The 2024 British Open appeared wide open on Sunday morning, with 12 players within four shots of the lead. But in the end, Xander Schauffele broke away from the pack and played flawlessly over the closing holes to snuff out the drama and claim his second major of the season. We call ’em like we see ’em around here. They are:
Winners
Xander Schauffele: He never led this tournament until the back nine on Sunday, but once the players around him started to crack, he only got stronger, punctuated by a back-nine 31. His Sunday 65 to win the Jug, and a second major of 2024, takes his career to yet another stratosphere.
Shane Lowry: He was 8 under par and alone in the lead before a choppy Saturday 77. He sank all the way back to even par on Sunday before grinding out four birdies to snag a top 5. He was the best player in the field for long stretches of the week—he’ll be back.
Royal Troon: It surrendered a 20-under-par winning score in 2016, but for this edition the weather kicked in to build drama and knock around the best players in the world. Saturday afternoon's wind and rain created scenes that will remain iconic. Ultimately it provided a strong test and produced a worthy champion. Can’t wait to come back here again.
Losers
Billy Horschel: Entered the day with a one-shot lead and an accomplished pack of chasers right on his heels. It would’ve taken perhaps the round of his life to lift the Jug, but he has to be disappointed to make a couple early bogeys that erased his birdies and stalled any momentum.
Justin Rose: You can make a case that no one wanted the Jug more, given that the former U.S. Open champ endured a 36-hole qualifier just to get into the Troon field. He gave himself several birdie looks on the back nine on Sunday to put heat on Schauffele but … just … couldn’t …buy a putt.
Justin Thomas: Fans of the two-time major winner had to have whiplash this week after watching rounds of 68-78-67-77. JT began the final round four shots back but blew his opening tee shot nearly out of Scotland, made triple bogey, and that was that.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as British Open Day 4 Winners and Losers: Xander Schauffele Breaks Away From Pack to Win Second Major of the Year.
