Xander Schauffele’s Open triumph gives US golfers a clean sweep of the majors in 2024 2
Through all that links chaos, through the madness of a final-round sprint for the line, stepped the magisterial sanity of Xander Schauffele, the Champion Golfer of 2024.
The American did not simply destroy the rest down the stretch to lift the Open Championship – his second major title of the year – he took a few destructive drivers and impeccable irons to the reputation of the feared Troon back nine.
Schauffele came back in 31 strokes to post a remarkable, bogeyless 65 to reach nine-under and deny countryman Billy Horshel (68) and the gallant Justin Rose (65) by two strokes.
That gap might seem like a whisker in 72 holes of strokeplay, but in truth it was an awfully long whisker as Schauffele birdied three out of four holes from the 11th to drain the tension out of what had been a feverish atmosphere and transform the expectancy into awe.
“That was the best round of my life,” Schauffele said. “Hearing your name called with ‘Open champion’ after it is something I’ve dreamt of for a very long time.”
Schauffele is the first player this decade to succeed in multiple majors in a season and after this, there can be no doubt that he and Scottie Scheffler are head and shoulders above their peers, with Rory McIlroy – who missed the cut here – in a distant third in the world rankings.
What is also clear is that the starred-and-striped domination is restored. US golfers have collected all four majors this year – and that has not happened since 1982 – and their winning streak has increased to seven.
One has to go back 47 years for the last time the US have compiled such a run. With 2025 a Ryder Cup year – and a Ryder Cup in America, at that – the urgency will be for Europe to halt the Uncle Sam march as soon as possible.
Rose: ‘I’m disappointed but proud’
Certainly, Rose will feel rejuvenated after this performance, perhaps his best ever in his home major. Until his playing partner pulled away, Rose looked destined to follow up his 2013 US Open breakthrough and at last to complete the storyline he began with that tie for fourth as a skinny, teenaged amateur at the 1998 Open at Royal Birkdale.
When the 43-year-old went out in the third-last group, in a six-man tie for second with a dozen golfers within four shots of the lead, he would have taken a 67 – the second lowest score of the day – and see where it placed him on the conclusive leaderboard. Yet although he led at times in the early stages, as he caught and then passed Horschel, there was simply no answer to the cool and clinical Californian alongside.
“I saw glimpses of my name at the top of the leaderboard at times, but Xander grabbed the momentum and didn’t look back,” Rose said. “I’m disappointed, but proud.”
Schauffele is the reigning Olympic champion, and will defend his crown in Paris in a fortnight, but if anything was ever worthy of a gold medal then it was the charge he launched after a stunning approach on the 11th.
It is the second hardest hole on the course – and the most difficult driving hole in the game – but Schauffele tamed the 493-yarder with a wedge from 171 yards to two feet. It was the only birdie of the day on that hole and brought him level with Rose and one behind Thriston Lawrence, the world No 98 from South Africa who threatened to cause a seismic shock until finishing fourth on six-under, but it was the platform to raise himself to the definitive levels.
Schauffele converted from 16 feet on the 13th, from 12 feet on the 14th and when he chipped his third to four feet on the par-five 16th, it was a case of the engraver locating the “X” and marking the spot.
‘Xander is learning that winning is easy’
Against the wind, Troon does not give up four-under back nines lightly and although Schauffele’s 21-under waltz at Valhalla in May was record-breaking – the lowest total to par in the history of the majors – this was just as impressive. Schauffele put his foot down when he felt his time, leading the tournament for the first time with five holes to go, and even Scheffler could not live with the pressure.
No doubt, the world No1 has enjoyed a spectacular 2024, with six victories including the Masters. Yet he was on the same mark as Schauffele when he double-bogeyed the sixth, after three-putting from 10 feet. He and we expected better from that position, but all he could produce in way of response was a birdie on the 16th, before another double on the 18th, following a squirty pull-drive thoroughly unbefitting of his ball-striking prowess.
