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TROON, Scotland (AP) — Xander Schauffele won the British Open on Sunday at Royal Troon with a 6-under 65 to claim his second major of the year as the American swept the field and was named major of the year for the first time since 1982.
“Winning two majors in one year is a dream,” Schauffele said. “It took me a long time to win one, but now to win two is something else.”
Two months earlier, Schauffele won the PGA Championship by holed a 6-foot birdie putt on the final hole at Valhalla. This time, in a final round that seemed destined for drama — nine golfers were separated by three shots at the start — Schauffele made the Irish Sea look easy.
He didn’t make any bogeys on a cold, blustery day and made three birdies in a four-hole stretch on the back nine to go from two shots behind to three ahead.
He beat Americans Billy Horschel and Justin Rose by two shots. The 43-year-old Englishman must play 36 holes to qualify for the main draw. He was one of four golfers who shared the lead at least at some point on Sunday.
They can’t keep up with Schauffele. No one can.
“He’s got a lot of horsepower,” Rose said. “He’s good with his wedges, he puts really well, he hits it a lot of distance, and obviously his iron game is strong. So he’s got a lot of weapons there. I think maybe the thing that’s least known about him is his mentality. He’s a very calm guy out there.”
Schauffele, 30, became the first golfer to win two majors in a single season since Jordan Spieth in 2015. It also extended the American’s dominance of the Scottish course, where they have won seven of their past eight visits to Royal Troon.
Rose finished with a round of 67, which was good enough for second place. Horschel, trying to win his first major championship, started the final round with a one-shot lead but began to fall behind over the final nine, birdying his last three holes to shoot 68, his best score in a major.
“I was pretty frustrated coming off the field, and that affected me a lot because I was really strong today,” Rose said. “Sander got things going. I hit a couple good putts that didn’t fall, and then all of a sudden the lead was stretched. I left it all there. “I’m really proud of the way I competed.”
The player Schauffele had to catch was South African Thriston Lawrence, who made three birdies in four holes to finish the front nine in 32.
Schauffele was two shots behind when everything changed.
Schauffele moved from the heaviest trophy in the PGA Championship to the famous claret jug, which is the smallest and oldest.
“I can’t wait to drink it,” he said, smiling more than ever.
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