Xander Schauffele wins 2024 British Open at Royal Troon for second major of year

TROON, Scotland – After finally winning a major at the PGA Championship in May, Xander Schauffele played a flawless final round with a 5-under 66 at Royal Troon Golf Club on Sunday. He won the 152nd British Open by two shots over Justin Rose and Billy Horschel, becoming the first player since Brooks Koepka in 2018 to win two majors in a season.

Schauffele made four birdies in the last nine holes to secure victory and claim his ninth PGA Tour title with a total score of 9-under 275.

The young man from San Diego, who is now 30 years old, did really well in 12 major tournaments and finished in the top 10 six times. However, he didn't manage to win any of them, which made people wonder if he could finish strong. In 2018, Schauffele was in a tie for first place going into the last round of the Open Championship at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland. Unfortunately, he scored 2-over 72 in the final round and lost to Francesco Molinari from Italy by 2 strokes.

This time, Schauffele proved he has the determination to finish strong. Despite difficult conditions throughout the week that made Troon a test of endurance, Schauffele remained steady, shooting rounds of 67-72-69. The weather worsened on Saturday afternoon with strong winds and rain, but Schauffele still managed to score four birdies in his first 10 holes. However, he dropped shots at holes 11 and 18, leaving him tied with five others in second place, just one stroke behind the leader.

"Today was a day where one mistake could turn into a disaster on certain holes," Schauffele explained.

This past Sunday, Schauffele displayed excellent patience in the challenging weather conditions at Troon. Following five consecutive pars, he proceeded to score six birdies in the next 10 holes, showcasing his skill and precision on holes 11, 13, 14, and 16.

It is the first instance since 1982 that Americans have won all four major championships. Additionally, it is the first time since Tiger Woods achieved consecutive victories in the Open Championship in 2006-07 that Americans have accomplished back-to-back wins in the tournament.

Lawrence started the weekend 10 strokes behind, but on Saturday he shot an impressive 65, which was one of the best rounds of the week. This performance helped him move up the leaderboard and he eventually took the lead at 7 under after making four more birdies on the front nine. However, he struggled to make more birdies on the back nine and ended up losing the lead with a bogey on the 12th hole. Despite this setback, Lawrence managed to secure a solo fourth place, which was his best finish in a major tournament. As a result, he earned a spot in next year's Masters tournament.

At 43 years old, Rose was trying to win his second major tournament more than ten years after winning the 2013 U.S. Open. He had to qualify again just to enter the competition and played well until he made a mistake at the 12th hole. Despite this setback, he finished strong with a birdie on the final hole and ended the day with a score of 4-under 67.

Horschel, who was leading after three rounds, imagined himself lifting the prestigious Claret Jug before going to sleep. However, he faced challenges on the third hole when he hit into a pot bunker, struggled on the iconic Postage Par-3 eighth hole, and found himself in a difficult position on No. 10, resulting in bogeys on each hole.

"Oh no, Billy, you've made three errors today," he mumbled to himself while standing at the 11th tee. "Time to fix them."

He signed for a score of 68, but unfortunately, it was too late. His second place finish is his top result out of the 43 major tournaments he has competed in.

Before this season, the most significant win for Schauffele was when he won a gold medal at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. In May, he made a short birdie putt on the last hole to beat Bryson DeChambeau and win the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Schauffele felt relieved after this win and said that he now believes he can win a major tournament and his victory at the PGA Championship proved that.

"I don't think it will harm me," Schauffele said Saturday night. "If I find myself in that situation with only a few holes left to play, I believe I can rely on that."

In only nine weeks, he has completely changed people's opinions from questioning if he could win to being on the cusp of being inducted into the Hall of Fame. He now has both the Wanamaker Trophy and the Claret Jug, and has been named the Champion Golfer of the Year.