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Xander Schauffele was still getting acquainted with the Claret Jug following his Open victory when his dad confidently predicted that, not only will he complete the career grand slam, but he’ll be the next player do so.

Schauffele, 30, closed with a bogey-free 65 at Royal Troon to seal his second major victory, following his win in the PGA Championship nine weeks earlier.

That puts him halfway to becoming only the sixth golfer in history to win all four of the men’s marquee events.

And despite the fact that Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth will both have opportunities to do so before Schauffele gets the chance at next year’s US Open – assuming he wins The Masters, of course – dad Stefan is confident he’ll be the first player since Tiger Woods in 2000 to join the game’s most exclusive club.

“It’s up to you guys to take a look at the statistics and see who has the greatest potential of being the next career grand slammer because I think he’s the one who has the game,” he told a small group of reporters next to the practice putting green.

“Of course, I’m being subjective but I think, objectively, you will arrive at the same conclusion.”

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In a brief but fun and wide-ranging chat, Schauffele Snr also revealed there’s a far more emotional side to his now two-time major-winning son than was on show when he tapped-in to become the new ‘Champion Golfer of the Year’.

“He’s very emotional. He’s not as stoic and as boring as you might think. Jordan [Spieth] said it: the fun guy in the team room is Xander.

“But on the golf course, this is business. He’s very, very disciplined at everything. Of course, there’s a bunch of guys like that but, at the end of the day, it’s your level of talent and health that are the determining factor.”

The turnaround in Schauffele’s fortunes is quite incredible. Prior to the PGA Championship at Valhalla, he had earned a reputation for being a terrible closer.

A week before he won the Wanamaker Trophy, for example, he moved to two-for-eight in converting 54-hole leads into wins on the PGA Tour, Rory McIlroy overtaking him to win the Wells Fargo Championship. He had also made 27 major starts without a win until that point.

According to Stefan, it was only ever a matter of time before he broke through.

“We all have doubts, okay? We all have doubts. Now, to me, clearly, it had to happen. It just had to. But you guys [in the media] are very good at augmenting the pressure and you end with a little bit of a tightening in the rear end. So yes, maybe you’re going to miss a shot or two. But now, the cork’s out.”

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Indeed it is. And golf’s gain, as it turns out, is football’s loss.

“He was an excellent soccer player,” added Stefan, himself an accomplished footballer in his day. “It was astonishing the talent he had. When he was four, half-volleys, both legs, left and right.

“I thought he would rescue the American soccer team because, oh my God, they need help. They all run after the ball, get to the end [of the pitch] and go ‘Oops!’

“But no, when he was 14, he had been promised by the soccer team he played for that he would be allowed to play attacking midfielder. He had always been a sweeper until then.

“Anyway, the new season came around and the coach – my buddy, a Brazilian guy – comes running across the field, saying to me, ‘Quick! You have top speak to Xander!’ And Xander comes trotting behind him saying, ‘I just quit. They lied to me. Now, I’m going to get on the PGA Tour.’

“He was fourteen. Those words literally came out of his mouth and here we are.”

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Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor

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