The Open: Scott top 10, Schauffele crowned Champion Golfer of the Year
Adam Scott Australia’s best performer at the 152nd Open Championship.
Media release via Australian Golf Media
Adam Scott showed early signs of a final flurry but it was American Xander Schauffele who was crowned Champion Golfer of the Year at The Open Championship at Royal Troon.
Scott trailed 54-hole leader Billy Horschel by four strokes entering the final round on the back of a round of 5-under 66 on Saturday.
With early birdies at one and three, Scott threatened to make a charge for the Claret Jug that he craves so deeply but bogey at the par-3 fifth quelled much of his forward momentum.
Scott ultimately closed with an even-par round of 71 to finish tied for 10th, fellow Australian Jason Day signing off another year of majors with a round of 3-under 68 to climb into a share of 13th, just one shot back of Scott.
Runner-up at the Genesis Scottish Open, Scott is buoyed by a fortnight in Scotland that he hopes will propel him into the Presidents Cup team and a deep run in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
“After the 10th it was kind of over,” was Scott’s summation. “In the end I was too far back.
“Yesterday gave me a glimmer of hope but it would have had to be a super-hot front nine.
“It was good solid golf. I made a bad swing on 10 and paid the price, made a mess of that.
“It’s hard to really sum up. I played fairly well this week. Didn’t do well in the toughest conditions.
“That’s how it goes.
“There’s still the Presidents Cup to look forward to, hopefully I’m in a good spot to play my way on to that team now.
“That’s kind of the goal through the FedEx Cup upcoming.”
The next assignment for Day is a gold medal at the Paris Olympic Games.
Lamenting not handling the brutal conditions thrown at him better during Saturday’s third round where he fell from a tie for seventh to outside the top 30, Day will head home for a week before joining Min Woo Lee at Le Golf National.
“Troon is a serious test of golf,” said Day.
“I always love coming and playing The Open Championship. It’s just a thrill.
“I just didn’t putt as well as I’d hoped to yesterday and didn’t score well. I played good but didn’t score well.
“To be honest, I feel like the game is kind of moving in the right direction.
“There’s a lot of good positive things moving out of this week going into Paris.”
The US PGA champion at Valhalla in May, Schauffele was flawless in a final round of 6-under 65.
Starting Sunday one back of Horschel, Schauffele began patiently, picking off five straight pars as others around him found early birdies.
Back-to-back birdies at six and seven saw him enter the fray but it was his birdie on 11 – the only player in the final round to do so at the hole named ‘The Railway’ – sparked his winning run.
He separated himself from the field with further birdies at 13, 14 and 16, burning the left edge with a birdie putt on the 72nd hole to win by two from Horschel (68) and Englishman Justin Rose (67).
Australasian scores:
T10 Adam Scott E
T13 Jason Day +1
T15 Daniel Hillier (NZ) +3
T25 Ryan Fox (NZ) +5
MC Kazuma Kobori (NZ) +7
MC Min Woo Lee +9
MC Elvis Smylie +9
MC Michael Hendry +10
MC Jasper Stubbs (a) +10
MC Cameron Smith +12