Want to own John Daly’s Claret Jug from the 1995 Open Championship? It’s up for auction right now

Want a Claret Jug?

Now’s your chance to own one of the most famous trophies in sports. Just be prepared to pay a hefty price.

John Daly’s Claret Jug from his 1995 Open Championship victory at St. Andrews is up for auction at Golden Age Auctions. The starting bid was $500, and with a little more than three days to go until bidding closes, the price to own a rare piece of golf history is up to $152,463 (as of Thursday morning).

The jug is being sold by a consignor, who originally purchased the trophy directly from John Daly in 2015. The Claret Jug comes with a signed letter of authenticity and provenance from Daly, too.

Daly beat Costantino Rocca in a four-hole playoff to win his first Open Championship and second major title.

Earlier this year, Golden Age Golf Auctions sold Gary Player’s Claret Jug from 1974 for $481,068. That Claret Jug was a 90 percent scale of the real Claret Jug that every Champion Golfer of the Year gets to parade around for a year.

Per the listing, Daly’s Claret Jug is “sterling silver (hallmarked), and measures 12 ¼” tall (50 percent scale of permanent traveling Claret Jug). The magnificent case measures 14 ¼” x 8 ½” and is embossed with the R&A logo on its silk-lined interior.”

As of Thursday morning, there have been 66 bids for Daly’s Claret Jug.

R&A agrees to deal to hold major championships in Scotland as part of 11-year agreement

A total of 14 championships will be held in Scotland across various venues during the term of the partnership.

The R&A has agreed to a new 11-year partnership with the Scottish Government and VisitScotland for staging major golf championships in Scotland.

The R&A, the Scottish Government and VisitScotland will contribute a combined $14 million towards staging The Open, AIG Women’s Open and the Senior Open in Scotland between 2024 and 2034.

The investment in the championships “will drive tourism and showcase Scotland as a world-class stage for major events, as well as delivering significant economic and social benefits to the country and the host regions”, The R&A said.

A total of 14 championships will be held in Scotland across various venues during the term of the partnership.

The announcement coincides with the results of an independent study commissioned by The R&A which show that The 152nd Open at Royal Troon – attended by a record-breaking 258,174 fans in July – generated almost $400 million in total economic benefit for Scotland.

The Championship provided a total economic impact of $110 million to Scotland, according to the study conducted by Sheffield Hallam University’s Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC).

Independent research led by YouGov Sport also showed that $280 million of destination marketing benefit was delivered for Scotland as a result of it being broadcast worldwide through linear television and digital platforms.

The figures bring the total economic benefit generated by the 10 stagings of The Open in Scotland since 2005 to $1.76 billion. More than two million fans have attended in that time, including 250,000 from overseas, while The R&A’s Kids Go Free initiative has resulted in 230,000 young people under the age of 16 being able to access tickets at no cost.

As well as bringing economic benefits and global profile to Scotland, The R&A said that the agreement will also “help drive positive social impacts for the country through the delivery of inclusive and responsible events, which are key priority areas outlined in the national events strategy: Scotland the Perfect Stage 2024-2035.”

2024 British Open
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland looks on from the 18th green on day one of The 152nd Open championship at Royal Troon on July 18, 2024, in Troon, Scotland. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A, said: “The partnership with the Scottish Government and VisitScotland ensures continuing support for staging our championships at renowned venues around the country, reinforcing Scotland’s international reputation as the home of golf and for providing a world-class stage for hosting major sporting events.

“Independent studies have proven that major championship golf delivers significant economic benefits to Scotland by driving tourism, showcasing the country to a global audience and generating income for local communities and businesses. The results produced by The 152nd Open at Royal Troon reinforce this and we look forward to working with our partners in government over the next ten years to stage a number of outstanding major championships in Scotland.”

Minister for Business, Richard Lochhead, said: “Golf is intertwined with Scotland’s identity, economy and global reputation. This agreement ensures some of the world’s most prestigious golfing events are hosted in Scotland until at least 2034.

More: The top 15 golf courses in Scotland, as ranked by Golfweek’s Best

“The R&A’s championships bring thousands of visitors to wherever they are hosted. Research shows that the most recent Open, held in Troon, brought millions of pounds to the local economy, providing a transformational boost to businesses and communities. So, it is vital we continue to maximize Scotland’s reputation as the home of golf to secure the significant economic impact associated with these championships.

“And these events showcase Scotland on the world stage, highlighting the varied landscape and sporting excellence Scotland offers.”

Rob Dickson, VisitScotland Director of Industry and Events, added: “Golf events have a significant economic and social impact in Scotland. As part of the country’s diverse portfolio of sporting and cultural events, they showcase Scotland’s natural beauty and world-class golfing heritage to a worldwide audience while supporting the economy by driving visitor numbers and creating jobs.

“The partnership with The R&A and Scottish Government to secure this pipeline of major championships over 11 years, will reinforce Scotland’s position as a world-leading tourism and events destination.”

Director of the Sport Industry Research at Sheffield Hallam University, Professor Simon Shibli, said: “We were delighted to return to Royal Troon for The 152nd Open, following our initial economic impact study at the course in 2016. In the intervening years, spectator numbers have increased significantly, as has their spending in South Ayrshire and Scotland more widely. It is hugely rewarding to see research insight being used effectively to maximize the economic benefit of The Open for its host communities.”

The economic impact study for The 152nd Open at Royal Troon concluded that Ayrshire alone received a $56.7 million injection of new money as tens of thousands of visitors traveled to the region to attend the Championship.

Over half of the spectators who attended The Open (51.1%) traveled from outside of Scotland. Nearly 10% of spectators had traveled from the United States of America.

Prior to this year, 68% of surveyed spectators had attended at least one Open before, while 55% had attended an Open since 2012.

Gary Player says his 1974 replica Claret Jug was sold without his permission; son, auction house clap back

“Neither of the 1974 Masters Trophy nor the 1974 Open Trophy were sold by me or by one of my companies.”

The sale of Gary Player’s Claret Jug from winning the 1974 British Open is being contested by… Gary Player.

As reported on Monday, Golden Age Auctions sold a replica Claret Jug, which had been purchased by Player’s company, Black Knight International, and had been on display at its office – first in Palm Beach, Florida, and later at The Cliffs in South Carolina. It has been auctioned for the sum of $481,068. The auction attracted 39 bids in all, with the high bidder exceeding the previous bid by $80,000.

Player earned the trophy for his wire-to-wire win at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club, his third triumph at the British Open in a Hall of Fame career that included nine major titles.

Player read several of the stories noting the sale of the jug, a 90 percent-sized replica version of the original given to the champion for permanent keeping. It had been in the custody of Player’s design company until a previous sale during COVID-19 and controlled by his son, Marc, his ex-manager. The two had a falling out several years ago that ended up in the courts with Gary Player awarded $5 million in a legal dispute over unpaid royalties. In 2022, he filed a separate lawsuit against son, Marc, and grandson, Damian, alleging they had sold or tried to sell memorabilia despite an agreement requiring the items be returned.

“I feel that it is necessary for me to correct inaccuracies contained in those articles,” Player wrote in a post on X, the former Twitter. “Neither of the 1974 Masters Trophy nor the 1974 Open Trophy were sold by me or by one of my companies. Each of these trophies was granted to me for my sole use and enjoyment as winner of the respective majors. The person entrusted with ensuring the safekeeping of these items on my behalf and who was tasked with using them to enshrine my golfing achievements has done the opposite by offering them for sale without my consent and against my wishes. My legal team is taking appropriate steps to resolve this unlawful situation.”

Player issued a similar statement when the trophy was originally sold during a public auction in November 2020 for $143,020. The value of collectibles has exploded in recent years, and Player’s Claret Jug has turned a tidy profit for its owners.

“Unfortunately Mr. Player’s statements about the sale of replica trophies are not accurate. Shortly after the COVID pandemic began, Gary Player’s company had serious cash flow issues and reached out to a number of auction houses to sell its collection of replica trophies in order to meet payroll,” Ryan Carey, President of Golden Age Auctions said in a statement provided to Golfweek. “Golden Age then facilitated a private transaction between Gary Player’s Black Knight International company and a private buyer. The net proceeds of this sale were paid directly to Gary Player’s Black Knight International. The private buyer then sold some of the trophies, including this exact same replica 1974 Claret Jug at public auction in November 2020. Mr. Player was well aware of those sales back in 2020, and he was aware of them when he made these contradictory statements today.

“While Golden Age has the utmost respect for what Mr. Player accomplished as a golfer, his inaccurate statements are simply not acceptable under any circumstances.”

The sale this week marks the fourth time the replica trophy has been sold – twice publicly and twice privately. The latest owner of Player’s trophy has not been revealed.

Marc Player wrote in a direct message that the latest sale “has absolutely nothing to do with me” and while stating he had no “official” comment, he noted, “I find it rather strange that my father would contest it as he already sold his original Grand Slam trophy collection to Johann Rupert in South Africa [and on display there at Leopard Creek]. Perhaps best to reach out to whomever sold it for proper provenance.”

Gary Player’s replica Claret Jug from 1974 sold for nearly half a million at auction

The year 1974 was a great one for Gary Player in the major championships. 

The year 1974 was a great one for Gary Player in the major championships.

He won the Masters and Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. He also placed seventh at the PGA Championship and tied for eighth at the U.S. Open. It was the only time the nine-time major champion career won two majors in the same year.

And 50 years after his victory in the United Kingdom, his replica Claret Jug has sold for nearly half a million dollars.

Golden Age Golf Auctions posted the trophy on July 18 with a starting bid of $5,000. Twenty-nine bids and 11 days later, it has sold for $481,068.

The website stated the Claret Jug is a 90 percent scale of the real Claret Jug that every Champion Golfer of the Year gets to parade around for a year. It is the first time one has been sold by the website, which has also a Tiger Woods backup putter and other golf memorabilia.

Player’s victory in the’74 Open was memorable because he led wire-to-wire and won by four shots. It was his third Open title and eighth major victory.

Now that the 2024 men’s major season is over, we ask — are they packed together too tightly?

The Masters has always benefitted from this prolonged sense of anticipation. But the others?

I’m not sure where the time goes but I’ve just racked up my 25th Open Championship. I thought the R&A would’ve commissioned a limited-edition commemorative dish rag to flog in the merchandise tent at Royal Troon. But they didn’t. Maybe for my 50th, eh?

Anyway, if you were to document this glorious longevity in visual form then it would probably look a bit like that old illustration that portrayed the ascent of man. You know, that one that starts with an ape-like figure shuffling around on all fours and slowly morphs into a striding, upright human?

Of course, my evolution at The Open has slithered the other way. The descent of man if you please.

After a quarter-of-a-century spent hunched, slumped and contorted over the laptop, your correspondent now resembles some primitive, grunting, knuckle-dragging ancestor of the bloomin’ gibbon line.

The 152nd Open is done and dusted. In fact, the tin lid has been shoved onto men’s major season for another year. You’ve only got about nine months to wait until it all starts up again at the Masters.

The interminable previews of the Augusta showpiece will probably start tomorrow. Oh look, there’s a panning shot of Amen Corner and some syrupy schmaltz about a few flowers to get you in the mood.

The Masters, of course, has always benefitted from this prolonged sense of anticipation. As for the three other majors? Well, they come at us so quickly these days you half expect to hear a panicked shriek of ‘fore’ before ducking for cover.

Everything is a complete frenzy, isn’t it? Before a ball had been struck in anger at Royal Troon, all and sundry were being implored to enter the ticket ballot for the 2025 Open at Royal Portrush before the deadline at the end of this month. These are breathless times, folks.

The final men’s major of the year arrived amid a riot of sport on the other side of the pond. Thank goodness England’s football team didn’t win the Euros. The Open would’ve been relegated to the news in brief. Golf’s ongoing fight for relevance in this frantic environment goes on.

2024 Masters
Scottie Scheffler speaks during the trophy ceremony after winning the 2024 Masters Tournament. (Photo: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports)

I don’t know about you, but there’s a nagging feeling of unfulfillment as I chisel away at this column. You probably have the same niggle reading the thing.

The rotten summer hasn’t helped. Let’s face it, the last few weeks, by and large, have been as dank as Sawney Bean’s cave. If you were at Troon on a sodden Saturday, you’re probably still nursing a debilitating dose of trench foot.

Sun-soaked TV footage displayed in the media center, meanwhile, of yellow, crisp fairways, sideburns and flares from Opens of yore generated a certain wistfulness.

Weather-wise, certainly in this unfailingly disappointing country, it feels like the golf season hasn’t even started, yet the men’s majors are already consigned to the history books. In a jam-packed schedule, there’s a hectic desire to get them all out of the way as quickly as possible. I’m not really sure who benefits.

You’ve had just 98 days between Scottie Scheffler slipping into the green jacket at the Masters and Xander Schauffele kissing the Claret Jug at The Open on Sunday.

Some folk have probably forgotten what happened at the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open such is the crash, bang, wallop nature of the calendar. Before you can say, ‘let’s sit back, reflect on the latest major and savor its majesty’ you’re mired in a gloop of build-up for the next one.

The scheduling of tournaments around the world can be a complex, flustered palaver on par with transferring various items into a different suitcase at an airport check-in when you’ve just been informed that one of the bags exceeds the weight limit.

More: An early look at the 2025 men’s major championship venues

The high and mighty PGA Tour, of course, has to get its FedEx Cup playoff series shoehorned into the prime time before the American football season consumes everything on this side of the pond. The rest of the golfing world has to pander to the demands of Uncle Sam.

The DP World Tour, with a closing swing of decent events coming up after a lengthy break, has desires of its own while golf’s return to the Olympics – the stroke-play event starts in Paris next week – has added another layer of complexity to this scheduling lark. In the years when there’s not a Ryder Cup, there’s a Presidents Cup. Yet more stuff to squeeze in.

To be honest, I wouldn’t mind if The Open got dunted back a few weeks into August. Or we could just cut the whole field to eight players and hold it in October like the very first one at Prestwick in 1860?

The weather would probably be better than flippin’ July. I’m getting carried away there but I’m just not a great fan of this April to July, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it major maelstrom.

The golf writers will always find something to grumble about. It could be worse, I suppose. When Jack Nicklaus won his first PGA Championship in Dallas back in 1963, he achieved it just seven days after finishing third in The Open at Royal Lytham.

There was barely a spare moment to wash undergarments through the mangle for the fraught transatlantic turnaround.

Here in 2024, the men’s majors have passed in a flash. As my 25 Opens prove, time really does fly.

Want to go to the 2025 British Open at Royal Portrush? Here are several ticket packages

Want to experience an Open Championship in person? Check out these 2025 travel packages

The 2024 major season has come and gone and now golf fans around the world have to wait until April for the Masters. However, it’s never a bad idea to start planning ahead, and that’s why we wanted to bring you these incredible opportunities for the 2025 British Open, the final men’s major championship of the year, at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

The last time this historic venue hosted the most storied championship in golf was in 2019 when Ireland’s own Shane Lowry hoisted the Claret Jug, becoming the Champion Golfer of the Year.

Although the ticket ballot for next year’s Open is now live, there are several packages you can purchase that will guarantee your spot at Portrush.

These packages include tickets to the event, hotel accommodations and tournament transportation.

Find all the information you need on the available packages here:

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What will 2024 British Open champ Xander Schauffele drink from the Claret Jug? His father Stefan is calling the shots

The silver Claret Jug, which Schauffele will have custody of for one year, is even sweeter to Stefan.

TROON, Scotland – Xander Schauffele drank whiskey out of the Wanamaker Trophy after his victory at the PGA Championship in May. What will he drink out of the Claret Jug after winning the 152nd British Open? He said he’d leave that up to his father, Stefan.

“I’m just curious to see what my dad is going to pick as a first drink to drink out of this,” Xander said at his winner’s press conference on Sunday after shooting 6-under 65 to win by two strokes over Justin Rose and Billy Horschel. “He’s going to have to figure out what he wants to put in there because he’s taking the first gulp out of it.”

The answer is a no brainer according to Stefan.

BRITISH OPENLeaderboard | Photos

“Red wine,” he said. “We’re trying to find good wine. It’s a Claret Jug, no beer, that’s sacrilege. I’d rather put cider in it.”

Xander, for his part, noted that he rarely drinks alcohol but he’ll be making an exception to celebrate winning his second major championship in nine weeks.

“I don’t really get to celebrate too many things ever. This game is cruel at times,” he said. “So I have my whole family and most of my team here.”

Schauffele’s father, who was in Hawaii when his son won the PGA, said he took part in enjoying the Wanamaker Trophy and has it in his possession.

“It’s in my bedroom and I’m looking at it every morning,” Stefan said.

But the silver Claret Jug, which Schauffele will have custody of for one year, is even sweeter to Stefan.

“As a European-born this was special to me. Claret is the biggest, the untouchable,” Stefan said.

“For Xander, it might be U.S. Open and Masters. For me, it’s clearly the Claret just look at how cool it is.”

British Open future sites through 2026

Take a look at the Open Championship host courses through 2026.

The 152nd British Open has come and gone, with Xander Schauffele coming out on top for his second career major at Royal Troon’s Old Course, the q10th time the venue hosted the oldest major in golf.

The R&A, which runs the Open, calls the tournament “nature’s test of character”, stating on its website:

“Links golf is nature in all its unforgiving force – and The Open is where nature is pitted against the very best of the very best. It’s where champions must set aside what came before. Alone, skill and years of diligent preparation are not enough.”

Unlike the U.S. Open and PGA Championship, which have a multitude of future sites announced, the Open has just two.

Take a look at the next two Open Championship host venues.

Go to theopen.com for more information.

2024 British Open prize money payouts for each player at Royal Troon

This is the biggest purse in the history of the Open Championship.

Xander Schauffele has another big pay day on the way and it made him a $50 million-man.

He won his second major title of the year Sunday, capturing the British Open at Royal Troon and taking home the first-place prize of $3.1 million, and crashing the top-20 all-time money winners on the PGA Tour. He finished at 9 under for the week, topping Justin Rose, (No. 9 on the career money list with more than $64 million) and Billy Horschel (No. 32 with $39 million) by two shots.

That pushed Schauffele’s career earnings to $54,777,483 and No. 15 on the career Tour money list, slipping ahead of Jon Rahm, Hideki Matsuyama and Rickie Fowler.

Schauffele also won the PGA Championship in May for his first major championship.

Here’s a closer look at how much each player who made the cut at the 2024 British Open earned from a purse of $17 million.

British Open prize money payouts

Position Player Score Earnings
1 Xander Schauffele -9 $3,100,000
T2 Justin Rose -7 $1,443,500
T2 Billy Horschel -7 $1,443,500
4 Thriston Lawrence -6 $876,000
5 Russell Henley -5 $705,000
6 Shane Lowry -4 $611,000
T7 Jon Rahm -1 $451,834
T7 Sungjae Im -1 $451,834
T7 Scottie Scheffler -1 $451,834
T10 Adam Scott E $317,534
T10 Matthew Jordan E $317,534
T10 Daniel Brown E $317,534
T13 Jason Day 1 $248,667
T13 Alex Noren 1 $248,667
T13 Byeong Hun An 1 $248,667
T16 Mackenzie Hughes 2 $202,700
T16 John Catlin 2 $202,700
T16 Collin Morikawa 2 $202,700
T19 Dean Burmester 3 $176,367
T19 Shubhankar Sharma 3 $176,367
T19 Daniel Hillier 3 $176,367
T22 Ewen Ferguson 4 $151,067
T22 Sepp Straka 4 $151,067
T22 Padraig Harrington 4 $151,067
T25 Ryan Fox 5 $124,617
T25 Corey Conners 5 $124,617
T25 Jordan Spieth 5 $124,617
T25 Joe Dean 5 $124,617
T25 Patrick Cantlay 5 $124,617
T25 Laurie Canter 5 $124,617
T31 Guido Migliozzi 6 $90,220
T31 Cameron Young 6 $90,220
T31 Eric Cole 6 $90,220
T31 Brendon Todd 6 $90,220
T31 Matteo Manassero 6 $90,220
T31 Minkyu Kim 6 $90,220
T31 Chris Kirk 6 $90,220
T31 Dustin Johnson 6 $90,220
T31 Justin Thomas 6 $90,220
T31 Sam Burns 6 $90,220
T41 Kurt Kitayama 7 $70,050
T41 Matt Wallace 7 $70,050
T43 Jorge Campillo 8 $57,200
T43 Thorbjorn Olesen 8 $57,200
T43 Brooks Koepka 8 $57,200
T43 Max Homa 8 $57,200
T43 Si Woo Kim 8 $57,200
T43 Emiliano Grillo 8 $57,200
T43 Calum Scott (a) 8 $0
T50 Matt Fitzpatrick 9 $45,238
T50 Matthieu Pavon 9 $45,238
T50 Richard Mansell 9 $45,238
T50 Robert MacIntyre 9 $45,238
T50 Harris English 9 $45,238
T50 Adrian Meronk 9 $45,238
T50 Gary Woodland 9 $45,238
T50 Sean Crocker 9 $45,238
T58 Abraham Ancer 10 $42,150
T58 Joaquín Niemann 10 $42,150
T60 Tommy Morrison (a) 11 $0
T60 Jeunghun Wang 11 $32,100
T60 Rasmus Hojgaard 11 $32,100
T60 Jacob Skov Olesen (a) 11 $0
T60 Phil Mickelson 11 $32,100
T60 Brian Harman 11 $32,100
T66 Hideki Matsuyama 12 $40,280
T66 Tom McKibbin 12 $40,280
T66 Nicolai Hojgaard 12 $40,280
T66 Davis Thompson 12 $40,280
T66 Austin Eckroat 12 $40,280
71 Rickie Fowler 13 $39,400
T72 Young-han Song 14 $38,925
T72 Marcel Siem 14 $38,925
T72 Tom Hoge 14 $38,925
T75 Darren Clarke 15 $38,525
T75 Aaron Rai 15 $38,525
T75 Alex Cejka 15 $38,525
78 Luis Masaveu (a) 18 $0
79 Andy Ogletree 19 $38,275
80 Darren Fichardt 22 $38,150

 

Xander Schauffele wins 2024 British Open at Royal Troon for second major of year

The lid is off now and Schauffele is going to try to keep stacking majors.

TROON, Scotland – After Xander Schauffele won his first major championship at the PGA Championship in May and finished all of his media obligations, he and his caddie and wife and some close friends retired to their rental house to celebrate. Nothing was open at that hour so they found two bottles of whiskey and nearly polished them off between the six of them.

“It was a rough next morning,” Schauffele’s caddie Austin Kaiser said. “But we’re having drinks afterwards and one of our buddies is like, ‘You feel lighter?’ And he smiled. He was like, ‘Yeah, I do,’ ” Kaiser recalled Schauffele saying.

Victory at Valhalla removed the proverbial monkey from his back. No longer stuck with the label of being the best golfer never to win a major, Schauffele said he felt relief. At the 152nd British Open, Schauffele doubled his pleasure and validated his major moment, shooting 6-under 65 in the final round at Royal Troon Golf Club on Sunday to win the Claret Jug by two strokes over Justin Rose and Billy Horschel.

“I mean, it’s a dream come true to win two majors in one year. It took me forever just to win one, and to have two now is something else,” Schauffele said.

In doing so, he became the first player since Brooks Koepka in 2018 to win two majors in a season. Schauffele carded four birdies on the final nine to turn a taut competition in which any of seven golfers seemed capable of hoisting the trophy to sucking all the drama out of the closing stretch and claiming his ninth career PGA Tour title with a 72-hole total of 9-under 275.

“Best round I’ve ever played,” said Schauffele, whose score was the best round of the day by two strokes and one of only two bogey-free rounds on the day.

“Now that he’s won two, it’s all up from here,” Kaiser said. “I told him, we got the lid off. Let’s just stack’em.”

BRITISH OPENLeaderboard | Photos

Kaiser and Schauffele, 30, both transferred to San Diego State at the same time in 2012 and Kaiser has been on his bag since he turned pro in 2015. Kaiser remembers their humble beginnings when they were playing mini-tour events on the Golden State Golf Tour and traveling together in Kaiser’s Honda Accord, staying in Candlewood Suites and cooking sausage and eggs on a hot plate.

Schauffele quickly proved to be a player of great promise but as he piled up 12 top-10 finishes and six top-5s in his first 27 major starts without a victory,  questions emerged whether he was a closer. In 2018, Schauffele was tied for the lead heading into the final round of the 2018 British Open at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland but carded a 2-over 72 in the final round and lost to Italy’s Francesco Molinari by 2.

“There’s calmness and super-stressful moments when you’re trying to win a major championship. I felt them in the past, the ones I didn’t win, and I let them get to me,” Schauffele said. “Today I felt like I did a pretty good job of weathering the storm when I needed to.”

2024 British Open
Xander Schauffele celebrates with his caddie Austin Kaiser on the 18th green at the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon. (Warren Little/Getty Images)

In tricky conditions all week that turned Troon into a survival of the fittest, Schauffele was a model of plodding consistency, shooting rounds of 67-72-69 before his final-round brilliance. Conditions turned nastiest on Saturday afternoon with wind whipping and rain falling, but Schauffele managed to card four birdies in his first 10 holes before giving back shots at Nos. 11 and 18 to join a six-way logjam in second place, one stroke back.

On Sunday, with a brisk southwesterly wind blowing off the Firth of Clyde and gray skies, Schauffele showed great patience, starting with five pars before he went on the attack.

With nine holes to go, South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence held the lead, which was all the more remarkable given that he started the weekend 10 strokes back before shooting 65 on Saturday, tying for the low round of the week. He played his way into the final group and surged into the lead at 7 under with four more birdies on the front nine. But  the 27-year-old cooled off on the back nine, losing the lead with a bogey at No. 12. The four-time winner on the DP World Tour settled for his best career finish in a major, a solo fourth that earned him a spot in next year’s Masters.

The 43-year-old Rose was attempting to win his second major more than a decade after winning the 2013 U.S. Open. He had to go through final qualifying just to make the field and put up a valiant fight until he made bogey at No. 12. He closed with a birdie at the last and posted 4-under 67.

“I left it all out there,” Rose said. “I’m super proud of how I competed.”

Horschel, the 54-hole leader, pictured himself hoisting the Claret Jug before he went to bed but hit into a pot bunker off the tee at the third, found the sand at the famed Postage Par-3 eighth and short-sided himself at No. 10, leading to bogey each time.

“Ah, Billy, Billy, Billy, you’ve made three mistakes today,” he said to himself aloud as he headed to the 11th tee. “Let’s clean it up.”

He did, signing for 68, but birdies on the final three holes came too late. Still, his T-2 finish is his best result in 43 majors.

Callum Scott won the Silver Medal for the low amateur at the Open, the first Scot to win the award since 2018.

But it was Schauffele who outshined the field, picking apart Troon’s vaunted back nine with birdies at the 11th, 13th, 14th and 16th to seal the deal. Kaiser labeled the birdie at No. 11, the second-hardest hole of the day, as the turning point. That’s where Schauffele uncorked a drive that veered left and had Kaiser praying for a good break.

“Please cut, please cut or get a good ground kick,” he recalled thinking. “Luckily it did a little bit, I guess.”

Schauffele took advantage, planting a wedge inside 3 feet and knocking in the birdie putt — he was the only player in the field to make birdie there on Sunday — to climb to 6 under. He jarred a 16-foot birdie putt at 13 to reach 7 under and never relinquished the lead once Lawrence made bogey.

“Winning the first one helped me a lot today on the back nine,” Schauffele said. “I had some feeling of calmness come through. It was very helpful on what has been one of the hardest back nines I’ve ever played in a tournament.”

2024 British Open
Xander Schauffele celebrates on the 18th green in celebration of victory at the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon. (Jack Gruber-USA TODAY Sports)

Until this season, Schauffele’s most notable title had been capturing a gold medal at the Olympics held in 2021 in Toyko. In May, he canned a 5-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to outlast Bryson DeChambeau and win the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. With Scottie Scheffler, who finished T-7 after shooting 72, winning the Masters in April and DeChambeau the U.S. Open last month, this marks the first time since 1982 that all four majors were won by Americans and the first time since Tiger Woods won consecutive Opens in 2006-07 that Americans went back-to-back in the Open Championship. (Brian Harman won in 2023.) Schauffele said he watched the highlights of the last time the Open was played here in 2016 as motivation and it proved effective.

“He’s obviously now learning that the winning is easy,” said Rose, who played alongside Schauffele on Sunday. “He’s got a lot of weapons out there. I think probably one of his most unappreciated ones is his mentality. He’s such a calm guy out there. I don’t know what he’s feeling, but he certainly makes it look very easy. He plays with a freedom, which kind of tells you as a competitor that he’s probably not feeling a ton of the bad stuff. He’s got a lot of runway ahead and a lot of exciting stuff ahead, I’m sure.”

Added Rose’s caddie Mark Fulcher: “When you see a round that good you take your hat off. He didn’t put a foot wrong. It was nice to be able to watch it and not have to buy a ticket because it was fantastic…You’d almost like him to be a bit of a wanker but he really couldn’t be nicer.”

In just a matter of nine weeks, Schauffele has flipped the narrative from being the nearly man who can’t close to being a serious contender for PGA Tour Player of the Year and bona fide Hall of Fame candidate. He possesses both the Wanamaker Trophy and the Claret Jug and earned the distinction of Champion Golfer of the Year. The lid is off and now Schauffele and Kaiser are going to try to keep stacking majors.