The United States dominates the majors with an iron fist. Fourth stop on the calendar this season and fourth victory for an American golfer. Xander Schauffele won the British Open this Sunday after winning the PGA Championship himself this season and Scottie Scheffler’s victories at the Masters and Bryson DeChambeau’s at the US Open. Four out of four, a record unseen since 1982, when Craig Stadler wore green at Augusta, Raymond Floyd won the PGA and Tom Watson scored a double at the British and US Open. On the Scottish land of Royal Troon, Schauffele flew on the final day with six under par for the day for a total of -9, two strokes ahead of the English Justin Rose and the also American Billy Horschel, and three over the South African Thriston Lawrence. Jon Rahm rowed to be seventh with -1, the same as Scottie Scheffler. Only nine players went under par for the course in the final classification.
England was once again left wanting by Justin Rose’s option, but has yet to taste its home Grand Slam since Nick Faldo was crowned in 1992. The hegemony is held by the United States, which won three out of four Grand Slams, for example in 2017 and 2023, when Sergio García and Rahm respectively captured the Masters. To find a year without any American victory in the four Grand Slams of the year, you have to rewind to 1994 (Olazabal’s Masters, Nick Price’s Open and PGA, and Ernie Els’ US Open).
The wind and rain gave a respite and the golfers exchanged the survival manual for the catalogue of their best shots. A great battle for the Claret Jug broke out at Royal Troon and the fire was stoked by Rahm with a devastating start, three birdies like three suns in the first three holes, a fourth inside the nine from the start and several more options left by the wayside. The surge recalled the best Jon Rahm, that guy capable of entering a trance and becoming the player to beat on the course, a blurred version since his millionaire signing for the Saudi League. This time the chances did come in putts and the Basque was now just two strokes behind the leader. Beneath the earthly golfer of recent months, notable but not outstanding, there was the great competitor that he has always been, the hunter that he hopes to be again at the Paris Games.
The acceleration ended on the 11th hole, a bogey after a good recovery after getting into trouble on the fairway. There his attack to the summit was frozen because the men ahead of him were also reducing their strokes on the scorecard. Rahm saved par on the 18th with a mid-distance bingo for a total of 68 strokes on the day, his best performance of the week and the tie for his best major this season, seventh after finishing 45th in the Masters he was defending, not making the cut at the PGA and not playing the US Open due to injury. The path to the Grand Slam has not been the easiest compared to other exercises, but the Basque ends it on a good note and with good feelings. And Paris is on the horizon after playing a Saudi League event in the United Kingdom beforehand.
Jorge Campillo finished +8 and the amateur Luis Masaveu, +18.
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