Why is Xander Schauffele’s British Open win so special for the U.S.A.?
On Sunday, the young American clinched the second major of his career, adding to the one that he secured just three months ago. Yet, that’s not all he did.
American golf appears to be enjoying a moment in the light at present and that is in no small part due to the efforts of Xander Schauffele, however, it would be unfair not to mention the others and what they collectively have achieved.
Xander Schauffele ends America’s 42-year-wait
As you know by now Xander Schauffele got his hands on the Claret Jug on Sunday after winning the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon. The victory marked his second career major and second in his last three starts. What it also did was finalize the first American sweep of the men’s major golf championships in 42 years. That’s right. With Scottie Scheffler having won this year’s Masters, Bryson DeChambeau the U.S. Open, and Schauffele the PGA Championship and now The Open, all four majors have an American as the reigning champion. Now, while it’s true that Americans have come close to this on a few occasions over the last few years, a clean sweep has not occurred since 1982.
Interestingly, in that year, there was also an Open-Open double with Tom Watson winning the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach before going on to win the Open Championship at the very same course in Scotland, the Royal Troon. Going deeper, it should also be said that this latest victory for the Americans means they have now won the last seven straight majors for the first time in 46 years. They previously won 15 straight from 1975-78. Additionally, Americans have won nine of the last 10 majors and 23 of the last 31.
Of course, if we go back even further in time, it doesn’t take long to see that pre-1982 things were somewhat different with the Americans winning all four majors in 1973, 1975, 1976, and 1977. Understandably, mention must also be made of Tiger Woods who won three of four in 2000, but fell to Vijay Singh of Fiji in the Masters that year. Woods did manage to hold all four at once, with the caveat of winning The Players Championship, but he never actually won all four in the same year. Nonetheless, once the champagne has been finished it will be time to put aside the rhetoric of records and focus on the American’s next objective. Indeed, Schauffele and Co. will soon be in action once again when the 2024 Paris Olympics gets underway next week. Can he and his teammates win a second consecutive gold medal? Watch this space.