Xander Schauffele: Is The Open champion set to take Tiger Woods’ mantle as golf’s next great?

By | July 25, 2024

Xander Schauffele: Is the British Open champion poised to replace Tiger Woods as golf’s next great player? When asked about the possibility of joining Tiger Woods as just the sixth player to win a career Grand Slam, Xander Schauffele responded: “Yes, I think so.” We’re one step closer, but we’ve still got a long way to go. But if you don’t think you’re doing it, you’ll never do it. »

With Tiger Woods missing out on a third straight major, the golf world is now evaluating candidates who could take on the role of golf’s dominant force for two decades. Many have flirted with the idea of ​​winning the crown during Woods’ run to the top, with Phil Mickelson perhaps his greatest opponent as he has won six majors to Wood’s 15.
Over the past decade, young Rory McIlroy had a quick four-fight win streak and then leveled off, while Jordan Spieth followed his three wins in the mid-2010s with a similarly long drought. Brooks Koepka has five players, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm have two, each with a sustained status as world number one… but this trio is now finding their own way at LIV Golf.
Collin Morikawa was seen as the heir apparent to Woods when he won both the PGA Championship and the British Open on his debut in 2020 and 2021, respectively, while Scottie Scheffler’s dominance on the PGA Tour over the past two years has been extraordinary. With the two Masters victory, his credit and back players championship, the cheper had already won six times in the round this year.

In any case, reach the point. No matter how beautiful the golf player is, and no matter how much they show that the future of the game is an excellent form regardless of whether or not there is a forest, the biggest applicant of his throne is this week’s royalty loan. He is a very impressive person.
Shauffle released a truly exceptional golf course in a week, but on the last Sunday, the sixth and seventh holes, he went to the ground with the other six in Sixele. Ta. Nine. The 30-year-old has long been one of the best players in football, winning nine times on the PGA Tour and also winning gold at the Covid-delayed Olympics in Japan three years ago, but has had success at major tournaments until now . year turned out to be unattainable.
Schauffele has long been considered golf’s “almost man,” with 12 top-10 finishes in majors, six of which were top-five finishes and two were runner-up finishes. But Schauffele’s 2024 is shaping up to be different, especially after he withstood the rise of Bryson DeChambeau (just ask McIlroy how tough that is) to earn his first major Championship triumph of the PGA in May.
Needing a birdie at the par-five 18th to win at Valhalla and avoid the playoff, Schauffele holed a six-footer to finish at 21 under, the lowest 72-hole score in men’s tournament history. “The reason he won is because he made that putt at Valhalla,” Sky Sports’ Laura Davis said after Schaufel’s second win, two months after his first major victory.
“And the reason he won Valhalla is because he was more aggressive on Sunday.” He always seemed more interested in having a good tournament than in winning one.
“If he hadn’t won Valhalla, he would have been one of the best players in the world but never won a major tournament.
“That has released all the pressure. He’s up to No 2 in the world now… we’re going to see more and more of him.”

Schauffele, himself, referenced his new-found confidence and calmness down the stretch at Royal Troon as being crucial to his final-day triumph. “Winning the first one really helped me on the back nine today,” he said. “I felt a certain calmness, which was very helpful on what was one of the most difficult back nines I’ve ever played in a tournament.”

He added: “When you’re trying to win a major championship, there are times when it’s very stressful. I’ve felt them in the past, things I didn’t earn, and I let them get to me.
“Today, I felt like I was able to weather the storm well when I needed to.”

And Schauffele isn’t stopping there. Whereas before he was only interested in that first title, now he has at least four more in mind.
When asked if he’d ever thought about becoming the sixth player in history to win a Grand Slam, joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Woods, Schauffele was bold: “I’ve always wanted it.” “We’re one step away, but we still have a long way to go. But if we don’t see ourselves doing it, we’ll never do it.”

And he definitely has what it takes to make it happen. What was most evident in Schauffele’s victory at Royal Troon was his consistency on the world’s best golf courses and in the conditions.

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