to allow Schauffele to bask in the excitement from the massive crowd in the stands.
“We had a goal today. We wanted to shoot 65 and win,” Fulcher said of himself and Rose, who started the day one stroke behind leader Billy Horschel after 54 holes and tied with Schauffele at 3-under. “Xander shot 65, and he played exactly what we expected him to play. When you see a round that good, you take your hat off to him, so me and Rosie just stood back and let him walk the last hole.” [alone].
“It was definitely worth it. He was fantastic.”
Schauffele shot 31 strokes on the back nine to pull away from a crowded leaderboard.
He made birdies on the 13th and 14th holes to take a two-stroke lead.
He sealed the victory with a birdie on the par-5 16th hole and took a three-stroke lead with two holes to go.
“That was the best round I’ve ever had,” Schauffele said.
“Conditions-wise, it was probably his best round ever,” said Austin Kaiser, Schauffele’s caddie and close friend. “He played great at the PGA, but this was even tougher.”
Kaiser said his PGA victory “100 percent” contributed to his victory Sunday.
“When I do it, I know I can win,” Kaiser said. “I looked at the leaderboard and I said, ‘I can do this. I’ve never done it before. I did it this year, let’s do it again.’
Schauffele’s breakthrough as a major champion has given him freedom, and that was clearly felt Sunday.
“After I won Valhalla, we were having a drink and one of my buddies asked me, ‘Are you feeling any better?'” Kaiser recalled. “He laughed and said, ‘Yeah, I’m feeling better.’ The last thing anybody wants is to be the best golfer without winning a major. You’re a great golfer, but you’re not living up to the mark.”
He did so in May, and he did so again on Sunday.
After a birdie on the 16th hole gave him a three-stroke lead, all that awaited Schauffele was the most cherished walk in golf.
“I’ve always dreamed about it,” Schauffele said. “Walking up on the 18th hole with the yellow leaderboard and the fans and the standing ovation is just amazing. It’s one of the greatest feelings I’ve ever had in my life. I got goosebumps walking up and had to quickly regain my focus because the tournament wasn’t over yet.”
But that was actually the case.
Schauffele was putting other players to sleep.
The 152nd British Open has concluded.
X had already marked the spot.
