Why Xander Schauffele is worthy The Open winner as US golfers continue to dominate majors

These Schefflers and Schauffeles are taking over golf at the top level. After Scottie won The Masters in April, Xander has now won both the PGA Championship and The Open in the space of two months. With Bryson DeChambeau landing the US Open, it means American players have pulled off a first clean sweep in the majors since 1982.

Schauffele had been talked about as being good enough to break down the door in the game’s biggest events for some time. He finally got over the line at Valhalla, where he lifted the Wanamaker Trophy in May, and now he’s got his hands on the Claret Jug as well. Winning the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club just over two years ago was sweet, but this was even better.

Just one off the pace on a tightly-packed leaderboard heading into the final round of the event’s 152nd edition, the 30-year-old Californian made his move in the third last group alongside Justin Rose with back-to-back birdies at the sixth and seventh holes.

Xander Schauffele celebrates with his caddie Austin Kaiser on the 18th green after winnin the 152nd Open at Royal Troon. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

A brilliant birdie at the treacherous 11th, where his approach from 172 yards set up tap in, then two more back-to-back at the 13th and 14th moved him into pole position and it was effectively mission accomplished following a sixth gain of the day at the par-5 16th.

Signing off with a six-under-par 65 – the best-of-the-day effort was bogey-free – for a nine-under-par total, the reigning Olympic champion was a worthy winner and this one was coming. In six previous appearances in the game’s oldest major, he’d made the cut every time, tied for second in 2018 and not finished worse than joint-41st. “At the top of the tip,” he said of where this closing round ranked in his career and that said it all, really.

Rose, who had been bidding to become the first qualifier to land this prize since Paul Lawrie at Carnoustie in 1999, and overnight leader Billy Horschel tied for second on seven under, one ahead of South African Thriston Lawrence then Russell Henley and 2019 winner Shane Lowry on five under and four under respectively.

Chasing what would have been a hugely popular win in front of British fans, Rose had glory in his sights after picking up shots at the second, fourth and eighth to get to six under. An untimely bogey at the par-4 12th but, fighting all the way to the finish, he birdied both the 15th and 18th.

"Gutted when I walked off the course and it hit me hard because I was so strong out there today,” said Rose of his over-riding emotion. "I really played the way I wanted to today. Did a lot of the hard things really well on the golf course. I'm super proud of how I competed.”

It was his best performance in a major since tying for second behind Francesco Molinari at Carnoustie in 2018 and came at the age of 43. “I made a deal with myself today to come off with no regrets,” he added. “I'll have a few more chances, of course, but that this is a great opportunity today. You want to walk off the golf course going, yeah, I didn't squander that.

“I ran putts at the hole today. I feel like I had opportunities. I felt like I took a lot of them. I felt super comfortable out there despite the fact that I haven't really been in contention much this year and that gives me a lot of heart.”

Horschel, meanwhile, birdied the last three holes after seeing his hopes of a maiden major victory at the 43rd attempt derailed at the eighth and tenth before he tackled that 11th hole flanked by the Glasgow to Ayr railway line and the remaining holes on the tough closing stretch here.

"Yeah. It's what's in my DNA,” said the American of his 4-2-3 finish. “I'm going to always fight, always going to battle until the end. I was rewarded with three birdies there at the end to finish tied second with a good friend, Justin Rose.”

Asked about which emotion he was feeling, he added: “I'm disappointed. I should feel disappointed. I had a chance to win a major. I just made a few too many mistakes today when I didn't need to. But we'll look back on this in an hour, I'll be very happy what I did this week. Hopefully it will be my time one day to step through the door.”.

Lowry, who’d squandered a three-shot lead at one point in Saturday’s third round, followed an early bogey with a brilliant burst of four birdies in five holes on the front nine. His hopes of becoming a multiple Open champion, though, were ended by a bogey at the 11th before repairing that damage with a 2 at the 17th as he closed with a battling 68.

“Obviously the critics and whatnot will say that I probably should have won from where I was yesterday afternoon, but it's not easy out there. It's not easy to win tournaments like this,” said the Irishman. “I did everything I could and it’s very disappointing. Unfortunately, I came up short. Hopefully over the next five to ten years I give myself another few chances in tournaments like this and get one more.”

Englishman Dan Brown, the event’s surprise package, finished joint-tenth on level par. “Yeah, at the minute it's probably a little bit more disappointment,” he replied to being asked if he felt proud or disappointed after closing with a 74. “But, when I reflect on it, I'll be obviously very pleased, I would have thought.”

World No 1 Scheffler has to settle for a tie for seventh on one under, finishing alongside Jon Rahm as the Spaniard produced easily his best performance in a major since joining LIV Golf for a huge some of money at the end of last year.