British Open win lifts Xander Schauffele to another level

TROON, Scotland — The only company Xander Schauffele kept at the start of the season was his name mentioned among the best players who had yet to win a major. He had a key miss at Carnoustie that cost him a chance at the 2018 British Open. He was a runner-up the following year to Tiger Woods at the Masters. He was closing in on Hideki Matsuyama in the 2021 Masters until hitting into the water on the 16th hole. In the first 27 majors he played, he had 12 finishes in the top 10. Now he has the Wanamaker Trophy at home from his nail-biter of a victory in the PGA Championship. And he couldn't take his eyes off the gleaming claret jug Sunday evening after delivering what he considers the best round of his life. Two months, two majors, no more questions about whether he can win the big one. "It's a dream come true to win two majors in one year," Schauffele said after his 6-under 65, took him from a two-shot deficit to a two-shot victory in the British Open at Royal Troon. "It took me forever just to win one, and to have two now is something else." He played bogey-free in the final round with no less than golf's oldest trophy at stake. He was two shots behind going to the back nine and shot 31. He missed only two greens Sunday, none on the back nine. He had only six bogeys over 72 holes. Schauffele was asked how that stacked up against other rounds he has played, including the 65 to shot at Valhalla on the last day to win the PGA Championship. "At the very tip-top," Schauffele said. "Best round I've played." Two majors in one year puts him into a different conversation. Schauffele is the first player since Jordan Spieth in 2015 to win his first two majors in the same year, and the first since Brooks Koepka in 2018 to win two in one year. No one in the 90-year history of the four majors had ever won two majors in one year by shooting 65 in the final round. Jack Nicklaus is the only player who done that twice in his career, at the 1967 U.S. Open and 1986 Masters. Tiger Woods never did it once, though he led in 14 of the 15 majors and never had to. "He has a lot of horsepower," runner-up Justin Rose said of Schauffele. "He's good with a wedge, he's great with a putter, he hits the ball a long way, obviously his iron play is strong. So he's got a lot of weapons out there. "I think probably one of his most unappreciated ones is his mentality. He's such a calm guy out there. I don't know what he's feeling, but he certainly makes it look very easy." The year is not over for Schauffele. He has one week to celebrate — and to figure out what drink his father first wants in that claret jug Schauffele keeps for a year — before heading to Paris for the Olympics.