Xander Schauffele's first two rounds at The Open this week came in the same group as Tiger Woods. That prompted the media to ask the PGA champion if Woods passed along any messages as he attempted to chase down his second major title of the season.
"No, you have to win these things to get a text from him," Schauffele responded.
On Sunday, Schauffele secured both a congratulatory message from Woods and the Claret Jug, as a sizzling final-round 65 vaulted the American to a two-shot win over Justin Rose and Billy Horschel.
| Place | Player | Total to par | Round 4 score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xander Schauffele | -9 | 65 |
| T-2 | Justin Rose | -7 | 67 |
| T-2 | Billy Horschel | -7 | 68 |
| 4 | Thriston Lawrence | -6 | 68 |
| 5 | Russell Henley | -5 | 69 |
| 6 | Shane Lowry | -4 | 68 |
| T-7 | Jon Rahm | -1 | 68 |
| T-7 | Scottie Scheffler | -1 | 72 |
| T-7 | Sungjae Im | -1 | 69 |
| T-10 | Matthew Jordan | Even | 71 |
| T-10 | Adam Scott | Even | 71 |
| T-10 | Dan Brown | Even | 74 |
Schauffele entered the 2024 season with a very accomplished resume but held the dreaded title of best player to never win a major among the top-ranked golfers in the world. He shed that label by claiming the PGA Championship in dramatic fashion with a brilliant performance at Valhalla, and it now appears that victory opened the floodgates.
Schauffele rose above the fray in trying conditions this week in Scotland to become the first player with two majors in the same season since Brooks Koepka in 2018. The unflappable Schauffele was exactly that, unbothered by blustery winds and heavy rain, and he was just one shot off Horschel's 54-hole lead entering Sunday.
After a comfortable start of five straight pars, Schauffele kicked it into a gear nobody else could match, pouring in six birdies over his final 13 holes to run away from a very bunched leaderboard. He didn't hesitate to put the performance into its proper context when asked where it ranks in his career.
"At the very tip top. Best round I've played." Schauffele told reporters.
The victory sees Schauffele become just the sixth man to win the PGA Championship and The Open in the same year, and he admitted that the triumph in May helped him in his quest on Sunday.
"I think winning the first one helped me a lot today on the back nine. I had some feeling of calmness come through," Schauffele said. "It was very helpful on what has been one of the hardest back nines I've ever played in a tournament."
Rose did his best to keep pace with Schauffele - the two played in the same group - but the 43-year-old simply didn't have the birdies to stay afloat. While he ultimately fell short, it's a nod to Rose's longevity that he has two top-four finishes in The Open a whopping 27 years apart - he finished tied for fourth as a 17-year-old in 1997.
"I'll have a few more chances, of course, but you know that this is a great opportunity today. You want to walk off the golf course going, yeah, I didn't squander that," Rose told reporters. "I ran putts at the hole today. I feel like I had opportunities. I felt like I took a lot of them. But I felt super comfortable out there - which, the fact that I haven't really been in contention much this year, that gives me a lot of heart."
Horschel held the lead for a long portion of the opening nine after he posted three birdies on his opening six holes. But the dreaded Postage Stamp immediately put a dent in his fortunes, as a bogey on the 100-yard par-3 knocked him off his perch. The 37-year-old nonetheless battled down the stretch, finishing with three straight birdies to register his best major finish in over a decade.
He admitted that his results gave him mixed emotions.
"I'm disappointed. I should feel disappointed. I had a chance to win a major. I was in a really good position. I just didn't play - I just made a few too many mistakes today when I didn't need to," Horschel said. "But we'll look back on this in an hour, I'll be very happy with how I played, I'll be very happy with what I did this week. I did a lot of great things that I can take on to the next few years of majors, and hopefully one of these will be my time to step through the door and hold one of them."
