The Open: Xander Schauffele lets father Stefan take first drink from Claret Jug
Schauffele carded a flawless closing 65 at Royal Troon to finish nine under par, two shots clear of overnight leader Billy Horschel and Justin Rose.
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Xander Schauffele gave his father Stefan the honour of choosing what to drink from the Claret Jug following his nerveless victory in the 152nd Open Championship.
Schauffele carded a flawless closing 65 at Royal Troon to finish nine under par, two shots clear of overnight leader Billy Horschel and Justin Rose, who had threatened to become the first English winner of the Claret Jug since 1992.
South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence, who held the lead after 11 holes of the final round before Schauffele’s decisive run of four birdies in six holes, finished a shot further back in fourth following a 68.
“I just can’t wait to drink out of it,” Schauffele said as he cradled the Claret Jug. “It really is a dream come true to be holding this.
“I have my whole family and most of my team here. I’m just curious to see what my dad is going to pick as a first drink to drink out of this.
“He’s going to have to figure out what he wants to put in there because he’s taking the first gulp out of it.”
Rose admitted he had mixed emotions after twice briefly holding the lead before his only bogey of the day on the 12th left him with too much ground to make up.
“I was gutted when I walked off the course and it hit me hard because I was so strong out there,” the 43-year-old said after a closing 67.
“I won second place, I won points, I won prizes, FedExCup points, all that stuff too. At that point, you’re being a professional. Then I walk 10 steps later and I’m choking back tears.
“But in terms of how I played and the execution of my emotions today, my mindset, I left it all out there. I’m super proud of how I competed.”
Shot of the day
Schauffele was the only player in the final round to birdie the dangerous 11th thanks to his stunning approach.
Round of the day
Schauffele carded a flawless 65, the lowest round of the day by two shots, to claim the Claret Jug.
Quote of the day
Statistic of the day
Top statistician Justin Ray highlights the exalted company Schauffele is now keeping.
Easiest hole
The par-five seventh was the easiest hole for the first time, a total of 31 birdies, 40 pars and just nine bogeys resulting in an average of 3.725.
Hardest hole
The 10th hole played the most difficult with just three birdies, 35 bogeys and five double bogeys leading to an average of 4.525.
When is the next major championship?
The 89th Masters will be held from April 10-13, 2025 at Augusta National in Georgia.