Xander Schauffele delivered a remarkable performance at The 152nd Open at Royal Troon, securing his place in history with a victory that will be remembered for years
Xander Schauffele’s Unprecedented Victory at The Open: A 42-Year Milestone
Xander Schauffele delivered a remarkable performance at The 152nd Open at Royal Troon, securing his place in history with a victory that will be remembered for years.
The American golfer emerged victorious with a two-shot lead over Justin Rose and Billy Horschel, capturing his second major title of the year. Schauffele’s achievement of winning both the PGA Championship and The Open in the same season marks the first time since Rory McIlroy accomplished this feat in 2014.
This win also solidifies a clean sweep for American golfers in this year’s majors, following the triumphs of Scottie Scheffler at The Masters and Bryson DeChambeau at the US Open. Schauffele’s victory, however, stands out as the most impressive, given the ferocious challenge posed by Royal Troon’s course.
Facing intense pressure, Schauffele excelled in every aspect of his game, particularly on the back nine, where he shot four-under—a feat only three others managed that day. The 30-year-old’s composed performance under such conditions highlighted his exceptional skill and determination.
Starting the final day level with Schauffele, Justin Rose played an outstanding round of 67, coming agonizingly close on several putts that might have changed the outcome. Despite these near-misses, Schauffele’s final round of 65 will go down in history as one of the greatest ever at The Open.
In matching McIlroy’s achievement, Schauffele also joined Jack Nicklaus as the only players to shoot 65 in the final round of multiple majors to claim victory. Furthermore, he followed in the footsteps of legends Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth, becoming the third player to finish in the top eight in all four majors and win more than one in the same year.
Among the top ten finishers, 54-hole leader Horschel tied for second with Rose. World No. 98 Thirston Lawrence, who led briefly, faded on the back nine to finish fourth. Russell Henley secured fifth place, just ahead of 2019 champion Shane Lowry. Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, and Sungjae-Im shared seventh place, each finishing the championship at one-under-par.
Englishmen Dan Brown and Matthew Jordan capped off a fairy-tale week by tying for tenth alongside Adam Scott.
