Billy Horschel, and 12 words to a defeated pro that tell us something more

Billy Horschel didn’t win. 

He then found someone else who hadn’t. 

Thriston Lawrence could’ve won the Open Championship, though. Fired a six-under 65 during Saturday’s third round to get him into contention. Teed off in Sunday’s final pairing. Led during Sunday’s final round. Ripped driver all over Royal Troon. He shot a Sunday 68 that, maybe in another Open, would’ve gotten the job done. But Xander Schauffele was masterful. And Lawrence tied for fourth, three shots behind the winner.  

The 27-year-old from South Africa had played in majors before, seven of ’em, and played on the weekend in his two previous Opens. He’d won four times on the DP World Tour. But what was happening Saturday and Sunday? Career-changing stuff.   

Still, Lawrence was collected, at least in how he was talking to the press folks. 

“It’s like any other tournament,” he said late Sunday afternoon. “Once you’re in the lead, you always think about winning. But teeing up today, that was my mindset, going out there to try and win. So being in the lead or being one or two shots back doesn’t change the mindset or game plan or anything. Like I said, it’s a normal Sunday, and yeah, it’s the Open Championship, my first final group in a major, first top 10 in a major, but still, a tournament, just a bigger tournament, more iconic tournament.”

Horschel nearly won too. Shot a 69 on Saturday afternoon in weather you wouldn’t wish upon your worst enemy. Went off last on Sunday with Lawrence. With a gray cardigan, dressed like he came to win. Carded a 68 during the final round and finished with three-straight birdies, or, put another way, how you should finish majors. But he couldn’t catch Schauffele and tied for second, two back of the champ. 

It would’ve been legacy-making. Horschel has earned millions. Won tournaments. But never a major. So badly has he wanted one that the 37-year-old from Florida said it affected him in previous starts. He’s learned to be cooler, though. He said he’s even pictured what being handed a major trophy would look like. 

“I’ve worked my entire life to be in this position,” Horschel said late Saturday afternoon. “Listen, I’ve been in the lead many times going into a final round. Obviously this is a major. It means a little bit more. We all know that. We know what this means to everyone. I know what it means to my legacy in the game of golf and what I want to do and accomplish.

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“But I’m excited to be here. I’ve wanted to be here my entire life. I’m finally here. I’m embracing it. As I told [Golf Channel’s] Todd Lewis, something I’ve done this year, and I’ve done a better job this week of it, or tried to do a better job, is sort of manifest seeing myself holding the trophy before I go to sleep every night, envisioning myself holding that trophy on 18, walking out to the crowd and being congratulated as Open champion.

“That’s what I’m going to do again tonight, and hopefully that comes true tomorrow. If it doesn’t, then I’ll get back on the grind and work harder to get back in a position like this again.”

And now he will. He didn’t win. Neither did Lawrence. 

Horschel’s clearly been around, though. This wasn’t his first major. This wasn’t his first major heartbreak. 

But it had been for Lawrence. After play on Sunday, Horschel talked him up to reporters. Said he’s watched him the past couple years. Knew his resume. Thought he had a complete game. Thought he was going to be back on the big stage. Thought he was going to be playing on the PGA Tour soon.   

“He’s a really good player,” Horschel said. 

So he found Lawrence afterward. The moment was captured by the social media team from Today’s Golfer, a golf magazine based in England. A few others stood nearby. 

Horschel told Lawrence what he told the reporters.  

“It’s only a matter of time until you’re a regular out there.”

What do you think of this?

After disappointment, do others zoom away? They do. Could Horschel have? He could’ve. Did he? He didn’t. 

Did it say something about him? We think you can answer that.  

Notably, both pros are together again, at the PGA Tour’s 3M Open in Minnesota. Thursday, Horschel starts at 12:43 p.m. local time, Lawrence about 90 minutes later. 

Back at it. 

“I think I’ve been doing a better job at majors about three or four years ago,” Horschel said Wednesday. “I felt like I was just the way I handled majors, just the way the prep went, just the way mentally I was wrapping my head about how to — not how to prepare for a major because I felt like I always prepared well, but just the mental side of it. I always felt like I had to be a perfectionist, I needed to play perfect golf to win a major. Like I said, a couple years ago, three, four years ago I felt like sort of making a little turn and I think that was about 2020 Winged Foot, I played really well, I think I was in the top five with 27 holes to go and I just didn’t play well, just didn’t handle that situation very well. But since then I felt just the feeling I have and the mentality I have has been in a better spot. 

“Sometimes it takes a little bit longer to see the results from that. It’s nice to finally see those results, it’s nice to finally get the validation from all the hard work we’ve been trying to put in. No, nothing different. I’ve said maybe a little more belief and just honestly walking into that week truly believing I can win and seeing that I can win.”