Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week we break down Xander Schauffele’s Open Championship victory and put a bow on the 2024 major season.
Xander Schauffele played a flawless Sunday of golf en route to winning the Open Championship and claiming his second major of the season (and career) following his PGA Championship victory two months ago. What did he do better than everyone else at Royal Troon, and what’s been the difference for Xander this year compared to years past?
Jack Hirsh, assistant editor (@JR_HIRSHey): The simple answer is that the work he’s done with Chris Como has taken his ball striking to a new level. His tee shot on 15 Sunday really struck me. As someone who has historically played a draw, Schauffele had to stand up there, aim left and let the wind bring his ball back to the right and into the fairway. He unleashed one 343 yards, dead center. This year, he’s the only player inside the top 12 in Strokes Gained: Off the tee, tee to green, approach and putting. The past two seasons, he was outside the top 30 in SG: Off the tee, so there’s been a clear improvement with the driver as he’s become not only one of the longest players on Tour, but one of the more accurate. The more intangible answer is that he simply has developed that killer instinct that had been lacking for so many years on the biggest stage. That’s hard to develop, but he was stoic down the stretch Sunday and at Valhalla two months ago.
Zephyr Melton, assistant editor (@zephyrmelton): What he did better at Royal Troon than anyone else was he kicked it into high gear on the weekend. His Saturday 69 came in the dreadful afternoon wave, and his bogey-free Sunday was as stress-free as they come. It seems that getting over the hump at Valhalla has opened the floodgates. There could be many more majors in X’s future.
Josh Sens, senior writer (@JoshSens): Like so many winners of this tournament in the past, he held on well through the worst of the conditions, and then charged when things turned benign. Schauffele has long been known for his mental strength, a makeup built for majors. Now that he has further sturdied his swing, he’s got the mechanics to match. Both were on display this week. That’s a potent combo.
Jessica Marksbury, senior editor (@Jess_Marksbury): I think flawless is the real key word in the question. For both of his major wins this year, Schauffele won firing final rounds of 65 both times. Bogey-free on Sunday at Troon, and one bogey at Valhalla. That’s incredible! When others were wilting, he had the confidence and presence of mind — not to mention the shot quality and clutch putting — to push on to victory. He’s been close so many times that it seemed like it was only a matter of time before he cracked the code. And now he’s done it twice.
Schauffele is just the sixth player in the last 25 years to win multiple majors in a season, joining a list that includes Tiger Woods, Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka. Is this one epic heater? Or are the floodgates open and this major-winning version of Xander is here to stay?
Hirsh: Well, the commonality between three of those five names (Harrington, McIlroy, Spieth) is after winning multiple majors in a season, they combined to win just one (Spieth at the 2017 Open) afterward. Brooks has won two more since he won two in 2018, making Tiger the true outlier. My money is that Xander might win another one, but this is the clear peak of his career.
Xander Schauffele, en route to Open win, stops for 1 of the sincerest gestures
Melton: I think it’s the latter. Xander has put himself in contention many times in the past, and now he’s learned how to close. I fully expect him to knock off several more majors before his career ends.
Sens: Heading into this week, he had 14 top 10s and two runners-up in 24 majors. This year isn’t so much an epic heater but an example of what happens when a player who has been banging reliably on the door for a long time finally breaks through. I’d be shocked if we don’t see more of the same down the line.
Marksbury: If there’s anything we’ve learned over the years, it’s that winning majors is hard. Schauffele has made it look easy. It’s amazing to think that his major tally is now equal to Scheffler’s. I definitely believe he has the bandwidth to win more, but a two-major season is extremely special and not something I expect to see with any regularity going forward.
This was the 10th time Royal Troon has hosted an Open. How would you grade the course as a major championship venue and test?
Hirsh: I loved the course and the setup. The Open is dependent on weather and it was really fun to watch the best in the world slog through some nasty conditions this week. The Postage Stamp 8th may be the par-3 I want to play most in the world. I think some of the criticisms and comparisons to the USGA over Saturday’s setup were unfounded. The difference is the U.S. Open plays in locations with predictable weather while the Open does not. Only the last couple groups really had to struggle on the back nine Saturday, and they had pretty favorable conditions on the front line. That’s just how links golf works. I give Troon an A.
Melton: I certainly enjoyed watching this week. I’ve never been out to Troon (or any other Open rota course for that matter), so it’s difficult to judge from afar, but I think it’s in the top half when grading Open courses.
Sens: Loved it. What I loved even more was the weather. All the rota courses are great. They are greater when the elements kick in. This week produced all the quirks and randomness you could hope for at an Open (surprise contenders; big-name flops), and then, ultimately, a marquee winner. Not sure you could ask for more, except perhaps more white-knuckle moments on the final holes. But blame Schauffele for that. Not the course.
Marksbury: Agree, Josh. The weather is what makes the Open the Open! Getting a taste of the brutality on Saturday made for great viewing. Troon gave us an exciting leaderboard and an excellent champion in Xander. What more could you ask for?
Who won The Open without winning The Open?
Hirsh: Justin Rose has another major in him.
Melton: Thriston Lawrence. His solo-fourth place finish gets him an invite back next year, plus an exemption into the Masters to boot. The $876,000 paycheck ain’t too bad, either.
Sens: I can’t top those calls but will go with 20-year-old Callum Scott, a Scot, finishing as top amateur on home turf. He had tears in his eyes coming up 18 for good reason.
Marksbury: I’ll go with Daniel Brown. He went from an under-the-radar DP World Tour player to an Open contender with cult-hero status, thanks to a charming cig-and-selfie session on the 18th hole on Saturday. I’m a new fan!
Scottie Scheffler tied for 7th at Royal Troon, but his easy stroll to PGA Tour Player of the Year just got a little more interesting. Scheffler has six wins this season (including the Masters and Players) but Schauffele now has two majors (but no other wins). With some of 2024 still left to play out, is Scheffler still the front-runner?
Hirsh: I’m still going with Scheffler. Schauffele has played well in other tournaments this year, but I think six wins (when one is a major and another is a Players) trumps two majors and no other wins. We’re talking about Player of the Year, not Player of the Majors. Sustained excellence really means something. That said, if Schauffele was to catch and pass Scheffler at East Lake and add another win, or even a fourth, that would be a different story.
Melton: I think Scottie is still the front-runner because of his full body of work (six wins, plus a major), but Xander has certainly made the decision much harder.
Sens: Tough call. It’s neck and neck. But given the primacy of majors – especially in our divided era when we only see all the biggest guns in those four events – I’ll put Xander ahead, if only by a half a nose.
Marksbury: It’s still Scottie in my book. But as Jack mentioned, the Olympics and FedEx Cup — and recency bias — means there’s a lot left to consider. And it ain’t over ’til it’s over.
Schauffele’s PGA and Open titles highlighted the 2024 major season, although now that all four are complete, which pro is walking away most disappointed?
Hirsh: Most disappointed in himself? Definitely Tiger. The dude has no comprehension of mediocrity. His worst career finish at the Masters followed by three MCs has gotta hurt for him. Whether his own expectations are realistic? That’s another debate for another day.
Melton: Jon Rahm. Since bolting for LIV and a guaranteed payday, he’s not been the same dominant player he once was. A T7 finish at Troon salvages his major season a bit, but ultimately 2024 will go down as a lost year.
Sens: You guys are being very kind to Rory McIlroy.
Hirsh: Oh yeah, forgot about that guy.
Marksbury: All solid picks there, guys. Rahm was the first player who jumped to mind for me. But in the interest of variety, I’ll tap Wyndham Clark. After a banner year in 2023, it seemed like major mediocrity would be a thing of the past. But this year’s finishes — MC, MC, T56, MC — leave much to be desired for the current World No. 5.
