Xander Schauffele coasted to the second major title of his career thanks to a brilliant back nine to close out the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club on Sunday.
Schauffele carded a six-under 65 to finish at nine under for the tournament, two shots better than Justin Rose and Billy Horschel.Heavy rain and wind wreaked havoc on the third round, particularly for those who teed off later in the day. The difficult conditions made it impossible for the golfers near the top of the leaderboard to create any separation.
Horschel held a slim one-shot lead through 54 holes and had six golfers nipping at his heels in second place. Fans were preparing themselves to watch a dramatic fight to the finish in the final round.
It looked like that was going to happen until Schauffele decided he had other plans. His birdie on No. 13 and Thriston Lawrence’s bogey on the 12th hole put him in sole possession of first place, and he didn’t look back from there.Fans marveled at Schauffele’s performance at Royal Troon, especially when taken within the wider context of his career.