Xander Schauffele shot a final-round 65 to become champion of The Open 2024 and emphatically add a second major to the PGA Championship title the American won in May.
World number three Schauffele finished on nine under, two ahead of Justin Rose, who had briefly led after three birdies in his first seven holes.
Schauffele swept to victory from the sixth, hitting five birdies in nine holes to leave Rose in joint second with overnight leader Billy Horschel.
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The Open results: Schauffele wins
“It’s been quite a journey,” said Schauffele. “I feel honoured hearing my name called with ‘Open champion’ right after it. It’s something I’ve dreamt of for a very long time.
Xander Schauffele is victorious at Royal Troon 🏆🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/LjxDIBXtcT
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) July 21, 2024
“It means a lot; this is something all of us play for and it really is a dream come to true to be holding this. It definitely hasn’t sunk it yet. I cannot wait to get back and have a moment with the Claret Jug.”
Schauffele said winning the PGA Championship had helped his nerves as he stormed to victory. “I had a sense of calm I didn’t have when I played at the PGA,” he explained.
“For some reason, I was calm. I felt collected. I was telling my caddy I felt pretty calm coming down the stretch.
“He told me he was about to puke. I just told myself to hit it down there like I had all day, and just kept moving along.”
Xander Schauffele wins The 152nd Open at Royal Troon 🤩🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ecz6NX8cDx
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) July 21, 2024
Rose: Schauffele ‘plays with freedom’
The 30-year-old will aim to draw upon similar composure when he defends his Olympic Games title in Paris from August 1 – and Rose described Schauffele as being “at the top of his game”.
“He’s obviously now learning that winning is easy,” said Rose. “He has a lot of horsepower, in the sense that he’s good with a wedge, he’s great with a putter, he hits the ball a long way and obviously his iron play is strong.
“So he’s got a lot of weapons out there. Probably one of his most unappreciated ones is his mentality. He’s such a calm guy out there.
“I don’t know what he’s feeling but he certainly makes it look very easy. He plays with a freedom, which kind of tells you as a competitor that he’s probably not feeling a ton of the bad stuff.”
