Americans at home at Royal Troon

Xander Schauffele's barnstorming win at The 152nd Open continued a tradition of American dominance at Royal Troon.

The Californian's triumph marked the seventh time an American has won at the famous Ayrshire course, with Henrik Stenson's defeat of Phil Mickelson in 2016 now a blip in their record.

Stenson was only the fourth different nationality of an Open winner on the Ayrshire track.

England’s Arthur Havers triumphed at Troon’s first staging, in 1923. This was followed by South African great Bobby Locke retaining the title there in 1950.

There was much conjecture at the time about the unwillingness of American golfers to travel to the UK to compete in The Open – before Arnold Palmer unwittingly changed the face of golf’s original Championship.

While the legendary American figures of Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Walter Hagen, Sam Snead and Ben Hogan had all tasted glory across the pond, The Open had hitherto been dominated by British golfers.

But after the charismatic and influential Palmer announced himself at Royal Birkdale in 1961, the proverbial floodgates opened.

American golfers have since gone on to enjoy enormous success on a host of fabled links courses – but nowhere more so than at Royal Troon.

1962 – Arnold Palmer

Known simply as ‘The King’, Palmer’s influence on modern-day golf is unquestionable.

With his good looks, charisma and attacking flair, Palmer attracted fans everywhere he went. He is widely considered to be golf’s first superstar; his rise in prominence coinciding with the advent of television and the mass appeal that brought with it.

Palmer could charm an audience in any setting, but he was never more captivating than with a club in his hands, and he had the accolades to prove it, with four Green Jackets in seven years among his remarkable achievements.

Having first played at The Open at St Andrews in 1960, where he finished second, Palmer quickly fell in love with links golf and went one better the very next year at Royal Birkdale.

His successful defence at Troon in 1962 – in which he set a 72-hole Open record of 276 – was a watershed moment for more than just that victory; that year Palmer had encouraged some of his countrymen to make the trip to Scotland, including Gene Littler, Phil Rodgers and 22-year-old US Open champion Jack Nicklaus.

Palmer became only the second player after Hogan in 1953 to win The Masters and The Open in the same year.

‘The King’ did not win the Claret Jug again but his role in re-establishing the immense significance of the golf's original major can not be underestimated.

1973 – Tom Weiskopf

Practice making perfect is an oft overused idiom – but it can certainly be applied to the narrative around Tom Weiskopf’s only major victory, in 1973.

A fiery character with a powerful swing, Weiskopf was still coming to terms with his father’s death just three months earlier. He kept his emotions at bay and became accustomed to Troon’s unique layout during eight practice rounds. The planning paid off as he hit the ground running on day one.

Weiskopf led from the moment he posted an opening-round 68 and he eventually became just the fifth wire-to-wire winner since The Open was extended to 72 holes.

He said: “I made very few mistakes and nothing bothered me, which was unusual.

“I was at the top of my game. I was so confident, everything seemed in slow motion."

The Open of 1973 also belonged to another American, the great Gene Sarazen.

The 1932 Champion Golfer of the Year made his penultimate appearance, 50 years after he first played at Troon in 1923, and the 71-year-old signed off in style with a hole-in-one at the 8th hole.

1982 – Tom Watson

Only Harry Vardon has won more Opens (6) than Tom Watson’s tally of five.

His fourth success came at Troon in 1982, though Watson maintains he was fortunate to pip Nick Price to the title.

Starting the final day three shots adrift of 22-year-old debutant Bobby Clampett, Watson benefitted most from Clampett’s collapse – and Price’s Sunday 73 – which allowed the Champion Golfer of 1975, 1977 and 1980 to win by a single stroke.

Watson, who would duly defend his title in 1983, said: “I didn’t win this Championship, I had it handed to me.”

Nevertheless, this victory saw Watson match Jones (twice), Sarazen, Hogan and Lee Trevino in winning both The Open and the US Open in the same summer.

1989 – Mark Calcavecchia

Florida’s Mark Calcavecchia won The Open’s first three-way play-off – and the first to be played over four extra holes rather than a full extra round.

Calcavecchia began the final day three strokes adrift of Wayne Grady with Greg Norman a further four behind.

But an incredible six birdies in a row brought the Great White Shark into contention and he finished with a 64 to post the clubhouse target at nine-under-par.

Calcavecchia’s cause was aided by a 40ft birdie putt at the 11th followed by a pitch-in from 60 feet at the 12th. An exquisite approach shot into the last set up the four-foot birdie he needed to tie Norman’s clubhouse lead.

Norman set the pace in extra time with birdies on the opening two holes. But a bogey at the 17th dropped him back level with Calcavecchia, with Grady by now out of the picture.

With Norman overshooting the 18th green with his third stroke after finding sand from the tee, Calcavecchia effectively sealed victory by setting up an all-important birdie chance with a delectable 5-iron approach to six feet – arguably the most important stroke he made in his career.

1997 – Justin Leonard

Royal Troon is famous for having very different set-ups from front to back nine.

The Champion Golfer of 1997, Justin Leonard, successively navigated his way round each half to eventually see off Jesper Parnevik and Darren Clarke by three strokes for his only major win.

“It’s just a great golf course with two totally different nines,” he said. “You really have to change your strategy when you’re making the turn.”

Whichever strategy you choose, you are always reliant on a hot putter – and Leonard’s flat stick was on fire on the back nine on Sunday. The Dallas native holed putts from 10 feet, 15 feet (twice) and 30 feet as he put on a stunning exhibition on the greens.

Only Jim Barnes in 1925 and Tommy Armour in 1931 had previously managed to come from five strokes behind after 54 holes to win The Open, before Leonard completed the feat at Troon.

2004 – Todd Hamilton

Playing in just his fourth Open – having missed the cut in two of his previous three – Todd Hamilton reached the pinnacle of his career by seeing off the world’s best in 2004.

Six of the world’s top 10 finished inside The Open’s top 10 that year, including fellow Americans Tiger Woods and newly crowned Masters champion Phil Mickelson, but not one could find their way past Hamilton.

A pair of 67s on Friday and Saturday left Hamilton – a prolific winner in Japan playing on the PGA Tour for just the second year – handily placed coming into the final day and he dug deep, with a host of star names in behind.

While Mickelson, Thomas Levet and Lee Westwood all threatened to varying degrees, it was 2002 Champion Ernie Els who would prove the biggest danger, with the Big Easy missing a putt for victory on 18.

It meant a second play-off in three years for Els. Both players parred the first two extra holes but Els bogeyed the 17th before setting up another birdie chance at the last.

Hamilton was 30 yards short of the green in two but played a sublime chip-and-run with a hybrid to two feet. Els missed and Hamilton holed.

“It was an accomplishment you can only dream of,” Hamilton later said of his champagne moment.

Meanwhile, 1973 Champion Weiskopf teed it up at The Open one final time – at the venue where he enjoyed his finest hour.

2024 – Xander Schauffele

Xander Schauffele arrived to the 152nd Open in red-hot form - a first major victory had come in May at the PGA Championship, with top-eight placings at both the Masters and the US Open.

But at Royal Troon, he took time to rise to the top.

A first-round score of three-under put him in contention as the wind buffeted the golfers on the front nine, in a reverse of expectations.

He dropped just one shot in the second round as Shane Lowry surged five shots ahead of Schauffele before dropping back on Saturday.

In his place was Billy Horschel, the new challenger to add his name to the list of American conquerors of Royal Troon.

But Schauffele was lurking only a couple of shots away and he waited till the perfect moment to make his move.

It was on the back nine where others toiled that the 30-year-old made hay, with four birdies to take him to a bogey-free round of 65, the joint-lowest score of the Championship.

He had to wait for Horschel to finish to confirm his triumph, and even then he looked stunned at his quite beautiful, masterful performance.

"I felt like I limited the mistakes pretty well," he said. "I was lucky to only have one really hard round in the wind and rain, and I managed that day better than I ever thought I could, to be honest. 

"The style of golf you can play out here, you don't have to be perfect or hit the prettiest drives or anything. I think Austin [his caddie] and I did a pretty good job of plotting around this difficult property."