Schauffele holds off Rose to win Open at Troon

Xander Schauffele held off the challenge of Justin Rose to win the 152nd Open Championship at the end of a captivating week at Royal Troon.

It is a second major title in three months for 30-year-old Schauffele, who becomes the first player to win The Open and US PGA Championship in the same year since Rory McIlroy in 2014.

The American hit a stunning bogey-free six-under 65 to finish on nine under, two clear of his playing partner Rose, who shot a 67 in a fascinating duel in breezy conditions.

“Hearing your name called with Open champion after it is something I’ve dreamed of for a very long time,” said the Champion Golfer of the Year.

For Rose, whose sole major remains his 2013 US Open triumph, it has been the closest he has come to lifting the Claret Jug, 26 years after he finished joint fourth as a 17-year-old to win the Silver Medal as low amateur.

“The dream’s been alive all week and I did an awesome job,” the 43-year-old, who came through a qualifying event in Somerset, told BBC Sport.

“This will be a tough one but a great one. I played in some of the hardest weather all week. I played some of the best golf but it didn’t quite add up to the trophy.”

Three birdies in his opening seven holes had put Rose briefly in the lead on six under, but Schauffele surged three clear of his fellow Olympic gold medallist with an electrifying run of five birdies in nine holes from the sixth.

Overnight leader Billy Horschel birded the final three holes to join Rose in joint second.

Victory for Schauffele caps a remarkable season in the majors, recording top-10 finishes in all four, with two wins.

And his win here means all four men’s majors have been won by American players for the first time since 1982, with Scottie Scheffler claiming his second Masters in April, and Bryson DeChambeau the US Open in June.

“I thought [winning the US PGA Championship] would help me and it actually did,” said Schauffele.

“I had this sense of calm, a calm I didn’t have when I played earlier at the PGA.

“For some reason, I was calm and collected. I was telling my caddie Austin that I felt pretty calm coming down the stretch and he said he was about to puke on the 18th tee!

“I just told myself to just hit it down there and keep moving along.”

With six players tied for second at the start of play, the most going into the final round of a major for 30 years, there was bound to be drama.

And it began before the leaders teed off.

Spain’s Jon Rahm, who resumed on two over par, opened with three successive birdies and added another on the seventh to get to two under, just two behind overnight leader Horschel.

But while there were birdies to be had on the front nine, Rahm also showed how tough the back nine would be as he had eight pars and a bogey to finish on one under.

Shane Lowry, who started at one under, was the first of the serious contenders to charge, with four birdies in five holes as he reached the turn at four under, his eventual finishing total.

But those behind him were also making headway.

World number one Scheffler briefly flickered, reaching four under after eight but a three-putt double bogey from eight feet on the ninth stalled his challenge and he closed with another six at the last to post a 72 and one-under total.

Rose was three under for his front nine as he briefly led on six under. Schauffele picked up shots at the sixth and seventh holes, and then had the only birdie of the day on the par-four 11th to join Rose.

By this point, South African Thriston Lawrence, out in the final group with Horschel, had gone one clear on seven under after four birdies on his front nine.

Horschel was hanging in there. The overnight leader birdied three of his opening five holes to get to six under but bogeys on the eighth and 10th holes looked to have ended his hopes. Three successive birdies to finish joint second came with the pressure of winning off.

While others faded at the start of the back nine – Sam Burns, who was among those in second place at the start of day, dropped six shots on the 10th, 11th and 12th holes as he posted an 80 – Schauffele stomped on the accelerator.

He was the only player on Sunday to birdie the notoriously tough 11th and picked up two more on the 13th and 14th holes to reach eight under.

It was the turning point. Schauffele was suddenly two clear of Lawrence and three clear of Rose, who both bogeyed the 12th.

Schauffele and Rose both birdied the long 16th and the American knew at that point he was almost home. Two pars were enough, while Rose saluted the crowd after rounding off his championship with a birdie at the last before warmly embracing the victor.

Rose at least has the comfort of knowing that he has already qualified for next year’s Open at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

Also qualified for 2025 are fellow Englishmen Dan Brown and Matthew Jordan, who ended level par and joint 10th.

Brown, the world number 272, led after round one and continued to defy expectation throughout the week but finally faded on Sunday.

Like Rose, he too began the final round one off the lead but, playing with Scheffler, he had four bogeys in his opening six holes and he closed with a 74.

It means England’s hopes of a first winner of The Open extend to a 33rd year, with Sir Nick Faldo’s triumph at Muirfield in 1992 still the last.

Scotland’s Calum Scott scooped the Silver Medal as low amateur. His closing 76 won him that title on eight over par.