'Schauffele passes ultimate examination in classic Open'

While Xander Schauffele celebrates completing nan first American shutout of nan 4 men's fields successful 42 years, it is worthy reflecting connected nan maddening magnificence of UK links play astatine its highest level.

It is, undoubtedly, nan athletics successful its purest and champion form.

Schauffele won a classical Open astatine Royal Troon - a people that provided nan eventual trial while nan elements, for sustained periods, threw their worst astatine nan world's finest golfers.

Ultimately nan title was won by nan correct man, arsenic nan 30-year-old Olympic champion collected his 2nd awesome of 2024. For each Scottie Scheffler's caller success, Schauffele richly deserves nan moniker 'champion golfer of nan year'.

This Open had everything - improbable challengers, big-name casualties and a stunning capacity to snatch nan Claret Jug.

Those 4 days connected nan Ayrshire seashore amounted almost to a different athletics compared pinch nan sultry power and generous people set-up that prevailed astatine Valhalla successful May, when Schauffele won nan US PGA to onshore his first awesome title.

Troon provided nan eventual examination. The unfamiliar winds of nan first 2 days undid nan maxim that scores are made connected nan beforehand 9 and retained, if you are bully enough, connected nan ultra-challenging inward half.

The accepted Troon trial was turned connected its head. These unexpected conditions bamboozled nan likes of Rory McIlroy, and nan man who dramatically hit him to past month's US Open - Bryson DeChambeau.

Much-vaunted debutant Ludwig Aberg besides took an early bath arsenic shot-making limitations of galore apical stars were ruthlessly exposed.

Formulaic demands of nan PGA Tour, wherever explosive and gouge to receptive greens is specified a profitable pursuit, were not nan qualities required past week.

Deep bunkers pinch steep faces terrorised this Open field. Shots needed shaping to usage winds arsenic cushions to onshore balls successful correct spots.

Chips from tight links turf required absolute precision, often putters were nan correct option. Keeping nan shot low, imaginatively utilizing this glorious golfing terrain was nan bid of nan day.

Maintaining intelligence fortitude arsenic acold rainfall drove sideways precocious connected nan Saturday day was important to ensuring title hopes were not blown away. These are nan demands of play successful its purest form.

Justin Rose and Billy Horschel - nan 54-hole leader - played arsenic if their lives depended connected it - celebrating par putts that kept them salient connected nan unique yellowish leaderboards overlooking nan location green.

Shane Lowry raged astatine nan reliable people set-up. The truth drivers were needed to scope nan greenish connected nan agelong par-three 17th was irksome to nan Irishman.

He did small incorrect successful nan Saturday 77 that yet costs him his tilt astatine a 2nd Open title. And he had a point, to an extent.

But pinch modern shot and nine exertion disposable to today's superstars, it was refreshing to spot them tested to nan extreme. And it was his acold putter connected that frigid precocious Saturday day that did for him.

This was play being played arsenic nan game's Scottish founding fathers knowledgeable it backmost successful nan 19th Century, erstwhile nan first Opens were played down nan roadworthy astatine Prestwick.

Schauffele was calmness personified passim these 4 ultra-demanding days. He carded only six bogeys, 2 of them successful nan worst of nan third-round conditions.

Stay retired of nan bunkers was a cardinal maxim. He visited only three, and successfully sewage up and down connected 2 of those occasions.

Do not autumn foul of nan mini Postage Stamp eighth was another. He birdied it 3 times, and will consciousness he should person had a afloat group having fixed himself a awesome look connected his last sojourn to that magical par three.

With nan title connected nan statement he deed 16 of 18 greens successful regulation. He was nan only man to birdie nan treacherous 11th, wherever his six-iron attack from nan near unsmooth to wrong 3 feet was arguably nan changeable of nan tournament.

His delicate spot to nan par-five 16th was a changeable of sheer class, having seen his plucky pursuer Rose smash a 300-yard driver disconnected nan platform connected to nan green.

The Englishman was 1 mediocre transportation - astatine nan 12th - from pushing Schauffele each nan measurement to nan end. His 5 connected that spread was nan only bogey betwixt them successful a fabulous show of links golf.

Easing distant pinch his 4 back-nine birdies, nan champion demonstrated ultimate ball-striking and objective putting. That is champion golf, worthy of nan top arena connected nan calendar.

"That locomotion up 18 genuinely is nan coolest pinch nan yellowish leaderboards and nan fans and nan opinionated ovation," Schauffele reflected arsenic he tightly clutched nan precious Claret Jug.

"It really is 1 of nan coolest feelings I've ever had successful my life."

Schauffele is nan only subordinate to person vanished top-10 successful each 4 majors. At nan PGA he group a caller scoring grounds by finishing 21 nether par, but his nine-under tally successful Scotland was moreover much impressive.

He is nan 11th successive first-time victor of nan Open - a tally started erstwhile Phil Mickelson made a akin bolt from nan battalion successful 2013.

Such a grounds shows nan title is genuinely 'open' and rewards nan champion subordinate successful that fixed week. That is competitory play successful a nutshell.

Schauffele was already 1 of nan 2 champion players successful nan world, and nan time-honoured demands of links play - successful its astir dispute shape - ensured that only personification of specified elevated position could prevail.

The 152nd Open should beryllium remembered arsenic a classic. Roll connected Royal Portrush successful 12 months' time.