At Royal Troon Golf Club, Xander Schauffele used the same strategy that helped him win his first major at the PGA Championship this year. Schauffele finished two strokes ahead of Justin Rose (67) and Billy Horschel (68) on Sunday with a final-round 65, the lowest score of the day by two shots.
Austin Kaiser, his college mate, was his caddy.
Nico, Schauffele’s older brother, performed his customary duty as Xander’s road cook.
In fact, your newest Champion Golfer of the Year had chicken piccata for supper on Saturday night, just as he did at Valhalla.
“Why change ? Everything should be the same.” stated Schauffele’s uncle and manager, Gao Ya Chen.
Schauffele has altered everything by remaining unchanged.
The story around him shifted when he won his eighth PGA TOUR championship. Schauffele, who went two years without winning until the PGA, is well-known for his Sunday troubles. These days, he is a confirmed closer. His several huge victories demonstrate that all those near misses were preparation for something bigger. There is now a contender in the golf world to challenge Scottie Scheffler for the FedExCup and Jack Nicklaus Award, which are presented to the player of the year on the PGA TOUR.
“It’s a dream come true to win two majors in one year, It took me forever just to win one, and to have two now is something else.” Schauffele stated on Sunday night.
Yes, the weather was different, more appropriate for a car wash than a golf event, but still. Does Scotland ever experience warm weather? At the Troon train station, a pop-up barista asked.
“May was filled with pleasant days.”she said.
The appearance of Schauffele’s father, Stefan, who traveled to Troon instead of Valhalla, was another distinction between the PGA Championship and The Open. Xander informed the gathered media that Stefan would select the first sip from the claret jug. The elderly gentleman, propped up against a wall with his signature fedora and shades, grinned and nodded, suggesting that maybe this was all a part of the scheme as well.
Maybe the adage about success only getting in the way of the hustle is accurate.
“It was really challenging. I believe that my victory in the first one greatly aided me on the back nine today. I felt a sense of peace come over me. It was very helpful on what has been one of the hardest back nines I’ve ever played in a tournament.” Schauffele, who is currently ranked No. 2 in the FedExCup behind Scheffler (72, T7, eight back), stated.
Schauffele needed to birdie the par-5 18th hole to win the PGA Championship in May, but at Troon, he birdied Nos. 11, 13, 14, and 16 to almost eliminate any question. Rose, his playing partner, had a lead for the majority of Sunday, but he was unable to match the winner’s late surge.
When asked what he saw in the younger Schauffele, Rose gave a brief response.
“A man thriving in his industry. A man who possesses every quality that makes him a fantastic player and champion. It’s clear that he is now realizing how simple winning is. You know what I mean when I say that he has a lot of horsepower? He strikes the ball far and has excellent wedge and putter skills. It is also evident that he has powerful iron play.”Rose said.
“He has several weapons at his disposal. His mindset is, in my opinion, among his most underappreciated traits. He’s such a chill person in public. I’m not sure how he’s feeling, but he sure gives the impression that everything is simple.”he continued.
Yes, Schauffele has a variety of techniques to defeat you. He is among the greatest with the driver, as seen at Brawny Valhalla, but at Troon, it was his quickness with the irons that really distinguished him. Schauffele was second in the field with a gain of 10.33 strokes on approach.
“He didn’t make a single mistake. He was amazing, so it was good not to have to pay for a ticket to see it.” Rose’s caddy, Mark Fulcher, stated.
Schauffele, who is the defending gold medallist at the Paris Olympics, will now head off for a five-day holiday to Portugal with his wife, Maya. He needed a vacation after spending two weeks in Scotland. He ended T15 in the Genesis Scottish Open, which he won as part of a three-win season in 2022.
Players were put to the test with everything that links golf has to offer in this demanding Open Championship. In addition to the gorse, fescue, and pot bunkers, there was rain, cold, and powerful gusts that blew from all angles.
Schauffele remained the same easygoing San Diegan in Troon, with extraordinary skill, even in the middle of everything. He and Kaiser worked hard throughout the day to keep gloves and grips dry, particularly on Saturday amid the deluge that Schauffele recorded an incredible 69. They would go to their rental home at night to warm themselves, enjoy Nico’s cuisine, and play games like H-O-R-S-E on an indoor basketball hoop.
Schauffele also almost aced the field on Sunday, putting on an almost fearless display that resulted in a 4-under 31 finish on the back nine. He didn’t make a bogey.
“We’ve played better rounds under these circumstances than this one, I think. Even though he performed admirably in the PGA, today’s game was far more difficult.”Kaiser said.
For the first time since 1982, Americans now possess all four majors in a calendar year. After Schauffele’s Open triumph, one would wonder what comes next. It didn’t take him or Kaiser long to begin planning for majors Nos. 2, 3, and 4 after he won the PGA. Why not go for the career Grand Slam considering that he has two top-3 finishes at Augusta National and his lowest performance in eight U.S. Opens is T14 ?
“Without a doubt, I could see him succeeding in that.”Kaiser said.
How swiftly things may alter. Kaiser pondered not so long ago, What can I do to push this man over the edge? The week before the PGA, at the Wells Fargo Championship, Schauffele held the lead heading into the final round but shot 71 and let Rory McIlroy (65) blast him away. Since 22 Schauffele had not triumphed.
Many hypotheses have been proposed as to why, but ultimately, according to Kaiser, it comes down to timing. Schauffele defeated Bryson DeChambeau at the PGA by narrowly making his final-round birdie putt.
The 11th par-4 hole at The Open on Sunday, where McIlroy and other players blasted their drives on the tracks, was a turning moment for the game.
Schauffele avoided them with a little overcorrection.
“We managed to make a birdie on the most difficult hole on the course after hitting a drive that veered slightly to the left of our intended goal. Looking back, you’re probably not going to win this competition if the ball ends up in the gorse.”Kaiser said.
Good breaks. Good dinners. All the attributes. Just a few months from having to answer a lot of unpleasant questions at Quail Hollow, it’s all going Xander Schauffele’s way.
