Xander Schauffele rides strong finish to win Open Championship

Xander Schauffele shot a sterling 65 at Royal Troon to emerge from the pack and win the 152nd Open Championship for his second major title of the year Sunday in Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland.

Schauffele saved his best golf of the week for last, as he rode a bogey-free round to a final score of 9-under-par 275 and a two-shot victory over Justin Rose and Billy Horschel. The 30-year-old Schauffele, who captured his first career major at the PGA Championship in May, is the first player since Brooks Koepka (2018) to win multiple majors in a calendar year.

Schauffele’s win completed the first American sweep of the four majors since 1982. Scottie Scheffler won the Masters and Bryson DeChambeau took home the U.S. Open.

Schauffele was one of six players who began the day one shot behind 54-hole leader Horschel. He surged into the lead down the home stretch, making four of his six birdies on the back nine.

Playing in the final pairing with Horschel, Thriston Lawrence of South Africa grabbed a one-stroke lead at the turn by making his fourth birdie of the day at the par-4 ninth.

The lead flipped after Lawrence badly missed the green at No. 12. He failed to save par, and just up ahead, Schauffele played No. 13 perfectly, rolling in a left-to-right birdie putt from 16 feet.

Schauffele proceeded to knock his tee shot at the par-4 13th to 12 1/2 feet and convert another birdie to double his advantage. At the par-5 16th, he played a delicate pitch shot over a greenside pot bunker that teased the cup before leaving him a 4-foot birdie putt.

Rose missed some chances to keep up with Schauffele, his playing partner. He settled for a 67 after birdieing two of the final three holes. Upon sinking a 15-foot birdie putt at No. 18, the Englishman saluted the crowd after his second runner-up finish at The Open.

This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.