Xander Schauffele races past field to win The Open; earns legendary status with historic round

Xander Schauffele put together a round for the ages, as he raced past the contenders to win The Open.

Golf fans, pundits, and historians alike will discuss Xander Schauffele’s remarkable back-nine at Royal Troon for decades to come.

It’s one of the most challenging stretches in major championship golf, yet Schauffele made it look easy. He made four birdies over his final nine holes, two of which came on the 11th and 13th holes—two of the most formidable par-4s in the world. A pair of par breakers at the par-3 14th and par-5 16th followed, as he ultimately shot an incredible 6-under 65 on Sunday—by far the best round of the day.

Schauffele, now a two-time major champion, won the Claret Jug by two over Justin Rose and Billy Horschel, as he separated himself from the contenders down the stretch.

But after his approach into the 11th green, you had a feeling that Schauffele had something special in store for him.

Known as “The Railway,” the 11th played as the hardest hole all week at Royal Troon. Train tracks run down the entirety of the right side while thick gorse bushes swallow any golf ball that veers left. Both places are absolute no-go’s. With all of that trouble lurking, Schauffele flirted with the gorse, but then turned in the best shot of the day as he took his first step toward victory with this stunning approach:

South African Thriston Lawrence held the lead at 7-under-par at that juncture, but Schauffele matched that mark two holes later. Lawrence then bogeyed the 12th hole, dropping him back to 6-under and leaving Schauffele all alone atop the leaderboard.

It then became an easy Sunday stroll for Schauffele, who had no stress down the stretch, much unlike his triumph at Valhalla.

Speaking of his PGA Championship victory, Schauffele now enters rarified air with his latest major win at Royal Troon. He becomes the first player to fire a final round 65 and win a major twice in the same year. Only Jack Nicklaus has ever shot a 65 or better in the final round of a major more than once, doing so at the 1967 U.S. Open and the 1986 Masters, per Justin Ray. But even Nicklaus did not accomplish that feat twice in the same season, and he won 18 majors.

Yet, looking back, the Claret Jug was always Schauffele’s. He made only six bogies all week, none of which came on Sunday. He made zero mistakes over 72 holes, avoided the pot bunkers for the most part, and fought off brutal conditions on Saturday with a stellar 69, a round he called one of the best of his career.

But his Sunday 65 topped that performance and then some. Schauffele emerged from a bevy of players and turned the final few holes of The Open into a snooze fest. He had one hand on the Claret Jug when he arrived on the 16th tee.

Now Schauffele becomes the first player since Brooks Koepka in 2018 to win a pair of majors in the same season. He is no doubt one of the best players in the world and will arrive in Paris as one of the favorites for the gold medal—a medal that he won in 2021. Before then, however, Schauffele will take some time to soak in his second major and celebrate his victory by having a drink or two out of the Claret Jug.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.