British-PGA double for a Xander Schauffele in a state of grace

Undisputed and well deserved: Champion Golfer of the Year 2024. American Xander Schauffele, 30 years oldand who just two months ago got ‘sanbenito’ considered one of the best in the world but without a Grand Slam, won the Valhalla of US PGA sinking a birdie putt to beat Bryson DeChambeau. And this Sunday, after a clean, perfect, brilliant, seamless final round, he got what was important British Open Silver Jughis second ‘major’ in 60 days and his 30th appearance in a ‘major’ (seventh appearance in golf’s oldest tournament).

“Thanks to my family and my team, it’s been a journey, such an honor and to have your name called after so many years of trying…Thanks to Royal Troon, the match between Stenson and Mickelson in 2016 helped motivate . to me. Thanks to the R&A for organizing this elite tournament and to all the rivals, and finally, you, the fans, make me feel like I’m in Scotland for two weeks. thank you.said in his speech and looking at the Schauffele Jug.

He was tied for 2nd in 2018 behind Francesco Molinari at Carnoustie and this Sunday, especially with the four birdies he signed on the second nine holes at Troon (less fierce than the day before), he put together a deadly that dominance and opened up a gap that his rivals, South African Thriston Lawrence, his compatriots Billy Horschel and Scottie SchefflerEnglish Justin Rose and even the Irish Shane Lowry. Jon Rahm In the end, he was tied for 7th after a great reaction left with half to go.

Schauffele, Olympic champion in Tokyo, scored this Sunday 65 strokes, six under par, for 275 (-9) and two ahead of an excellent Rose (67 and 277), tied with Horschel, and three to Lawrence, with Rahm (this was his thirteenth top-ten finish in 32 Grand Slams played), with a total of 283 (-1), the same as world No. 1 Scheffler. You need to take your hat off to the golf Asian American presented in Troon.

Xander, who we remember has four passports, made his British debut with an equal 20th in 2017 and last year at Hoylake he was 17th ex aequo. With a half-French, half-German father and a Taiwanese mother who grew up in Japan, he has his 9th victory on the PGA Tour. Until he won the PGA, he hadn’t won a tournament since the Genesis Scottish Open in 2022.

For him, family is the most important. In fact, although his father was his coach throughout his life, the creator of his swing (until he moved away), his brother worked for him as a cook and his uncle acted as his manager. Your family is your core. The most important. Xander pocketed $3.1 million for his victory.

Among his notable achievements, in addition to the ‘big ones’, are the 2017 Tour Championship, the 2018 HSBC World Champions, the 2019 Tournament of Champions and gold in Tokyo 2021. This 2024 he is 2nd in The Players and at Wells Fargo.

He is the first golfer to win two majors in the same year since Brooks Koepka (US PGA and US Open) in 2018 and the first PGA and British ‘double’ since Rory McIlroy in 2014. He also became the sixth golfer in history to win these two Grand Slams in the same year after Walter Hagen (1924), Nick Price (1994), Tiger Woods twice (2000 and 2006), Padraig Harrington (2008) and the aforementioned McIlroy.