The 30-year-old outperformed the competition during the final 18 holes at Royal Troon, delivering an impressive six-under-par 65 to finish at nine-under, two shots ahead of Justin Rose and Billy Horschel.
The American golfer has had a season that has defined his career. After several years of waiting and numerous close calls, he finally clinched his first major title at the PGA Championship in May. Now, he proudly holds both the Wannamaker Trophy and the Claret Jug.
Schauffele has risen to second place in the Official World Golf Ranking, trailing only Scottie Scheffler. Following the San Diego native's victory, his father, Stefan, sent a clear message to his son's competitors, reports the Mirror US .
He expressed his conviction that his son will become only the sixth player in history, and the first of his generation, to win all four majors. This exclusive club currently includes only Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan, and Gene Sarazen.
Both McIlroy and Jordan Spieth have won three of the four majors. McIlroy is only missing a green jacket from The Masters in his collection, while Spieth needs the PGA Championship to complete his set.
PGA Tour heavyweights Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele have been racking up major wins, with Rahm bagging the US Open and Masters titles in 2021 and 2023. PGA Tour stars Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau are also on the major victory board, each with two under their belts at the same tourney, inching towards that elusive grand slam.
Schauffele's dad is all in on his lad's chances for grand slam glory. Chatting with The Telegraph, he said, "It's up to you guys to take a look at the statistics and see who has the greatest potential of being the next career grand-slammer because I think he's the one who has the game. Yes, I'm being subjective but I think, objectively, you will arrive at the same conclusion."
But despite the old man Schauffele's bullish take, the bookies aren't quite ready to bet the farm on his boy clinching a grand slam win this season. Right now, the betting odds have Schauffele pegged as maybe the fourth or fifth pick to snag the Masters, trailing hotshots like Scheffler, McIlroy, Rahm, and Sweden's rising star Ludvig Aberg.
Xander Schauffele, no stranger to Augusta National's greens, has notched up four top-10 finishes in his seven appearances at the prestigious course, including a runner-up spot in 2019 and third place in 2021. Despite an impressive US Open record with seven top-10s from eight starts and a comparatively modest tied-14th as his lowest finish, conquering the Masters remains Schauffele's most elusive goal in his quest for major titles.
At the winner's press conference on Sunday, Schauffele opened up about his aspirations for a grand slam victory, stating, "Before I had any majors, it's something I've always wanted. I'm one step closer and still have a long way to go. But if you don't see yourself doing it, you're never going to do it."
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