Justin Rose shows true colours with Xander Schauffele message after thrilling Open final day

Xander Schauffele triumphed at Royal Troon, leaving Justin Rose to share second place. Rose, who showed commendable sportsmanship, praised Schauffele after a thrilling final day at Royal Troon.

Rose, 43, began the day strong, playing the front nine in three-under-par, positioning himself as a contender for the Claret Jug. However, his hopes dwindled as he ended up one-over through the first five holes on the back nine. Ultimately, Rose tied for second with Billy Horschel, while Schauffele clinched victory by two shots, thanks to a stellar six-under-par 65 in the final round.

This victory marks Schauffele’s second major win of the year, contrasting with Rose’s continued quest for his first Open Championship title. Rose displayed his sportsmanship by praising Schauffele, who excelled against a competitive field and challenging conditions at Troon.

Reflecting on the tournament, Rose said, “When I walked off the course it hit me. The dream’s been alive all week and I felt that I did an awesome job of coming out and really getting amongst it from the word go. I got off to a strong start and felt like I played my way into the tournament. I saw glimpses of my name at the top of the leaderboard at times, did some of the hard work on the back nine but Xander got that momentum.

“He’s an ice cold competitor and one of the best players in the world and it was tough to keep up. This will be a tough one but a great one. I played in some of the hardest weather all week. I played some of the best golf but it didn’t quite add up to the trophy.”

After his round, Rose signed autographs for fans, while Schauffele shared that he found inspiration from watching the 2016 final day showdown between Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson. Schauffele expressed his excitement about his victory and the iconic Claret Jug.

“I can’t wait to drink out of it. My dad’s here so I’ll let him do the honours of choosing,” Schauffele said after his win. “It really is a dream come true to be holding it. It definitely hasn’t sunk in yet. My brain is still grinding on this amazing property. I can’t wait to sit back and have a moment with this Claret Jug.”