Claude Harmon has shared what many of the players on tour think about Xander Schauffele as he discussed his victory at The Open Championship at Royal Troon last month.
Heading into the PGA Championship in May, some were wondering whether Xander Schauffele simply did not have what it takes to get across the line in the biggest events. Up until that point, he had been a regular fixture near the top of the leaderboards in the majors without winning, and he had just lost out on the Wells Fargo Championship to Rory McIlroy. Justin Thomas is one of those who thinks Schauffele should have won a lot more.
But those doubts have been put to bed in emphatic fashion, with Schauffele winning the PGA Championship at Valhalla – and he followed that by winning The Open Championship at Royal Troon.
Schauffele produced a flawless final round of 65 to win by two in South Ayrshire. He moved alongside the outstanding list of current players on two major titles, and he made it look relatively comfortable. Justin Rose claimed Schauffele’s mentality is one of his most underrated qualities.
Claude Harmon shares what players think of Xander Schauffele
And speaking on Son of a Butch with Claude Harmon, Harmon suggested that he was delighted to see Schauffele win because of what a great person he is considered to be.
“I think an unbelievable story is Xander Schauffele. Xander’s everybody’s favourite on tour, everybody loves Xander. He’s a great guy, he and his caddie Austin, they’re great people. His dad is a character and a half, he’s fun to talk to. I was watching The Open Championship, and you had a mix of Justin Rose had a chance to win a major at his age, Billy Horschel had a chance to win a major, you had a couple of players that weren’t household names, that weren’t on anyone’s radar, that had legit chances deep into that tournament. Shane Lowry made a massive run at The Open Championship this year, he’s a fan favourite. The Matthew Jordan and Daniel Brown stories, I think, were really good. Russell Henley played amazing golf,” he said.
“Xander Schauffele shoots 65 on Sunday, and was even through the first four or fives holes, and then, you could see the confidence from winning his first major championship at Valhalla. He said he felt calm on the back nine, I’m a fan of that, I’m a fan of watching that.”
A key player in golf’s immediate future
It always helps fans to root for a player if they know that they are a good person behind the scenes, as it is a lot easier to be pleased for them when they do enjoy those incredible moments of success.
Schauffele has tended to avoid being caught up in the drama, whether that be responding to speculation surrounding Patrick Cantlay at the Ryder Cup last year or the situation involving LIV Golf.
Of course, it is important golf has its great characters. Fan still want to see what Jon Daly is going to do whenever he tees it up. But it is also fantastic to see what the game’s very best are truly capable of.
And the signs this year suggest that Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele could have the rivalry which defines the next few seasons.
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