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Xander Schauffele has revealed that rewatching Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson’s memorable duel at the 2016 Open helped inspire him to triumph at Royal Troon.
Schauffele secured his second major of 2024, taming the Ayrshire links with an outstanding final-round 65 to seal a two-shot victory.
The American, for so long golf’s nearly man in the majors, had made his breakthrough at the PGA Championship in May, and carried the calm and composure shown at Valhalla to back up that victory.
And a delighted Schauffele explained afterwards that re-living Stenson’s narrow win over Mickelson at the last Troon Open had helped give him confidence entering the weekend.
“It’s been quite a journey,” Schauffele reflected as he laid his hands on the Claret Jug for the first time. “I feel very honoured. Hearing your name called with ‘Open champion’ afterwards is something I’ve dreamt of for a very long time.
“I watched the highlights of Phil [Mickelson] and Henrik [Stenson] in 2016 to motivate myself. I guess that paid off pretty nicely! I’m from San Diego, so I don’t know how you manage this weather and make the course look as good as it does. You guys host a world-class event, we all feel very honoured to partake and play in this great tournament.
“I’ve been in Scotland for two weeks now and the fans have been amazing. It’s been like a second home for me and I can’t wait to come back.”
Schauffele is the second successive winner of The Open from the United States after Brian Harman’s win at Hoylake last year.
His victory extends an all-American streak of men’s major winners that extends back to Jon Rahm’s Masters victory in the first major of 2023.
Past winners of the Claret Jug at Troon include Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson, and Schauffele was delighted to join them in lifting the famous trophy.
“I just can’t wait to drink out of it!” Schauffele quipped to Sky Sports. “My dad is here with me, so he can have whatever drinks he wants.
“It means a lot. It’s something all of us play for, and it really is a dream come true to be holding this. It hasn’t sunk in yet, my brain is still grinding trying to get through the holes. I can’t wait to sit back and have a moment with the Claret Jug.
“I thought [the PGA Championship win] would help me, and it actually did. I had this sense of calm that I didn’t have at the PGA. For some reason, I felt calm and collected. My caddy said he was about to puke on the 18th tee! I just kept moving along.”
