Double major: Schauffele's stellar 65 wins Open
The blog was written by Mark Schlabach, a senior writer at ESPN, and was published on July 21, 2024, at 6:33 PM.
TROON, Scotland -- People who doubted Xander Schauffele used to say he lacked the courage or strength to win a major golf championship.
Currently, the 30-year-old professional golfer from San Diego continues to achieve victory after victory.
Two months after Schauffele won his first major championship at the PGA Championship, he secured his second victory at the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club.
On a day where seven golfers were close to the lead held by Billy Horschel, Schauffele emerged as the winner at the famous links course in Scotland. He scored a 6-under 65 on Sunday, similar to his performance at the PGA Championship, and finished with a total of 9-under 275, two strokes ahead of Horschel and Rose.
Thriston Lawrence from South Africa trailed by one stroke.
Based on data from ESPN Stats & Information, Schauffele has achieved a unique feat in golf history. He is the first player in the modern era of the Masters (since 1934) to post multiple final rounds of 65 or lower in major tournaments within the same year.
An American golfer has won a major tournament for the seventh time in a row, the longest streak since they took home 13 straight wins from 1974 to 1977.
This year marks a significant milestone in golf history, with American players sweeping all four major championships for the first time since 1982. Scottie Scheffler emerged victorious at the Masters, while Bryson DeChambeau claimed the U.S. Open title.
Schauffele made history by winning two major golf tournaments in one season, a feat last achieved by Brooks Koepka in 2018. Only six other players have won both the PGA Championship and The Open in the same year, with Rory McIlroy being the most recent in 2014.
Schauffele had to be patient to win on Sunday. He started the final round with five pars in a row and was trailing behind Horschel, Lawrence, and Rose. Schauffele got his round going with two birdies in a row on Holes 6 and 7, and finished the front nine with a score of 2-under 34.
During the challenging 11th hole, called The Railway, many golfers struggled this week. However, Schauffele managed to steer clear of trouble and landed his shot just 2½ feet away from the hole after a 171-yard approach. This birdie helped him reach a score of 6 under par. He then found himself tied for first place when Lawrence bogeyed the 12th hole.
Schauffele took charge of the game by making two more birdies, sinking a 16-foot uphill putt on the 13th hole and a 12½-foot putt on the 14th hole. He went up to 8 under par and was leading by two strokes with only four holes left to play.
Schauffele made another birdie on the 16th hole, a par-5, to increase his lead to three strokes.
Rose spoke highly of Schauffele, praising his strong skills with different clubs, including wedges and putters. She also noted his impressive power and accuracy with hitting the ball. Additionally, Rose emphasized Schauffele's mental strength and composure on the golf course, which she believes is often overlooked.
I'm not sure of his emotions, but he definitely makes it seem effortless.
Many other golfers, like Scheffler who is ranked number one in the world, struggled towards the end. Scheffler was aiming for his seventh win and second major championship of the season. He entered the mix after scoring birdies on the 7th and 8th holes in a row.
Scheffler's hopes of winning a Claret Jug were dashed on the ninth hole. His approach fell short of the green by 15 yards. He made a putt from 6½ feet away, but then had trouble with two more putts, missing from only 2 feet, 8 inches. This resulted in a double-bogey 6 for Scheffler, putting him at 2 under par and four strokes behind the leaders as he reached the halfway point of the round.
Scheffler also made a mistake on the 18th hole, resulting in a double-bogey. He finished with a score of 1-over 72 and tied for seventh place with a total score of 1-under 283.
Spanish golfer Jon Rahm had a strong start to the day, trailing Horschel by six shots. He scored four birdies in his first seven holes, bringing him to 2 under par.
During the 11th hole, Rahm's tee shot veered towards the train tracks on the right. He took another shot, but eventually found his ball stuck in a gorse bush. After receiving a penalty stroke for an unplayable lie, Rahm ended up with a bogey 5, bringing his score to 1 under par. He ended the round with a 3-under 68, finishing at 1-under 283 overall.
Daniel Brown, a native of England who was raised on a farm with pigs and cows, almost quit playing golf four years ago. He struggled at the start of his round with four bogeys in the first six holes, bringing him back to an even score and putting him five strokes behind the leaders.
The blog talked about a very extraordinary event that happened at the recent Open. Brown secured his spot in the competition by sinking a long putt during the final qualifying round. Despite not performing well in his last eight tournaments, he was just one shot behind Horschel on the DP World Tour. Brown was aiming to achieve something incredible by trying to win a major tournament in his very first attempt, a feat accomplished by only three other golfers since 1900.
In the last round of the tournament, Brown shot a score of 3-over 74, ending with a total score of even-par 284. This placed him in a tie for 10th position.
Justin Thomas, a golfer who has won two major championships, was in a good position going into the final round of the tournament, but unfortunately he took himself out of contention with a mistake on the first hole. After hitting a wayward tee shot and having to re-tee, he ended up with a triple-bogey 7. Thomas finished tied for 31st place with a score of 6 over par after shooting a 77 in the final round.
Calum Scott from Scotland, who was selected to the All-Big 12 team while playing for Texas Tech last season, took home the Silver Medal as the top amateur. He shot a 5-over 76 on Sunday, finishing with a total of 8-over 292.
