Scottish Open: Xander Schauffele picks up 4th victory in the final calendar year

Xander Schauffele keeps creating up for missing time.

Winless for a lot more than two yrs, Schauffele picked up his fourth acquire in the past 12 months Sunday when he overcame a rough patch in the middle of his spherical with two key birdies and a par conserve for an even-par 70 to earn the Scottish Open up.

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Xander Schauffele retains the trophy following successful the Genesis Scottish Open up at The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland, Sunday July 10, 2022.  (Steve Welsh/PA through G3 Box News)

Future up is yet another test on Scottish soil, this 1 the purest of all, the British Open at St. Andrews. Schauffele heads to the residence of golf as between the most popular players in the world.

It was the initial time the PGA Tour co-sanctioned a European tour function.

"It is really just an honor to acquire the initial 1," mentioned Schauffele, who now has seven career titles on the PGA Tour.

His 8-foot par conserve on the par-3 17th at The Renaissance Club gave him a two-shot direct, and the 28-12 months-outdated from San Diego played it well from there. He took iron off the 18th tee to stay away from hassle and wound up missing an 8-foot par that only affected the margin.

Schauffele concluded at 7-less than 273, one shot in advance of Kurt Kitayama (66).

Kitayama experienced a 1-shot guide on the again nine and was still tied right up until missing a 6-foot par putt on the 17th gap and then having to wait around to see if his score would be adequate.

The consolation for Kitayama was earning of three spots in the industry at the British Open up, his third straight time at golf's oldest championship. The other two spots went to Brandon Wu and Jamie Donaldson, who tied for sixth.

So many others experienced a opportunity to get paid a spot at St. Andrews. Rickie Fowler has played just about every British Open up due to the fact 2010 and arrived into the last spherical of the Scottish Open in variety. But he shut with a 75 and was headed back again dwelling throughout the Atlantic.

Ryan Palmer also was in place until finally participating in the again 9 with two bogeys and no birdies and missing out by two pictures. It was harder for Alex Smalley, who only necessary a par on the 18th to make a place. He designed bogey.

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It wasn't simple for Schauffele, possibly.

Xander Schauffele retains the trophy following winning the Genesis Scottish Open up at The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland, Sunday July 10, 2022.  (Steve Welsh/PA by means of G3 Box News)

He started off the ultimate spherical with a two-shot direct and birdied the opening two holes. He was 4 shots in advance soon after 5 holes. And when he achieved the back nine, he was a person shot powering.

"This was stress filled," Schauffele mentioned. "I'm not heading to set make-up on the pig here. It was a very normal day, almost certainly my worst stuff this 7 days. You won't be able to get forward of on your own in links golf. I was forward, behind, in advance, driving. I just retained my head down."

It began to change in his favor when Schauffele built a 15-foot birdie putt on the 14th gap to reclaim the lead, and then arrived at the par-5 16th in two to set up a two-putt birdie that prolonged his direct to two pictures. Equally important was the 17th, when he putted from driving the environmentally friendly some 8 toes by the gap and designed it for par to maintain his cushion.

Schauffele now has received two straight PGA Tour commences — his earn in the J.P. McManus Professional-Am in Ireland at the start of the 7 days does not count — heading into the closing significant of the calendar year. The last participant to win twice in a row ahead of a important was Dustin Johnson in 2016, and then he tied for ninth in the British Open at Royal Troon.

He had long gone extra than 3 yrs without having a get, dating to the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua to begin 2019, and it was gnawing at him.

But then Schauffele received Olympic gold in the Tokyo Olympics last summertime. He teamed with Patrick Cantlay to win the Zurich Typical of New Orleans in late April, and now he has added two additional of his possess. That will take him to No. 5 in the world.

"Just to get over the hump, truthfully, it was big," he stated of his first PGA Tour gain this year in New Orleans. "It undoubtedly was a kick-starter for me, as you can inform."

Joohyung Kim, the 20-12 months-outdated South Korean, also had a brief share of the guide with a fantastic play on the 17th in which his ball rolled off the back again slope to 5 feet for birdie. But he took bogey on the 18th and shot 67 to complete 3rd. He moved to No. 39, his initial time in the major 50.

Norway's Viktor Hovland on the 10th tee through working day one of the Genesis Scottish Open up at The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland, Thursday, July 7, 2022.  (Steve Welsh/PA by way of G3 Box News)

Jordan Spieth had his share of adventures again.

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He was in just a person shot of the direct until eventually pulling his tee shot on the 14th into significant grass, hacking out very long and building double bogey, and then having bogey on the 15th with a wedge in his hand from the fairway. Spieth had two birdies, a few bogeys and a double bogey on the back nine and shot 72 to tie for 10th.