Xander Schauffele left speechless by Open triumph as Scottish golf history hits American hard

Xander Schauffele was speechless at winning a Claret Jug beside the birthplace of The Open.

The American star produced a magical final-day burst to win the 152nd Championship. Schauffele’s success at Royal Troon came next door to where the first Open was played at Prestwick in 1860. The enormity of that Scottish history hit the honoured 30-year-old as he gazed at the cherished silverware following his two-shot triumph.

Schauffele pointed to the trophy when asked about seeing his name on it having won in the Home of Golf and said: “I was just informed, just on the tip there, dating back to the first Open at Prestwick. If you start looking at it, which I will definitely have time to tonight, I think it will all really sink in and settle in. I’m just pretty speechless. If I sat in a room by myself with this, I would just stare at it and gaze and really try to take it all in.”

Schauffele backed up his USPGA Championship win at Valhalla in May to make it two in 2024 and says spending preparation time in Scotland was key to success. The 2022 Scottish Open champion was back at The Renaissance last week to hone his links skills and adjust said: “I think it’s essential. Just the time zone itself is a big thing to overcome.

“Then when you move along to the fescue and the deep bunkers and the finer sand, and then you talk about the wind, and then the greens being slower, literally everything is completely different than what we do over in the States. If you can just give yourself an extra week to try and acclimate, I think it’s a no-brainer.”

Having won his first Major across the Atlantic, Schauffele’s victory at Troon cemented his place in the game’s folklore. It was put to him that winning at the Home of Golf makes him the