Xander Schauffele admitted it was a “dream come true” after winning

Xander Schauffele: A Dream Realized with a Second Major Triumph

Xander Schauffele described his latest victory as a “dream come true” after clinching his second major title in quick succession at the 152nd Open, completing an American clean sweep of the game’s most prestigious titles.

 

Schauffele delivered a flawless closing round of 65 at Royal Troon, finishing nine under par, two shots ahead of overnight leader Billy Horschel and Justin Rose. Rose, who had been aiming to become the first English winner of the Claret Jug since 1992, put up a strong challenge but ultimately fell short.

 

South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence, who had held the lead after 11 holes in the final round, ended up fourth, one shot behind Horschel and Rose after carding a 68.

 

“I just can’t wait to drink out of it,” Schauffele said, holding the Claret Jug. “It really is a dream come true to be holding this. It means a lot; it’s something all of us play for. It definitely hasn’t sunk in yet, and I can’t wait to sit back and have a moment with this Claret Jug.”

 

Schauffele, who set a major record of 21 under par to win the US PGA at Valhalla in May, became the first player to win two majors in a year since Brooks Koepka in 2018. The world number three is also the seventh American winner in the last eight Opens at Royal Troon, with Sweden’s Henrik Stenson being the exception after his thrilling duel with Phil Mickelson in 2016.

 

Now, Schauffele heads to Paris to defend his Olympic title, riding high on his recent form. His last 10 starts have seen him finish no worse than 18th, with notable performances including an eighth-place finish at the Masters and seventh at the US Open, along with his US PGA triumph where he birdied the 72nd hole to edge out Bryson DeChambeau by a shot.

 

Reflecting on his performance, Schauffele noted, “I thought it would help me, and it did. I had this sense of calm that I didn’t have playing the PGA. I said to my caddie Austin (Kaiser) that I felt calm on the 18th tee, and he said he felt like he was about to puke.”

 

Rose, seeking to become the first qualifier to win the Claret Jug since Paul Lawrie in 1999, was also aiming to set a new record with a 4,053-day gap since his 2013 US Open victory at Merion. His prospects looked promising after birdies on the second and fourth to overtake Horschel, and again with a birdie on the eighth. However, a bogey on the 12th halted his momentum at a crucial time.

 

Lawrence, playing alongside Horschel, adopted an aggressive approach that paid off with birdies on the third, fourth, seventh, and ninth, putting him in the lead. But Schauffele, who had covered the front nine in 34, then made a decisive move. A stunning approach to the 11th left Schauffele with a tap-in for the only birdie of the day on the daunting par four. Another birdie on the 13th took him into a share of the lead, and Lawrence’s bogey on the 12th handed Schauffele an advantage he never relinquished.

 

Further birdies on the 14th and 16th gave Schauffele a comfortable three-shot lead. He completed a composed final two holes with pars before Rose birdied the 18th to cap off a superb 67. Horschel also finished strong with birdies on the 16th, 17th, and 18th, joining Rose in second place. Lawrence finished another shot back after saving par on the last despite a challenging second shot into a bunker face, which flew back over his head onto the fairway.

 

Ireland’s Shane Lowry, who led by two shots at the halfway stage but struggled with a 77 on Saturday, shot a final-round 68 to finish sixth. Jon Rahm, Sungjae Im, and Scottie Scheffler were three strokes further back in seventh. Masters champion and world number one Scheffler had been within two of the lead until a surprising four-putt on the ninth resulted in a double bogey, ending his title challenge.