Xander Schauffele wins PGA Championship with record performance for his first major
Xander Schauffele was able to secure a victory at the perfect moment on Sunday by skillfully sinking a 6-foot birdie putt on the last hole to clinch the PGA Championship. This was his debut major win, making it even more impressive that he achieved the lowest score in the history of major championships.
The athlete who won the highest award at the Olympics received something even more precious this time. They were awarded the massive Wanamaker Trophy after a chaotic week at Valhalla.
Schauffele finished off the round with a score of 6-under 65, which helped him defeat Bryson DeChambeau. It was an exciting finish as he made a 10-foot birdie on the par-5 18th hole for a score of 64.
Schauffele managed to secure his victory at the PGA Championship by making a birdie on the final hole, making him the first player to do so since Phil Mickelson in 2005 at Baltusrol. This victory required a considerable amount of effort and dedication from Schauffele.
During the back nine, he encountered some obstacles that hindered his efforts to hit the target. Specifically, he had mud on his golf ball during two crucial holes that prevented him from making a full-out attack. As he approached the 17th, his drive bounced back into a bunker, causing him to work harder to achieve a par and stay on equal footing with DeChambeau, who had already concluded his game. Lastly, his tee shot landed precariously close to the edge of a bunker, creating yet another challenging situation.
Schauffele was positioned in the sand, firmly holding a 4-iron, pointing towards the right and wishing for a favorable outcome. He struck the ball perfectly, achieving a distance of around 35 yards but with a beneficial angle. His next shot landed 6 feet from the hole, bringing him closer than ever before to obtaining a major victory.
Schauffele stated that he viewed the situation as his chance to succeed and planned to take full advantage of it.
The golf ball curved slightly towards the left direction and hit the left side of the cup. It then spun around before finally dropping into the hole. Schauffele, who always looks so relaxed and calm like a typical California resident, jumped up in excitement and lifted both arms up high while his caddie, Austin Kaiser, gave him a strong embrace. Interestingly, Kaiser and Schauffele were on the same team while studying at San Diego State.
DeChambeau was preparing on the field in case of a tiebreaker, and was observing Schauffele's performance on a big screen. When he witnessed the putt that won the game, he made his way back to the 18th hole to join the rest of the players who wanted to offer their congratulations to the 30-year-old athlete.
"I really gave it my best shot. I poured all my energy into it and had confidence that even if I wasn't performing at my absolute best, I could still succeed," DeChambeau shared. "Unfortunately, it was obvious that someone else was just playing amazingly. Xander definitely earned his major championship title."
Viktor Hovland, who won the FedEx Cup, wasn't confident that he should be at Valhalla as he tried to get out of a bad streak. When Bryson DeChambeau put the ball before him and tied for first place, Viktor attempted a 10-foot putt to do the same. Unfortunately, he didn't make the birdie, and because of that, his par putt didn't matter. He finished third after shooting a 66.
Schauffele started off the tournament with an impressive 62, which tied the record for major championships. He sealed his victory with a birdie, finishing with a total score of 21-under 263. This beats the previous record of 20-under, which was shared by Brooks Koepka at the 2018 PGA Championship and Henrik Stenson at the 2016 British Open.
Another unforgettable week at Valhalla has come to a close.
Scottie Scheffler, the winner of the Masters, was taken into custody on Friday for not obeying police orders during their investigation into a deadly accident involving a pedestrian. Scheffler had only arrived five days after the birth of his first child. He spent a brief period in jail following the arrest.
After being released from prison, he made it to the golf course just in time for the second round and managed to score 66. However, his luck ran out over the weekend when he scored a 73 on Saturday - marking his first above par round since last August. Despite this setback, he rallied and finished strong with a score of 65, earning him a spot in eighth place.
A duo of competitors, Schauffele on Thursday and Shane Lowry on Saturday, matched the biggest achievement in majors history by achieving a 62. The prevalence of low scores on a soaked field led to a plethora of scoring records being broken on an almost daily basis.
Despite everything, it all boiled down to just one putt that will forever be etched in Schauffele's memory.
He expressed that he had no desire to go into a playoff with Bryson.
It had been a long time coming. He hadn't won the Scottish Open in almost two years. Schauffele had done really well in his last eight major tournaments, with all of his finishes in the top 20. Before Valhalla, he had even come second twice and finished in the top 5 six times.
During the past two months, he has been in the lead for 54 holes twice, but was overtaken by Scottie Scheffler's score of 64 at The Players Championship and Rory McIlroy's score of 65 at the Wells Fargo Championship last week.
He has won his eighth PGA Tour victory, not counting his Olympic gold from 2021's Tokyo Games. This win also helped him achieve a new career high, placing him at No.2 in the world rankings - although he still has a ways to go to catch up with Scheffler. Regardless, this victory is significant because it ensures his qualification for the U.S. team in the Olympics.
