Xander Schauffele is relishing the opportunity to defend his British Open crown at Royal Portrush this week but admits a different approach will be needed to repeat last year’s success.
The 31-year-old American triumphed at Royal Troon in 2024 with a flawless final-round 65, sealing his second major title to go alongside his Olympic gold from Tokyo. However, as he prepares to tackle the formidable Dunluce Links, Schauffele is under no illusion that Portrush will present a very different challenge.
“I think a blank canvas is a great place to start,” he said after Tuesday’s practice round on the rugged County Antrim coast. “You can paint many different pictures to win a tournament. You’ve just got to do the right one.”
Though he will lean on the confidence built from his Troon triumph, Schauffele recognises that mastering Portrush requires fresh thinking.
“Coming here, I feel like I’m trying to re-learn this golf course, get comfortable with certain sight lines, some blind tee shots,” he explained. “If I can get myself in the mix, that’s when I think I would have an advantage… That’s where my biggest edge would be.”
No player has successfully defended the Claret Jug since Ireland’s Padraig Harrington in 2008, and Schauffele is all too aware of the unpredictable nature of links golf—particularly the punishing weather and unique hazards such as sloping greens, deep bunkers, and thick rough.
“This week is a pretty good example of having to deal with a wave,” he said. “There’s typically a good wave and a bad wave in an Open Championship. You just keep your fingers crossed that you’re in the good wave and try and play well. If you’re not, fight for your life and make the cut and then try and do something on the weekend.”
Despite hailing from sunny San Diego, Schauffele has long embraced the demands of links golf. He credits early road trips with his father to Bandon Dunes in Oregon for cultivating a love for the game’s rugged side.
“We drove up to Bandon Dunes from San Diego. It took about 16 hours. I was 13 years old,” he recalled. “We played three or four days in a row… We got the real weather. My rain gear stopped working. It was that much wind and rain. I had a blast.”
With wind and rain once again expected to buffet the coast this week, Schauffele will be drawing on those early memories and his proven adaptability as he seeks to retain his title.
The quest for another Claret Jug begins Thursday—and Schauffele knows he’ll need more than just form to succeed. He’ll need patience, precision, and just a little bit of luck from the elements.