Schauffele’s Open Championship Win Makes 40+ Year History for American Golfers

The race for the Claret Jug was wide open most of the weekend, and plenty of international golfers were making a claim for the championship.

But Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, and Thriston Lawrence – who all led at some point over the weekend – fell short, giving way to Xander Schauffele’s second major win of 2024. 

In the process, Schauffele’s win put Americans in possession of all four major wins in 2024 – something that hasn’t been done in over 40 years:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Schauffele, along with Masters champ Scottie Scheffler and U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau, became the first Americans to sweep the majors since Tom Watson, Raymond Floyd, and Craig Stadler did it in 1982.

It nearly happened several times since. Here are some notable years:

• In 1983 and ‘84, Seve Ballesteros prevented an American sweep. 
• Greg Norman’s Open Championship win kept it from happening in 1986.
• Nick Faldo did it three times, in 1987, ‘89, and ‘96.
• In 2000, Vijay Singh won the Masters, and Tiger Woods won the next three majors.
• The last year U.S. golfers didn’t win any major was in 1994, when the champions were Nick Price (2), Ernie Els, and Jose Maria Olazabal. 
• Jon Rahm was the only non-U.S. player to win a major in 2023, giving American golfers wins in the last seven majors. 

Schauffele turned a competitive Open at Royal Troon into a coronation over the final few holes thanks to his bogey-free 65. 

The greatest walk in golf for Xander Schauffele. pic.twitter.com/xYY9yv5D1B

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 21, 2024

Schauffele said:

“That was the best round of my life. Hearing your name called with ‘Open champion’ after it is something I’ve dreamt of for a very long time.”

Schauffele became the first person since Brooks Koepka in 2018 to win two majors in the same calendar year.

Cover Image via New York Times