For the first time since 1982 American golfers have won all four of the year’s majors. (Only three were played in the Covid-plagued season of 2020.) In winning the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon on Sunday, Xander Schauffele provided an echo of sorts to what had happened 42 years ago. Then Tom Watson had won two of the four, including the Open over this Ayrshire links. Schauffele won the USPGA Championship in May with the lowest-ever total in major championship history and he collected his second major with a brilliant final round of 65, six under par, including a scarcely credible back nine of 31.
Schauffele, who is 30, won by two shots from Justin Rose and Billy Horschel. Rose, the 2013 US Open champion who turns 44 next week, had made it through final qualifying at Burnham & Berrow to take his place in the field. Playing with Schauffele on Sunday, the fundamental difference perhaps came down to the fact that on 13 and 14 the American made medium-range birdie putts while similar efforts from Rose both missed by millimetres. “I walked off the course and it hit me hard, because I was so strong out there,” said Rose. Referencing those putts, he added: “I did a lot of the hard things really well – just a critical moment midway through the back nine momentum-wise.” For his part, the new champion noted: “I’ve embraced this sort of SoCal laid-back kid but there’s obviously a fire burning deep within or I wouldn’t have a couple of majors sitting by my side.” And he wants the other two to complete the Grand Slam. “It’s something I’ve always wanted. If you don’t see yourself doing it, you’re never going to.” Before then he will be off to Paris to defend his Olympic title next month.
The fact that the championship concluded in fairly decent weather rather obscured what it had been like 24 hours previously. How bad was it? Really bad. Take it from the world No. 1, Scottie Scheffler, who called the homeward stretch “the hardest nine holes I’ll ever play”. For example: “I probably don’t often hit a driver and a 3-wood really solid on a par-four and don’t get there in two, which is what happened at 15.” By then several distinguished names weren’t around to trouble the scorers. If at the start of the week you had been asked what Bryson DeChambeau, Tommy Fleetwood and Ludvig Åberg would have in common, you might have said they would all hold the lead at some point. The actual answer was that they all missed the cut on nine over par. That was two shots better than Rory McIlroy (rounds of 78-75), whose slim hopes of making it disappeared on Friday when he dropped six shots in four holes from the 3rd. Watching on TV (if he was), it likely would not have escaped McIlroy’s notice that Schauffele is the first player since the Irishman in 2014 to win the Open and the PGA in the same year.
Less shockingly, Tiger Woods was also on his way home after shooting 79-77. His week had begun with some unsolicited advice from Colin Montgomerie that it really was time for him to pack it in. Having firmly put Monty in his place by pointing out that he had never won the Open (or any major, come to that) and therefore wasn’t in position to decline any invitation, Woods later emphatically confirmed he would “definitely” be at Portrush next July. For sure he is past his best. But his best was the best any of us have seen. Surely he should be left alone to decide when it’s time to call time.
Related: Rory McIlroy beaten by wind at Troon
You can follow Robert Green on Twitter @robrtgreen and enjoy his other blog f-factors.com
