Schauffele Claims His First Major Title at the US PGA Championship

[CharlieH]

 

Final US PGA Championship Leaderboard:

-21 Schauffele (US)

-20 DeChambeau (US)

-18 Hovland (Nor)

-15 Morikawa (US), Detry (Bel)

-14 Rose (Eng), Lowry (Ire)

-13 MacIntyre (Sco), Scheffler (US), Thomas (US), Horschel (US) Selected others:

-12 McIlroy (NI)

-9 Koepka (US), Fleetwood (Eng)

 

Xander Schauffele captured his first major by making a tension-filled six-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole during a thrilling final day at the US PGA Championship in Valhalla, Kentucky. Schauffele, who has been leading since tying the record for the lowest round in a major with a 62, finished the tournament at 21 under par, securing the Wanamaker Trophy by one shot with a final round of 65. Schauffele, visibly moved by his victory, shared, "I was emotional after that putt went in. It's been a while since my last win, and the last thing I wanted was a playoff against Bryson." He managed a quick call to his father in Hawaii but had to cut it short as he was getting overwhelmed. During the round, Norwegian Viktor Hovland briefly took the lead with six birdies in eight holes, but Schauffele regained control with critical birdies on the 11th and 12th holes. Bryson DeChambeau also made a surprising comeback with a birdie on the 16th after his wild drive fortuitously bounced off a tree back onto the fairway. He birdied the 18th as well to tie Schauffele, adding to the day's drama. Hovland, facing a chance to tie at 20 under, faltered, needing three putts from 10 feet, finishing three strokes behind. Despite previous criticisms for not closing out tournaments, Schauffele demonstrated his mettle under pressure, sinking a birdie putt to clinch the championship.

 

2024-05-20