Xander Schauffele won his second major in three months at the 152nd Open at Royal Troon to complete an American clean sweep of the game’s biggest titles in 2024.

Schauffele carded a flawless closing 65 to finish nine under par, two shots clear of overnight leader Billy Horschel and Justin Rose, who led early in the final round and had threatened to become the first English winner of the Claret Jug since 1992.

South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence, who held the lead after 11 holes on Sunday, finished a shot further back in fourth following a 68.

Schauffele, who registered a major record of 21 under par to win the US PGA at Valhalla in May, is the first player to win two majors in a year since Brooks Koepka in 2018.

A magical moment for Xander Schauffele with his dad watching him home up the 18th having missed his maiden major triumph having been staying in a shipping container in Hawaii for the final round of the PGA Championship. As you do.

Dan Brown had mixed emotions after his memorable Open debut ended with him in a share of 10th place.

The unheralded Yorkshireman went into the final day at Royal Troon with a chance of claiming an unlikely victory after an outstanding first three rounds.

The 29-year-old from Northallerton led after shooting 65 on Thursday and stayed near the top of the leaderboard all week before fading with a three-over-par 74 on Sunday.

His hopes were effectively dashed after five bogeys on the front nine and he eventually finished on level par, nine strokes behind winner Xander Schauffele.

Brown said: “If you would have told me this at the start of the week, obviously I would have been very pleased, but I wanted to do better and be higher up the board.

“At the minute there’s probably a little bit more disappointment but when I reflect on it, I’ll be obviously very pleased, I would have thought.

“But it was just the front nine – I didn’t quite get it going all week, really.”

Brown has stayed in a house near Troon with some friends over the course of the week and credited them with helping him keep his feet on the ground during his run in the tournament.

He admitted the atmosphere could be livelier on Sunday evening.

He said: “Yes, I can get on the drink now!”

Billy Horschel felt he spurned a good opportunity to win his first major title at the Open on Sunday.

The American began the final day at Royal Troon with a one-shot lead but ultimately had to settle for a tie for second place, two strokes behind champion Xander Schauffele, on seven under.

Horschel did birdie three of the opening six holes but three bogeys cancelled out those gains and – although he finished with three-successive birdies – it was too little too late.

“I’m disappointed,” said the 37-year-old after carding a three-under-par 68. “I should feel disappointed. I had a chance to win a major.

“I was in a really good position and I just made a few too many mistakes when I didn’t need to.

“But we’ll look back on this in an hour and I’ll be very happy with how I played. I’ll be very happy with what I did this week.

“I did a lot of great things that I can take on to the next few years of majors and hopefully one of these will be my time to step through the door and hold one of them.”

The hunt for an English winner of The Open, meanwhile, goes on. Justin Rose was excellent to share second having had to negotiate qualifying just to get to Troon. Post-round, he pinpointed a key moment today where momentum shifted today:

That really was pinpoint, precise golf from Xander Schauffele to seal it down the stretch. In all, the American hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation and nine of 14 fairways, becoming the seventh consecutive men’s major champion from the United States. 2024 is the first year since 1982 that all four majors have been won by a single nation – Tom Watson was The Open winner that year at…Royal Troon.

Schauffele’s summer could get even better, too. He’ll head to Paris next week hoping to defend his Olympic title, that gold medal in Tokyo really serving to show that golf’s nearly man could perform on the biggest of stages. The challenge at Le Golf National will be different to the tests of Troon, but Schauffele will enter full of confidence.

It’s turning into a profitable year for Xander Schauffele, who’ll pocket a healthy sum after that wonderful 65 to seal victory:

Here’s how they all ended up in glossy, graphical form. Breakthrough performances from Thriston Lawrence and Daniel Brown, unheralded on arrival at Troon but really establishing themselves over the last four days.

The American, for so long golf’s nearly man in the majors, had made his breakthrough at the PGA Championship in May, and carried the calm and composure shown at Valhalla to back up that victory.