With a final-round 65 at the 152nd Open, Xander Schauffele secured victory and his second major of the year, describing it as his best performance ever. The 30-year-old Californian declared, “There was no chance I was going to let go,” following his command of the back nine and his surge ahead of the field. Schauffele was one of six players in a tie for second place going into the final round at Royal Troon, trailing Billy Horschel by just one stroke. After the turn, he made four more birdies in a six-hole stretch, taking control of the leaderboard with straight birdies beginning at the sixth. With a final round score of nine under, the defending PGA champion finished two shots ahead of leader Horschel and playing companion Justin Rose. Over the last three holes, Rose and Horschel made two and three birdies, respectively, to maintain pressure. “After winning, I’ve always dreamed of doing it,” Schauffele remarked. “That walk-up 18 is truly one of the coolest feelings I’ve ever had, with the yellow leaderboards, the fans, and the standing ovation.” The competition hadn’t ended yet, so I had to rapidly bring myself back to reality after getting chills while heading down.” After winning the British Open, Xander Schauffele was able to obtain the renowned Claret Jug.
In response to a question about his ranking, Schauffele stated, “At the very tip-top.” My favorite round to date. Having the Claret Jug up here is an amazing sensation. Nevertheless, I firmly believe that, in the end, it is only a result. Things don’t always go the way you want them to. I thought I had a lot of control over it today. It felt like I had grasped onto it, and I wasn’t going to let go. I was able to catch myself today and ensure that none of those painful defeats from the past or those instances where I erred and dreamed too soon on the back nine occurred.” Before winning the PGA Championship in May, Schauffele was considered one of golf’s “nearly men” since he had 12 top-10 results but no major victories. Schauffele feels that his victory at Valhalla helped him seal the deal on the last day at Royal Troon. In need of a birdie at the final par-five hole to avoid a playoff match with Bryson DeChambeau, Schauffele won with the lowest 72-hole score in major league history—21 under—after sinking a six-foot putt.
Despite starting the day one shot off the pace, Schauffele produced what he called his best round ever
With four birdies on the back nine, the San Diego native pulled away and finished two ahead of fellow American Billy Horschel and England’s Justin Rose with a winning total of nine under 275. After Brooks Koepka won both the 2018 U.S. Open and PGA Championship, Schauffele became the first player to win multiple majors in the same year. Schauffele’s 21-under aggregate score for the PGA Championship was the lowest in major championship history. Schauffele remarked, “This week was hard,” mentioning the extreme weather in particular.
“It was challenging. I believe my victory in the opening major greatly aided my play on the back nine today. I felt a sense of peace come over me. During one of the hardest back nines I’ve ever played in a tournament, it was beneficial. Schauffele claimed he sensed that victory was within reach following his birdie on the par-three 14th hole. After pitching to four feet from below the front right of the green on the par-five sixteenth hole, he birdied it, extending his lead to three strokes and all but ending the championship. “I thought I did a pretty good job of limiting the mistakes,” Schauffele stated. “I was lucky to only have one really hard round in the wind and rain, and I managed that day better than I ever thought I could.” Subscribe to the On the Campaign Trail newsletter to receive weekly news and commentary on the US elections and their global significance. Register by going here.
“Is there anything that Xander struggles with when playing golf?” Fulcher was questioned
“Well, I haven’t seen it yet,” he remarked. He’s not too bad either. He honestly couldn’t be any kinder, yet I would almost like him to be a little bit of a wanker. He’s a very kind man. Just getting to know the boy is good. Because it was so good, it was nice not to have to pay for a ticket to watch it all day. Rose and Fulcher moved aside as Schauffele and Rose got closer to the 18th green, allowing Schauffele to take in the admiration of the large audiences seated in the grandstands. “We thought 65 would win today,” Fulcher remarked of Rose and himself. Rose started the day tied with Schauffele at 3-under, one shot behind leader Billy Horschel at the 54-hole mark. And what score of 65 did Xander shoot? He completed the round that we intended to complete. You take off your hat when you witness a round that good. For that reason, Rosey and I retreated and let him go down the final [alone].” That was warranted. He was incredible. American golfer Xander Schauffele watches his drive on day four of the 152nd British Open Golf Championship during his final round from the 15th tee.
American golfer Xander Schauffele observes his drive on day four of the 152nd British Open Golf Championship, from the 15th tee, during his final round. Schauffele shot 31 on the back nine, separating himself from the crowded leaderboard. He led by two shots, thanks to his birdies on 13 and 14. With two holes remaining, he extended his lead to three strokes with his birdie on the par-5 16th. “This is the best round I’ve played,” Schauffele remarked. “Condition-wise, this is probably the best round he’s ever played,” Austin Kaiser, Schauffele’s best buddy and caddy, remarked. “He performed admirably at the PGA, but the competition was much tougher.” According to Kaiser, “hundred percent” of Sunday’s success came from the PGA victory. “You know you can win them after doing that,” Kaiser remarked. “We thought we could pull this off after glancing at the leaderboard. Nothing about it is new for us. Let’s do it once more, as we did this year.
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