==========

Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus Podcast…1pm
You Tube Channel-Lee Hacksaw Hamilton
Look-Link-Share-Subscribe
==========
“A STAR SHINES”
==========

It was carnage on the golf course.  It was calamity at the hands of the weather.

It was the British Open at its finest and for the 158-man field, the absolute worst.

And by Sunday night on the West Coast-Scotland,a new superstar has risen.

Xander Schauffele has been on the perimeter of greatness over the last couple of years.  Winning his first Grand Slam event was a big step forward in credibility.  Winning the British Open moves him into elite status on the Pro Tour.

Give me a word to describe what we saw on Sunday?  Ice Water in his veins.  Never rattled.  Making the putts.  Fighting off the challengers.  Pulling away from a traffic jam field.

It was as if he was immune from everything going on around him.  He emerged from the clogged top of the leaderboard as all the others hit rough spots.

At one point on Sunday, there were 8-golfers within 2-shots of the top of the leaderboard.  Schauffele was in and out of the mix, and then he made the turn and stormed thru the field.

Birdies at 11-13-14-16, to tie for the lead and then take the lead and go get the Claret Jug on the 18th Green ceremony.

He won it, seized it, took it with as complete game, amazing considering the chaos and calamity on a course, buffeted by high winds, soaked by driving rains, controlled by rugged terrain.

Xander beat the Pot Hole bunkers, the Postage Stamp hole, the Railway line,  the 623-yard Irish Sea hole, and the Coffin Hole.  Nothing phased him.

He hit 16-of-18 greens.  He hit 20 ‘and 21’ putts.  He stayed out of bunkers, the grose, got bounces too.

For the others, they tried hard but did not find a comfort zone with the elements.

What a weekend for Justin Rose, the venerable former Open winner years ago.  At one stretch he had just 3-bogeys in the first 54-holes when the Irish Sea weather was awful.  But he had struggled on Sunday mid round and fell back.

Billy Horschel had the Grand Slam of his life but he got rattled Sunday and needed 3-birdies in a row to steady himself and finished in that 2nd place tie.  He had 4-birdies in 6-holes on Saturday when everyone else was faltering, but he did not look like the same player Sunday afternoon till the end, too little, too late.

The South African Thriston Lawrence was a surprise, but wilted under pressure on Sunday and came home third.

The early round leader Shane Lowrey lost his consistency and you could see him seething on Sunday as none of his drives nor putts went where they were supposed to go.  His composure caved in.

It was an awful weekend for so many other big names.  Rounds that included Triple bogeys and Quadruple bogeys in the midst of the horrid weather.

Bryson Dechambeau bogeyed 4-of-6 holes on day one and never recovered.  He went 9-over par and missed the cut.

It was bad for Rory McIlroy too.  Three bogeys and 2-double bogeys killed his early start and he was gone at 12-over.

Tiger Woods pity party tour continued.  His 14-over score over 36 holes involved lots of bogeys and double bogeys, poor tee shots, bad putting and scores of 79-77 and saddled him with a sad streak that means he has not shot a subpar round in a Grand Slam event since 2021.

So much for so many other names, Thomas, Koepka, Cantlay, Rahm, Aberg, Morikawa and others.

And what we saw the first 3-days, coupled with the final round accomplishment by Schauffele was even more impressive.

He survived the course, the weather and the 8-finalists trying to chase him down.

Safe now to say, the PGA’s next super star has arrived, and his name is XANDER SCHAUFFELE.

================================

Please follow and like us: