A victory for Xander Schauffele at Royal Troon made it a clean sweep of the major championships for American golfers in 2024, somewhat remarkably the first time US professionals have managed to claim all four titles since 1982.
Following on from Scottie Scheffler’s victory at the Masters, Bryson DeChambeau taking out the US Open, and Schauffele winning the PGA Championship, it was four from four for the red, white and blue when the Californian blew the field away in the final round of the Open Championship.
Not even during the year in which Tiger Woods won three of the big four tournaments in the year 2000, only for Fijian Vijay Singh to deny him a Grand Slam with his victory at Augusta, had the Americans asserted a total major’s dominance until Schauffele’s Sunday 65 left the Open Championship field in his wake.
Xander Schauffele claimed a second major title in 2024 with his win in the Open Championship at Royal Troon.
Starting the final day just one shot behind leader Billy Horschel, the 30-year-old Schauffele’s six-under par round, which included six birdies and no bogies, saw him finish three shots clear of Horschel and Englishman Justin Rose.
Following on from his first major title in Kentucky at the Valhalla course, Schauffele achieved a long-held dream by becoming the ‘Champion Golfer of the Year’.
“I’ve always dreamt of doing it. That walk up 18 truly is the coolest with the yellow leaderboards and the fans and the standing ovation,” Schauffele said.
Locked in a back-nine battle with South African Thriston Lawrence, Rose and to a lesser extent Horschel, Schauffele birdied 11, 13 and the par three 14th after a subline six-iron to within two-metres, before extending his advantage with a four at the par five 16th.
From the time he managed to avoid the pot bunkers off the tee, then deliver a perfectly struck eight-iron into the heart of the 18th green, and a second major championship victory in 2024 was confirmed.
Billy Horschel led into the final round, only to be run down by the eventual winner.
The 152nd Open Championship was a tournament which tested not only the skills of the best players, but also their resilience and mental fortitude, with extremely challenging weather conditions during Friday’s second round and for the leaders over the back nine holes on Saturday.
The wind calmed down on Sunday, with Schauffele’s Sunday 65 the best of the final day.
Of the Australians at The Open, Adam Scott led the way, finishing in a tie for 10th, Jason Day was tied for 13th, with the other Australians in the field failing to make the weekend, with Min Woo Lee (9-over), Elvis Smylie (9-over), Jasper Stubbs (10-over) and Cameron Smith (12-over) missing the 36-hole cut.
The Open Championship winner was set to go from Scotland to Paris, France where Schauffele would attempt to defend the Olympic Gold Medal won in Tokyo four years ago.
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