By Mark Lamport-Stokes
TROON, Scotland (Reuters) – American Xander Schauffele celebrated achieving a lifelong dream after winning his second major title with an ice-cool two-shot victory at the British Open on Sunday.
The 30-year-old Olympic champion also won this year’s PGA Championship to end his long wait for a first major crown.
“Oh man…it’s been quite a journey,” Schauffele said during the trophy presentation on the 18th green after being handed the Claret Jug.
“It took me forever just to win one and to have two now is something else. I feel very honoured hearing my name called with Open champion right after it. It’s something I have dreamed of for a very long time.”
The world number three, who began the day one shot off the pace, produced a bogey-free final round as he closed with a superb six-under 65 at a blustery Royal Troon.
Schauffele, who won the PGA Championship with the lowest score in major championship history, reeled off four birdies on the back nine to break clear of a tightly-bunched leaderboard and post a winning total of nine-under 275.
“I’ve always dreamed of doing it,” said the Californian who is known for his laid-back and unflappable approach to the game.
“That walk up 18 truly is really one of the coollest feelings I’ve ever had in my life. I got chills walking down 18 and I quickly had to zap myself back into focus because the tournament wasn’t over yet.”
BEST ROUND
Schauffele, who began the day one shot off the pace, produced what he described as the best round he ever played.
The San Diego native reeled off four birdies on the back nine to move clear and post a winning total of nine-under 275, finishing two ahead of fellow American Billy Horschel and England’s Justin Rose.
Schauffele had won the PGA Championship with the lowest score in major championship history – a 21-under aggregate – and became the first player to win multiple majors in the same year since Brooks Koepka landed the 2018 U.S. Open and PGA Championship.
“This week was hard,” Schauffele said, referring in particular to the brutal weather conditions.
“It was very difficult. I think winning the first major helped me a lot today on the back nine. I had some feeling of calmness come through. It was very helpful on what has been one of the hardest back nines I’ve ever played in a tournament.”
After rolling in a birdie at the par-three 14th, Schauffele said he had a sense that victory was there for the taking.
When he birdied the par-five 16th, after pitching to four feet from below the front right of the green, that extended his lead to three shots and the championship was all but over.
“I felt like I limited the mistakes pretty well,” Schauffele said. “I was lucky to only have one really hard round in the wind and rain and I managed that day better than I ever thought I could.”
(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes, Editing by Ed Osmond)
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