The wind at Royal Troon doesn't care about your world ranking. It doesn't care about how many "near misses" you’ve had or how many times the media called you a "best player to never win a major." When people search for the British Open who won, they are usually looking for a name, but the story behind Xander Schauffele’s 2024 victory is about a lot more than just a trophy. It’s about a guy who finally cracked the code of links golf in a way that felt almost inevitable once it happened.
He won. Finally.
Golf is a brutal game. You can play 68 holes of perfect, strategic, mind-bendingly difficult golf and then watch it all vanish in a pot bunker on the 17th. But at the 152nd Open Championship, Schauffele didn't just survive; he dismantled the back nine on Sunday. He shot a 65. In those conditions? It was basically surgical. While guys like Justin Rose and Thriston Lawrence were grinding just to stay in the conversation, Xander looked like he was playing a casual Sunday round at his home course, despite the sideways rain and the pressure of a Claret Jug hanging in the balance.
The 152nd Open: How Xander Schauffele Claimed the Claret Jug
If you’re looking at the British Open who won list, 2024 stands out because it marked the second major for Schauffele in a single season. Think about that for a second. Before 2024, the narrative was that he couldn't close. Then he grabs the PGA Championship at Valhalla and follows it up by conquering the toughest test in golf at Troon.
The leaderboard on that final day was a mess of "what ifs." You had Billy Horschel leading after Saturday, looking like he might finally get his career-defining win. You had Justin Rose, the veteran darling of the British crowd, trying to become the first Englishman to win the Open since Nick Faldo in 1992. The atmosphere was thick. It was heavy.
Schauffele started the day a few shots back. Most people were watching the final pairing, expecting a slugfest between Horschel and Lawrence. But Xander started making birdies. Not flashy, 40-foot bombs, but smart, calculated strikes. He birdied the 11th. Then the 13th. Then the 14th. By the time he hit the 16th, the tournament was basically over. He finished at 9-under par, two strokes clear of Rose and Horschel.
It was a masterclass in staying out of your own way.
Why Royal Troon Is a Different Beast
You can't talk about who won the British Open without talking about the venue. Royal Troon is legendary for the "Postage Stamp"—the tiny 8th hole that looks easy on paper but ruins scorecards for breakfast. In 2024, the weather played its usual role. One minute it was sunny, the next it was a deluge.
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The back nine at Troon is notoriously difficult. It plays back into the prevailing wind. Most players were just trying to hang on for dear life. Schauffele? He played the back nine in 31. That is a joke. It’s statistically one of the best closing stretches in the history of the championship. Honestly, it was a bit frightening to watch how calm he was.
Recent Winners of the Open Championship
To understand the weight of Schauffele's win, we have to look at the recent lineage. The British Open who won history is a mix of shockers and absolute legends.
- 2023: Brian Harman. Nobody saw this coming. Harman dominated Royal Liverpool by six strokes. It was a clinic in putting. He basically put the field to sleep with his efficiency.
- 2022: Cameron Smith. The 150th Open at St Andrews. Smith’s back-nine 30 to hunt down Rory McIlroy remains one of the most heartbreaking or exhilarating moments depending on who you root for.
- 2021: Collin Morikawa. Winning on his debut at Royal St George's. His iron play was so precise it felt like he was cheating.
- 2019: Shane Lowry. A rainy, emotional victory at Royal Portrush. The Irish crowd practically carried him to the finish line.
Every winner brings a different vibe. Harman was the underdog. Smith was the short-game wizard. Schauffele? He feels like the new "Alpha" of the professional game. He proved that his Olympic Gold medal and his PGA Championship weren't flukes. He’s a machine.
The Rory McIlroy Factor
We have to mention the elephant in the room. When people talk about British Open who won, they are often asking because they want to know if Rory finally did it again.
The 2024 Open was a disaster for McIlroy. He missed the cut. It was painful. After the heartbreak at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst just weeks prior, Rory looked spiritually exhausted. It reminds us that golf is as much about mental health and recovery as it is about a swing plane. You can be the most talented player in the world, but if your head isn't right, the links will chew you up.
What It Takes to Win the Claret Jug
Winning this tournament isn't like winning a standard PGA Tour event in Florida. You don't just "bomb and gouge." You have to be creative. You have to be okay with a perfect shot landing in a fairway bunker because of a weird bounce.
- Trajectory Control: You’ve got to keep the ball under the wind. If you hit it high, it’s gone.
- Lag Putting: The greens are massive and often slower than what these guys are used to. 3-putts are the silent killer of Open dreams.
- Mental Resilience: You will get a bad break. You will get rained on. You have to stay level.
Schauffele won because his "floor" is higher than everyone else's. Even when he’s not at 100%, his misses are manageable. At Troon, he didn't have many misses.
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The Evolution of the "British Open" Name
Funny enough, if you call it the "British Open" in a pub in Scotland, you might get a few side-eyes. Technically, it’s just The Open. Or the Open Championship. The "British Open" tag is largely an Americanism, though it’s the most common search term.
Whatever you call it, the tournament remains the most prestigious in the world for many players. It's the oldest. It's the most unpredictable. There's something about the history of the Claret Jug—first awarded in 1872—that makes grown men weep.
Actionable Takeaways for Following the Open
If you’re trying to keep track of the British Open who won and stay ahead of the curve for future tournaments, don’t just look at the world rankings. Look at "Strokes Gained: Tee to Green" on links-style courses.
Check out the results from the Scottish Open, which usually happens the week before. It’s the best predictor of who has their "links legs" under them. Also, keep an eye on the weather forecast. The Open is often decided by the "luck of the draw"—whether you play in the calm morning or the brutal afternoon winds.
If you want to dive deeper into the stats, the official Open Championship website and the PGA Tour's advanced metrics are your best friends. But honestly? Just watch the Sunday back nine. It’s the best theater in sports.
To stay truly informed on the next cycle, keep these names on your radar: Ludvig Åberg, Viktor Hovland, and Tommy Fleetwood. They are the most likely candidates to be the next name you see when you search for who won the British Open.
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The 2024 victory by Xander Schauffele wasn't just a win; it was a statement that the era of the "near miss" is over. He’s a closer now. And the golf world is a lot more interesting because of it. Keep your eyes on the 2025 edition at Royal Portrush. If history tells us anything, it’s that the wind will blow, the favorites will fall, and someone will play the round of their life to claim that silver jug.