Xander Schauffele came from nowhere with a brilliant six-under 65 to triumph at The Open, following up his victory at the PGA Championship in May. (More Sports News)
Schauffele began Sunday's fourth round as one of si🍷x players at three under, one stroke back of overnight leader Billy Horschel in the hunt for the Cl🐼aret Jug.
But the world number three managed six birdies to beat Horschel and Justin Rose by two shots☂ at Royal Troon, making it the seventh straight major to be won by 🧜an American.
Back-to-back birdies at holes ♑six and seven put Schauffele in contention, but iꦆt was over the back nine where he really stepped things up to pull clear of his rivals.
He took the outright le﷽ad on the 13th, sinking a difficult 13-foot b𓆏irdie putt as playing partner Rose and fellow contender Thriston Lawrence both dropped a shot.
As was the case at Valhalla in May, Schauffele proved an excellent pace-sett𓆏er, birdying again on the 14th and the 16th then holding his nerve at the death, finding the heart of the green with ease on the penultimate hole to all but seal the deal.
While💝 Rose sho🐟t four under and Horschel three under to share second place, Lawrence was one stroke further back at six under for the week, and Russell Henley finished five under after a bogey-free final round of 69.
Shane Lowry, who had led at the start of the weekend but carded a miserable six over on Saturday, rebounde🍃d somewhat with a score of 68 to finish sixth.
Lowry said of victor Schauffele: "You🔯 need to hole everything on a day like today, especially to beat someone like Xander, who's in the fꦗorm he's in.
"It looked like he was running away with 🌳it again. He did that on me at the PGA, and he's done it again today.
"He just doesn't really hit many bad shots, does he? I went the🅘re two back at the✤ PGA, and I felt like I shot a decent score, and I wasn't anywhere near him. He's obviously good when he's out in front."
Jon Rahm joined Scottie Scheffleꦡr and Sung-Jae Im as the only other players with a negative score at one under, having briefly threatened a push for the ti💝tle with three straight birdies to open his final round before tailing off.
