Just four days after achieving his best major result at Royal Troon, Horschel was set to compete on Thursday in the PGA Tour’s 3M Open in Minnesota but had to withdraw due to illness.
The 37-year-old secured the lead at the 54-hole mark during The Open, yet he couldn’t prevent Schauffele, who shot a six-under 65, from claiming the Claret Jug along with his US PGA Championship title from May.
Although Horschel feels let down by a couple of mis-hits that kept him from putting more pressure on Schauffele, he takes pride in how he managed the stress of competing in a major.
“I’m pleased with my performance on Sunday. The nerves I anticipated simply weren’t there,” he remarked.
“I felt quite at ease in that environment at that moment. Unfortunately, I missed a short putt on the eighth and made a poor swing on the tenth. Other than those two instances, I played exceptionally well.
“I would have needed to play exceptionally well to catch up to Xander; he delivered a phenomenal round of golf.
“It’s disappointing because when you have a shot at winning a major and fall short, it stings a bit. However, I can hold my head high knowing I didn’t lose the tournament.”
The 2024 Irish Open is scheduled for 12-15 September, featuring prominent players like McIlroy, Horschel, and Shane Lowry, while Sweden’s Vincent Norrman will be the defending champion.
