Schauffele steals the show at Troon
Xander is two-time 'champion' golfer of the year; Rose gives it his best shot
Xander Schauffele’s eyes were firmly on the prize Sunday (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Xander Schauffele is the Champion Golfer of the Year. Who would have believed it at the beginning of the 2024 season, that the No. 6 player in the world would not only break into the major club but do it twice in one season?
The victory at Royal Troon — his second major title in two months along with the PGA Championship in May — may not have been on Schauffele’s radar screen. Even now, it’s a surprise, but not for long.
“I mean, it’s a dream come true to win two majors in one year. It took me forever just to win one, and to have two now is something else.” Schauffele said.
Major victories have a tendency of refocusing a player. And for Schauffele, his second major is likely the beginning of a run that will resume in Augusta in April as he chases the other two legs of a career slam.
“I’m a competitor, I like to challenge myself, I like challenges in general,” Schauffele said. “If you tell me I can’t do something, I’m going to try and do it.”
A Scottish Open victory in 2022 validated not only Schauffele’s ability to win playing links-style golf but also confirmed to him his game travels. He’s never missed a cut in seven Open starts and finished runner-up to Francesco Molinari at Carnoustie in 2018.
“It’s a completely different style of golf. It makes you play shots and have different ball positions,” he said. “There’s so much risk/reward when the wind’s blowing 20 miles an hour and it starts raining. There’s so many different variables that come into play. It truly is an honor to win this.
“To me it’s big. To me winning the Scottish Open was big because it meant my game could travel. So to double that up and win a major in Scotland is even cooler.”
On Sunday, Schauffele validated and confirmed that his game is on the cusp of dominating professional golf.
He shot a bogey-free 6-under 65 and prevailed against a throng of contenders including world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Justin Rose, Billy Horschel, Shane Lowry and Jon Rahm, never faltering with an unblemished card. Schauffele leaves Troon as the man to beat going into the PGA Tour playoffs where he’s often thrived
But first the Olympics, where he’s the returning gold medalist.