Xander Schauffele: Is The Open champion set to take Tiger Woods' mantle as golf's next great?

Since Tiger Woods didn't qualify for the third major in a row, the golf world is now looking at other players who could potentially become the new dominant force in the game after his two-decade reign.

Numerous competitors have attempted to challenge Woods for the top spot, with Phil Mickelson being one of his biggest rivals as he has won six majors compared to Woods' 15.

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Young Rory McIlroy started off strong by quickly achieving four wins in the last ten years, but then faced a setback. Similarly, Jordan Spieth had three wins in the mid-2010s but has since struggled to find success.

Brooks Koepka has five victories, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm have two each, and they have all spent time as the top-ranked player in the world. Now, they are all part of LIV Golf and are forging a new path in their careers.

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Xander Schauffele emerged victorious at The 152nd Open.

Collin Morikawa seemed to be the natural successor to Woods after winning the PGA Championship and The Open in 2020 and 2021, both in his first attempt. Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler's remarkable performance on the PGA Tour over the past two years has been outstanding.

Having won two Masters tournaments and two consecutive Players Championships, Scheffler has already achieved victory six times on the tour this year. He is only the fourth player to reach this milestone in a single season, with the last person to do so being Woods in 2009.

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In any case, let's cut to the chase; as amazing as all of the golfers mentioned are, they truly highlight the promising future of the sport, whether or not Tiger Woods is playing. The golfer who won at Royal Troon this week could very well be the one to take Woods' place as the greatest in the game.

Schauffele played incredibly well throughout the week, but especially on the last day. After scoring birdies on the sixth and seventh holes, he quickly pulled ahead of the other players by getting four more birdies in the next six holes on the back nine.

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The golfer, who is 30 years old, has always been considered one of the best players in the sport. He has won nine times on the PGA Tour and also won a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Japan three years ago. However, winning major tournaments has been difficult for him until this year.

Schauffele was often seen as the almost champion in golf, with 12 top-10 finishes at major tournaments. Six of those were in the top five, and he finished tied for second place twice.

However, the 2024 Schauffele has a unique feel, especially after successfully fending off the strong play of Bryson DeChambeau - (just ask McIlroy how difficult that can be) - to secure his first major victory at the PGA Championship in May.

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Requiring a birdie on the final hole at Valhalla to secure victory and skip a tiebreaker, Schauffele made a six-foot putt to end with a score of 21 under par - the lowest 72-hole score in men's major golf history.

According to Dame Laura Davies from Sky Sports, the key factor behind his victory was sinking that putt at Valhalla. This triumph comes just two months after his first major win.

"And the key to his victory at Valhalla was his bold and attacking play on Sunday. He had always appeared content with just putting together a solid performance in tournaments, but this time he showed a new level of determination to secure the win."

If he had not emerged victorious at Valhalla, he would still be stuck in the position of never having won a major tournament, even though he is considered to be among the top players globally.

"He has alleviated all the stress. He has now climbed to the second position in the world rankings... we can expect to witness his presence more frequently in the future."

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Schauffele mentioned that his increased confidence and serenity during the final stretch at Royal Troon were key to his victory on the last day.

"I won the first one and that really gave me confidence for the second half of the game," he explained. "I felt a sense of peace which was really beneficial because the back nine was extremely challenging during this tournament."

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He said: "There are extremely tense moments when you're trying to win a major championship. I experienced them before with tournaments I didn't win, and I allowed them to affect me."

Today, I believe I handled the challenges well when I had to face them.

Schauffele Aims For Grand Slam: 'One Step Closer'

Schauffele is not finished yet. He used to only focus on winning one tournament, but now he is aiming for at least four victories.

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When asked if he had considered achieving the career Grand Slam, becoming one of only six players in history to accomplish this feat alongside legends like Sarazen, Hogan, Nicklaus, Player, and Woods, Schauffele confidently responded, "It's a goal I've always had."

I am making progress but there is still a lot of work ahead. If you can't visualize yourself achieving it, then you won't be able to accomplish it.

And he definitely has the skills to achieve that.

Schauffele's victory at Royal Troon showcased his steady performance on a challenging golf course amid tough conditions that tested even the top players in the world.

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Throughout his career, he has shown his versatility as a golfer. He is not just skilled on sunny days and easy courses like those on the PGA Tour. He is able to compete in any weather conditions, no matter how challenging they may be.

Providing evidence: Schauffele has consistently performed well in major tournaments since his tied-fifth finish at the US Open in 2017. He has only missed three cuts in 30 appearances and in 2022, he missed the top-10 finish in all four major tournaments. However, he still had respectable tied-13th, 14th, and 15th finishes at the PGA Championship, US Open, and The Open that year.

This person has achieved the impressive feat of shooting a record-breaking round of 62 in men's major championships not once, but twice. The first time was at the 2023 US Open, and they repeated this accomplishment on their way to winning at Valhalla earlier this year.

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Andrew Coltart from Sky Sports mentioned that Valhalla was a game-changer for him. He had been close to victory numerous times before that, making people question if he had what it takes to reach the next level.

To keep facing challenges at the PGA Championship and to shoot a 62 at another major tournament, it starts to sink in that you're actually really good at golf.

Schauffele's skillset is flawless, and his mental strength is just as impressive.

Coming from America, where golf is mostly straightforward and predictable, players don't have to face challenging weather conditions or difficult course conditions like they do in other places.

"He has faced every challenge thrown at him by Royal Troon and succeeded. His remarkable skill and confidence have made him extremely difficult to defeat."

And that's the crucial point. Schauffele has always been talented, but now add to that the confidence he gained from winning his first major at Valhalla. Is he the one destined to take Tiger's place as the top player in the game?

His recent victory at Royal Troon has moved him up to the second spot in the world rankings, although he is closely followed by Scheffler at number one. Scheffler's impressive performance in the game should not be underestimated.

However, Schauffele is ready to face the challenge. "The passion is still there," he stated after winning his second major tournament. "Perhaps even stronger than before."

The PGA Tour is coming to Minnesota for the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities, watch it live on Thursday at 6pm on Sky Sports Golf. The next DP World Tour event is the D+D Real Czech Masters from August 15-18. Don't miss out on streaming the PGA Tour, majors, and other top sports with NOW.

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