Xander Schauffele’s ‘dream come true’ British Open win stamped his name as one of golf’s best

TROON, Scotland — X marked the spot at the PGA Championship in May at Valhalla.

X now marks the spot at the 152nd British Open at Royal Troon.

Xander Schauffele won the Open Championship on Sunday and it was clinical.

He was utterly unflappable, finishing 9-under par after shooting a final-round 6-under-par 65 that left Justin Rose (67) and Billy Horschel (68) in a tie for runner-up at 7-under.

The player who began 2024 still searching for his first major, having 13 times finished in the top 10 in majors, six times in the top 5 and twice a runner-up, has won two of the four majors this year.

“It took me forever just to win one, and to have two now is something else,’’ Schauffele said. “It’s a dream come true. It was very difficult. I think winning the first one [the PGA] helped me a lot today on the back nine. I had some feeling of calmness come through.’’

Where this magic carpet ride ends for Schauffele no one knows, but he’s proven himself as the most complete player in the world, a player without weakness.

Schauffele has the perfect demeanor for golf, particularly links golf — with its unpredictable and quirky bounces and constantly changing wind directions — which can send the most grounded golfer mad.

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Watch all the highlight tape you want of Schauffele on the golf course and look for one moment when you’ve ever seen him visibly frustrated, when you’ve heard him curse or when you saw him jump out of his skin in elation.

You’ll sooner find any evidence of that than you’ll find a McDonald’s franchise serving food inside the Troon clubhouse.

“I think he has the perfect demeanor for any sort of golf, to be honest,’’ Rose’s caddie, Mark Fulcher, said. “He’s clearly one of the best golfers of his generation and it’s taken a little time to cross that finish line.’’

“Is there anything Xander doesn’t do well on the golf course?’’ Fulcher was asked.

“Um … I’ve yet to see it,’’ he said. “He’s actually quite nice, too. I’d almost like him to be a bit of a wanker, but he really couldn’t be nicer. He’s a lovely fellow. It’s just nice to know the lad. It was nice to be able to not pay for a ticket to watch it all day, because it was fantastic.’’

When Schauffele and Rose approached the 18th green, Rose and Fulcher stepped back so Schauffele could soak in the adoration from the crowds in the massive grandstands.

“We had a target today — we thought 65 to win,’’ Fulcher said of him and Rose, who began the day tied with Schauffele at 3-under, one shot behind 54-hole leader Billy Horschel. “And, what did Xander shoot — 65? He played the round that we were hoping to play. When you see a round that good, you take your hat off. That’s why me and Rosey backed up and let him walk down the last [alone].

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“It was certainly worthy of that. He was amazing.’’

Schauffele separated himself from the crowded leaderboard on the back nine, on which he shot 31.

His birdies on 13 and 14 gave him a two-shot lead.

His birdie on the par-5 16th sealed it, giving him a three-shot lead with two holes to play.

“Best round I’ve played,’’ Schauffele said.

“This is probably the best round he’s ever played — conditions-wise,’’ Schauffele’s caddie and best friend Austin Kaiser said. “He played great at the PGA, but it was way more of a challenge.’’

Kaiser said “hundred percent’’ the win at the PGA played a part in Sunday’s victory.

“After doing that, you know you can win them,’’ Kaiser said. “We looked at the leaderboard and said, ‘We can do this. It’s nothing we haven’t done. We already did it this year, so let’s do it again.’ ’’

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There was a freedom to Schauffele having broken through as a major winner and it was palpable on Sunday.

“After we won Valhalla we were having drinks and one of our buddies said, ‘Do you feel lighter?’ ’’ Kaiser recalled. “He smiled and said, ‘Yeah, I do.’ Being the best golfer who hasn’t won a major isn’t something you want to live with. It means you’re an amazing golfer, but you haven’t lived up to it.’’

He did in May, and he did on Sunday.

After he’d taken that three-shot lead with the birdie on 16, all that awaited Schauffele was the most cherished walk in golf.

“I’ve always dreamt of doing it,’’ Schauffele said. “That walk up 18 truly is the coolest with the yellow leaderboards and the fans and the standing ovation. It really is one of the coolest feelings I’ve ever had in my life. I got chills walking down and quickly had to zap myself back into focus because the tournament wasn’t over yet.’’

Yet, it actually was.

Schauffele had put the rest of the field to sleep.

The 152nd Open Championship was done and dusted.

X had already marked the spot.

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