The Open: Xander Schauffele storms to Claret Jug 

FINAL LEADERBOARD – 9 Schauffele; -7 Rose, Horschel; Lawrence -6 Henley, -4 Lowry SELECTED OTHERS -1 Rahm, Scheffler

The clock had ticked well past 3pm on this hyped major Sunday and two shots separated a ten-strong cavalry charge. Barely two hours later, the race at Royal Troon was run.

Another anti-climax at The Open? Maybe. Just don’t tell Xander Schauffele.

Who seriously could have predicted that – in the space of 63 days – Schauffele would go from golf’s nearly man to a two-time major champion?

This was a true masterclass from Schauffele, the new Champion Golfer on this devilish South Ayrshire links. Schauffele’s final round 65 was every bit as sublime as the one that vaulted him to the PGA Championship just two months ago in Valhalla.

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He had spent the first three rounds hiding in plain sight, quietly poised in the pack and waiting to strike. On the back-nine on Sunday, playing alongside the crowd’s favourite Justin Rose, he made his move.

At the “The Railway”, the feared par-4 11th that has wreaked havoc all week, Schauffele made a three. Completely in the zone, he went on to birdie 13, 14 and 16, leaving Rose and co. in the dust.

Rose was roared on by the large galleries at Troon and played a final round worthy of so much more, but he just couldn’t live with the brilliance of Schauffele, who wouldn’t even give the challengers a flicker of hope with two pars to close.

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For Rose and England, 32 years of hurt in golf’s oldest major goes on. For the United States, however, a rare major monopoly.

This is the first time since 1982 that America has had a clean sweep on the four biggest trophies in the sport. Schauffele, of course, has done so much of the heavy lifting.

“Oh man. Hearing your name called with ‘Open champion’ after it is something I’ve dreamt of for a very long time,” Schauffele said as collected the Claret Jug, almost in disbelief.

“It’s hard to explain. As a kid you dream of it. I tried to force myself to dream of it as of late. It’s surreal. It is a dream come true.”

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Schauffele had started this final round one shot behind the overnight leader Billy Horschel.

He had survived the hellish weather on Saturday and settled in the more benign conditions among a congested leaderboard.

Rose, Horschel and the unheralded South African Thrison Lawrence all had the lead after early birdies on the front nine. Shane Lowry, meanwhile, got within one after a streak of four birdies in six before the turn.

But Rose’s valiant challenge stalled with a bogey on the 12th hole, while Lawrence showed his first sign of weakness on the same hole.  Seizing his opportunity, Schauffele surged through as the runaway train.

From nowhere, the nearly man is halfway towards a career grand slam.

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.