Maybe it’s a San Diego thing.On calm, cold Sunday at Royal Troon teed up for twists, turns and the first playoff in nine years, the 152nd Open Championship became a Xander Schauffele runaway. The even-keeled PGA Champion methodically put away the field with a final round 65 and 275 total. His two-stroke win finished in the same satisfying, but anticlimactic manner as Phil Mickelson’s 2013 runaway at Muirfield. That’s where the more famous San Diegan came from behind to record a three-stroke win over a similarly-bunched Saturday leaderboard.Schauffele’s second major win of 2024 should come as little surprise given seven years of consistency in Grand Slam events dating to his 2017 U.S. Open major debut T5. Steady but unspectacular opening rounds of 69-72-69 should have been a wake-up call in a week where volatility popped up all over scorecards. Schauffele only recorded six bogeys all week, and two of those were made during Saturday’s awful back-nine weather.
The PGA Championship winner oozed confidence beginning with his early week press conference where he leaned back, explained his appreciation for links golf, and discussed his first exposure to an Americanized version at Bandon Dunes with dad Stefan. The intense-but-rarely-neurotic 30-year-old from San Diego State never seemed phased by the unexpected wind directions at Troon, taking note of early play Thursday and, unlike some peers who struggled with the awkward southeast direction, chalked up the surprise to the joys of golf in Scotland.An organized but rarely over-tinkering type in recent years, he leans heavily on longtime looper Austin Kaiser. Teeing off Sunday at 2:05 p.m., Schauffele hit 16 of 18 greens and all of the back nine surfaces to pass playing partner Justin Rose and Billy Horschel by two strokes. Both runners-up birdied the last to make the final result look closer than it seemed.
Billy Ho actually birdied his last three holes, to make is seems that he stayed close. The reality is that any focus on the final group was mostly about the unknown South African. But Xander's four birdies on that brutal back nine made it all moot....
Shall we visit with the Tour Confidential panel?
Xander Schauffele played a flawless Sunday of golf en route to winning the Open Championship and claiming his second major of the season (and career) following his PGA Championship victory two months ago. What did he do better than everyone else at Royal Troon, and what’s been the difference for Xander this year compared to years past?Jack Hirsh: The simple answer is that the work he’s done with Chris Como has taken his ball striking to a new level. His tee shot on 15 Sunday really struck me. As someone who hashistorically played a draw, Schauffele had to stand up there, aim left and let the wind bring his ball back to the right and into the fairway. He unleashed one 343 yards, dead center. This year, he’s the only player inside the top 12 in Strokes Gained: Off the tee, tee to green, approach and putting. The past two seasons, he was outside the top 30 in SG: Off the tee, so there’s been a clear improvement with the driver as he’s become not only one of the longest players on Tour, but one of the more accurate. The more intangible answer is that he simply has developed that killer instinct that had been lacking for so many years on the biggest stage. That’s hard to develop, but he was stoic down the stretch Sunday and at Valhalla two months ago.Zephyr Melton: What he did better at Royal Troon than anyone else was he kicked it into high gear on the weekend. His Saturday 69 came in the dreadful afternoon wave, and his bogey-free Sunday was as stress-free as they come. It seems that getting over the hump at Valhalla has opened the floodgates. There could be many more majors in X’s future.Josh Sens: Like so many winners of this tournament in the past, he held on well through the worst of the conditions, and then charged when things turned benign. Schauffele has long been known for his mental strength, a makeup built for majors. Now that he has further sturdied his swing, he’s got the mechanics to match. Both were on display this week. That’s a potent combo.Jessica Marksbury: I think flawless is the real key word in the question. For both of his major wins this year, Schauffele won firing final rounds of 65 both times. Bogey-free on Sunday at Troon, and one bogey at Valhalla. That’s incredible! When others were wilting, he had the confidence and presence of mind — not to mention the shot quality and clutch putting — to push on to victory. He’s been close so many times that it seemed like it was only a matter of time before he cracked the code. And now he’s done it twice.
Has Xander been known for his mental strength? Seems like some Soviet-level historical revisionism, or perhaps over-interpreting the on-course stoicism. But he's struggled to finish, despite a huge number of high places, though he might have figured that last part out.
Now the inevitable floodgate query:
Schauffele is just the sixth player in the last 25 years to win multiple majors in a season, joining a list that includes Tiger Woods, Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka. Is this one epic heater? Or are the floodgates open and this major-winning version of Xander is here to stay?Hirsh: Well, the commonality between three of those five names (Harrington, McIlroy, Spieth) is after winning multiple majors in a season, they combined to win just one (Spieth at the 2017 Open) afterward. Brooks has won two more since he won two in 2018, making Tiger the true outlier. My money is that Xander might win another one, but this is the clear peak of his career.Melton: I think it’s the latter. Xander has put himself in contention many times in the past, and now he’s learned how to close. I fully expect him to knock off several more majors before his career ends.Sens: Heading into this week, he had 14 top 10s and two runners-up in 24 majors. This year isn’t so much an epic heater but an example of what happens when a player who has been banging reliably on the door for a long time finally breaks through. I’d be shocked if we don’t see more of the same down the line.Marksbury: If there’s anything we’ve learned over the years, it’s that winning majors is hard. Schauffele has made it look easy. It’s amazing to think that his major tally is now equal to Scheffler’s. I definitely believe he has the bandwidth to win more, but a two-major season is extremely special and not something I expect to see with any regularity going forward.
That twenty-five year metric seems specifically designed to avoid harshing the floodgate narrative with Mark O'Meara, no? But
Winning is so difficult, especially at majors with their full fields, that it's a bit unfair to use a metaphor like floodgates. But Xander has already added a second one, far more impressive than that PGA, so who knows where his game might be in April? I mean, we could ask Viktor Hovland about the half-life of heaters....
This on the venue is delightfully comedic:
This was the 10th time Royal Troon has hosted an Open. How would you grade the course as a major championship venue and test?Hirsh: I loved the course and the setup. The Open is dependent on weather and it was really fun to watch the best in the world slog through some nasty conditions this week. The Postage Stamp 8th may be the par-3 I want to play most in the world. I think some of the criticisms and comparisons to the USGA over Saturday’s setup were unfounded. The difference is the U.S. Open plays in locations with predictable weather while the Open does not. Only the last couple groups really had to struggle on the back nine Saturday, and they had pretty favorable conditions on the front line. That’s just how links golf works. I give Troon an A.Melton: I certainly enjoyed watching this week. I’ve never been out to Troon (or any other Open rota course for that matter), so it’s difficult to judge from afar, but I think it’s in the top half when grading Open courses.Sens: Loved it. What I loved even more was the weather. All the rota courses are great. They are greater when the elements kick in. This week produced all the quirks and randomness you could hope for at an Open (surprise contenders; big-name flops), and then, ultimately, a marquee winner. Not sure you could ask for more, except perhaps more white-knuckle moments on the final holes. But blame Schauffele for that. Not the course.Marksbury: Agree, Josh. The weather is what makes the Open the Open! Getting a taste of the brutality on Saturday made for great viewing. Troon gave us an exciting leaderboard and an excellent champion in Xander. What more could you ask for?
That Zephyr Melton response belongs in a sports writing hall of fame somewhere, the combination of professed ignorance and unsupported opinion being worthy of the N.Y. Times. Maybe he could tell us why it's in the top half and which rota courses rank below it....
But I do think Troon had a pretty good week, as the variable wind directions were a revelation for those that aren't familiar with Golf in the Kingdom. And who doesn't like watching these guys get wet and the intricate ballet involved between caddies and players.
I though the course looked more visually appealing that I remembered it, and those two signature holes delivered the goods. How do you not like scenes such as this?
This train was not in range when Cantlay addressed the ball 😂 pic.twitter.com/eGd5xLGtDh
— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) July 18, 2024
Especially since the railways fueled the growth in golf back in the day, as per this poster:
These would be cut-makers per Geoff:
Who won The Open without winning The Open?Hirsh: Justin Rose has another major in him.Melton: Thriston Lawrence. His solo-fourth place finish gets him an invite back next year, plus an exemption into the Masters to boot. The $876,000 paycheck ain’t too bad, either.Sens: I can’t top those calls but will go with 20-year-old Callum Scott, a Scot, finishing as top amateur on home turf. He had tears in his eyes coming up 18 for good reason.Marksbury: I’ll go with Daniel Brown. He went from an under-the-radar DP World Tour player to an Open contender with cult-hero status, thanks to a charming cig-and-selfie session on the 18th hole on Saturday. I’m a new fan!
Felt bad for Rosie, for whom this might have been the last, best hope. But Thriston Lawrence was completely new to me, so I'll give him the nod.
And on the least important subject imaginable:
Scottie Scheffler tied for 7th at Royal Troon, but his easy stroll to PGA Tour Player of the Year just got a little more interesting. Scheffler has six wins this season (including the Masters and Players) but Schauffele now has two majors (but no other wins). With some of 2024 still left to play out, is Scheffler still the front-runner?Hirsh: I’m still going with Scheffler. Schauffele has played well in other tournaments this year, but I think six wins (when one is a major and another is a Players) trumps two majors and no other wins. We’re talking about Player of the Year, not Player of the Majors. Sustained excellence really means something. That said, if Schauffele was to catch and pass Scheffler at East Lake and add another win, or even a fourth, that would be a different story.Melton: I think Scottie is still the front-runner because of his full body of work (six wins, plus a major), but Xander has certainly made the decision much harder.Sens: Tough call. It’s neck and neck. But given the primacy of majors – especially in our divided era when we only see all the biggest guns in those four events – I’ll put Xander ahead, if only by a half a nose.Marksbury: It’s still Scottie in my book. But as Jack mentioned, the Olympics and FedEx Cup — and recency bias — means there’s a lot left to consider. And it ain’t over ’til it’s over.
But I do like the question for a couple of reasons. First, it highlights the tenuous importance of the PGA Tour.
Most will view this as Scotties 6-2 advantage in total vs. Xander's 2-1 advantage in majors. But I give a different 2-1 edge to the X-man, as he won two full-field events to Scottie's one (The Players). Scottie may have run up a gaudy win total, but he didn't have to beat too many guys to do so.
Goeff will have a losers post at some point, but see what you think of this:
Schauffele’s PGA and Open titles highlighted the 2024 major season, although now that all four are complete, which pro is walking away most disappointed?Hirsh: Most disappointed in himself? Definitely Tiger. The dude has no comprehension of mediocrity. His worst career finish at the Masters followed by three MCs has gotta hurt for him. Whether his own expectations are realistic? That’s another debate for another day.Melton: Jon Rahm. Since bolting for LIV and a guaranteed payday, he’s not been the same dominant player he once was. A T7 finish at Troon salvages his major season a bit, but ultimately 2024 will go down as a lost year.Sens: You guys are being very kind to Rory McIlroy.Hirsh: Oh yeah, forgot about that guy.Marksbury: All solid picks there, guys. Rahm was the first player who jumped to mind for me. But in the interest of variety, I’ll tap Wyndham Clark. After a banner year in 2023, it seemed like major mediocrity would be a thing of the past. But this year’s finishes — MC, MC, T56, MC — leave much to be desired for the current World No. 5.
I agree that Rahmbo and Clark have been hard to figure, but Rory's Thursday and Friday were some kind of Faustian passion play. As I noted Friday, Rory has never been able to handle wind and firm surfaces, despite that stamp on his passport. But I find it peak Rory that, facing an unexpected shift in wind direction, that the player least prepared to adjust is a grizzled veteran like Rory. That's when you need a professional caddie, whereas Rory has chosen a guy whose greatest contribution is to not make Rory feel sad. Who are we to question those choices?
But, Lordy, I almost missed this gem that sums up the guy's week:
I love you @McIlroyRory but that was funny hahahahaha pic.twitter.com/sF4EoaOpKs
— Guy Charnock (@GuyCharnock) July 19, 2024
These guys are good!
Much was made of Xander winning both major's with Sunday 65's, but one of those was not like the other:
So … where then does this one rank?“At the very tip top,” Schauffele said emphatically. “Best round I’ve played.”That’s not meant as a slight to his achievement at Valhalla in Louisville, where birdies came inbunches but the pressure of winning a first major title made gathering each and every one of them a challenge, right down to the 72nd hole. Rather, it was an affirmation of how much the 30-year-old San Diego native has grown as a golfer. Schauffele had proven himself capable of handling super-sized/lush rough/slick greens American monoliths, having won eight times on the PGA Tour and comfortably being regarding among the best players in the game. By contrast, mastering a quintessential links course on the west coast of Scotland, a staple of the Open rota yet a venue Schauffele had never seen until Monday, wasn’t something he was predisposed to accomplish.“It's a completely different style of golf,” Schauffele said of Troon. “It makes you play shots and have different ball positions. There's so much risk/reward when the wind's blowing 20 miles an hour and it starts raining. There's so many different variables that come into play.”
C'mon, Valhalla vs. Troon? Interestingly, the final round scoring average for each Sunday would explicate the difference, but including that would be actual journalism.
Ill just leave you with this cheery note:
From the 16 players signed to the Saudi-backed league, nine managed to make the cut.But, despite a flicker of hope for Jon Rahm on Sunday, nobody from Greg Norman’s breakaway remotely managed make a challenge for the Claret Jug.
It was quite a struggle for the LIVsters in all the majors, with the exception of Bryson. So maybe we take him back and leave all the other guys in purgatory?
And this about another fading star:
British Open 2024: Justin Thomas' claret jug chances die with shockingly bad opening tee shot on Sunday
Perhaps uncharitable of me, but that shot tracer reminds me so much of Rory's opening tee shot at Royal Portrush.....Remind me again, where is next year's Open?
That's it for now. Not sure if I'll blog tomorrow morning, but we fly out tomorrow night and you'll likely hear from me from the Highlands on Thursday. Have a great week.
UPDATE: No sooner do I hit "Publish", than Eamon posts this:
One of Scotland’s great, quirky links @CrailGolf. Always a stop worth making. pic.twitter.com/BNvW6adsEW
— Eamon Lynch (@eamonlynch) July 22, 2024
Well, since you recommend it so highly, maybe we'll head there....That's the sixth green, with the 5th fairway (Hell Hole, as we'll soon revisit), but there are far prettier spots on the Balcomie. Maybe I'll show you a few.
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