- Xander Schauffele made history by winning the PGA Championship at Baltusrol, becoming the first person to do so since Phil Mickelson in 2005.
- Schauffele won the tournament by making a birdie on the final hole, finishing with a score of 6-under 65.
- This victory is Schauffele's first major championship win and he now holds the lowest score in the history of major championships.
"Schauffele: I convinced myself that this was my chance; I should seize it without delay."
Xander Schauffele made history by becoming the first person to win the PGA Championship at Baltusrol since Phil Mickelson in 2005. He did so by making a birdie on the final hole, which allowed him to win by one stroke. In order to win his first major championship with the lowest score in the history of major championships, he made a birdie putt on the final hole that was six feet long.
The Olympic gold medalist received something far more valuable than the gold medal after an exciting week at Valhalla: the massive silver Wanamaker Trophy.
In the end, Schauffele finished with a 6-under 65, which allowed him to defeat Bryson DeChambeau. He kept the game intriguing right up until the very end by making a 10-foot birdie on the par-5 18th hole, which resulted in a score of 64.
After Phil Mickelson's victory at Baltusrol in 2005, Schauffele became the first player to win the PGA Championship with a birdie on the final hole by one shot. Schauffele was responsible for this achievement. It also required him to use every resource he had.
On two important holes throughout the back nine, he had already gotten mud on his golf ball, which prevented him from hitting the flag shot with his golf ball. His drive on the seventeenth hole caught in a bunker and rebounded back into it, forcing him to strive for par and stay up with DeChambeau, who finished two groups ahead of him. Subsequently, his tee shot rolled just far enough into the edge of a bunker, causing an additional problem.
It was necessary for Schauffele to stand with his feet planted in the sand, firmly grab the 4-iron, aim to the right, and be optimistic about the outcome. The shot he took was just stunning; it was about 35 yards short but had a fantastic angle. He pitched to a height of six feet and never came close to winning a major league game.
Schauffele continued by saying, "I told myself that this is my opportunity, so make the most of it."
The putt broke to the left, just enough to reach the edge of the cup and spin around before it disappeared. Schauffele raised both arms above his head with the biggest smile on his face and then gave Austin Kaiser, his caddie and former teammate at San Diego State, a bear hug. Schauffele emanates the coolness that is characteristic of California.
During his time at the range, DeChambeau was getting ready for a possible playoff game while simultaneously watching Schauffele on a massive television board. After completing the putt that won the tournament, he made his way back to the 18th hole to join the mob of other competitors who were applauding the 30-year-old golfer.
"I gave my everything." According to DeChambeau, "I gave it everything I had, and I knew that my B game would be sufficient." "It's just that someone played exceptionally well.There is no question that Xander is worthy of a major title."
Following DeChambeau's putt, Viktor Hovland, the winner of the FedEx Cup, made a 10-foot putt to tie for the lead. At the time, Hovland was trying to break out of a rut and wasn't convinced that Valhalla was the right institution for him. He ended up placing third with a score of 66, having missed the birdie and then making a par putt that was completely irrelevant.
Schauffele ended the event with a score of 21-under 263 and a winning birdie. He had begun the competition with a 62, which tied the record for the major championship. Brooks Koepka, who won the PGA Championship at Bellerive in 2018, and Henrik Stenson, who won the British Open at Royal Troon in 2016, both previously held the major record. This new record is a significant accomplishment.
And with that, another wonderful week at Valhalla came to a thrilling close.
On Friday morning, Scottie Scheffler, the winner of the Masters tournament, was held and momentarily incarcerated for failing to follow police directions following a fatal automobile accident that included a pedestrian an hour earlier. Scheffler's arrival came five days after the birth of his first child.
Upon his release from jail, he promptly headed to the course to participate in the second round, achieving a score of 66. However, this affected him over the course of the weekend. Because Scheffler shot a 73 on Saturday, which was his first round above par since August of last year, he was out of the running for the tournament. His final score was 65, which tied him for sixth place.
Two players tied the record at the major level: Schauffele on Thursday and Shane Lowry on Saturday. Both players scored 62. Rain had softened the course, causing scoring records to fall practically every day.
Each and every one of these events culminated in a single putt that Schauffele will never forget.
"I really didn't want to go into a playoff with Bryson," he explained to reporters.
This was, in many respects, a long time overdue. It had been nearly two years since he had won the Scottish Open for the first time. In the eight majors that came before Valhalla, Schauffele had finished in the top 20 of the rankings each time. In the past, he has achieved two second-place finishes and six top-five finishes.
With Scheffler's 64 at the Players Championship and Rory McIlroy's 65 at the Wells Fargo Championship last week, he has lost 54-hole leads in the past two months. Both of these performances occurred at the same tournament.
It was his seventh victory on the PGA Tour, and it does not include the gold medal he won at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021. With this victory, he achieves a career-high second place in the global rankings. Schauffele is certain to qualify for the Olympics, despite his significant distance behind Scheffler.
