TROON, Scotland — After a career spent knocking on the door of greatness, Xander Schauffele pushed it open at the PGA Championship and walked brashly through it at The Open Championship.
On Sunday at Royal Troon, Schauffele claimed the Claret Jug and became just the 16th player in golf history to win two major championships in a single season.
“I just can’t wait to drink out of it,” Schauffele said while holding the trophy.
In a week when calamity often overshadowed artistry, the 30-year-old American delivered a links golf master-class on Sunday at Royal Troon, shooting a bogey-free six-under par 65 to reach nine-under for the week and win the Claret Jug by two strokes over Justin Rose and Billy Horschel.
As Schauffele marched up the 18th fairway with a three-stroke lead, his father Stefan — wearing dark sunglasses and a panama hat — was ushered quickly from the clubhouse to the back of the 18th green so he could witness what he had missed two months earlier on Louisville, his son rolling in a putt to win a major championship.
The timing worked out just as perfectly as the rest of the day did for Schauffele, as his family was all there to greet him and Xander shared a hug with his father, as the elder Schauffele wiped tears from his eyes.
Rose (67) and Horschel (68) finished the week tied for second at seven-under, one shot clear of South African Thriston Lawrence (68) who finished in solo third place.
Russell Henley shot a 69 to finish in fifth place at five-under, while Irishman Shane Lowry rebounded from Saturday’s disastrous finish to shoot 68 and finish in sixth.
Mackenzie Hughes led all Canadians, shooting a Sunday 68 to finish at two-over and tied for 16th. Corey Conners also shot 68 on Sunday, and finished tied for 25th at five-over.
MORE TO COME…