Xander Schauffele birdies 72nd hole to beat Bryson DeChambeau, win 2024 PGA Championship
A major championship in Louisville, Kentucky, will invariably bear comparison to a heavyweight fight. Punches thrown and taken. Grit and guts displayed. One man with his one arm raised.
The 106th PGA Championship was more like a rumble, a host of contenders in one arena, no single adversary whom to attack.
Be aggressive. See red.
No one did that better this week at Valhalla Golf Club than Xander Schauffele, who needed both arms to raise the 27-pound Wanamaker Trophy.
And one final birdie.
Schauffele beat back a powerful, exuberant display by Bryson DeChambeau and brilliantly revitalized play by Viktor Hovland, to claim his first major title and eighth PGA Tour victory – first in nearly two years.
The 30-year-old, criticized at times – as recently as last week – for his inability to close on Sunday, birdied the 72nd hole to shoot 65 and finish at 21 under par, one clear of DeChambeau and three better than Hovland.
An overnight co-leader, Schauffele temporarily lost the outright advantage after a bogey at the 10th hole in the final round but responded with birdie on Nos. 11 and 12 and never trailed again.
He was, however, tied, that occurring when DeChambeau’s 11-foot birdie effort on 18 extended a final revolution into the hole, leading to a full-body release of nerves and raw energy.
With DeChambeau in the clubhouse at 20 under, Schauffele stood on the same number, having parred five consecutive holes. Hovland, playing alongside DeChambeau, had a chance to also reach that mark but missed his 10-foot birdie at the last. He then missed the comebacker for a finish undeserving of his effort.
With DeChambeau keeping warm on the range, Schauffele’s tee shot at the 573-yard 18th went 322 yards but finished in the light rough just off the left-hand fairway bunker, presenting an awkward stance. With both feet in the sand, the ball above his feet and choking down on an iron, he advanced his ball into the fairway gap short of the green.
Four years ago, Schauffele needed to get up and down from 98 yards to win the gold medal in Tokyo. He did so. Now he needed to do the same from 36 yards to win his first major.
He did so.
Schauffele hit a low-running wedge to 6 feet, 2 inches, and poured in the putt, the ball ever-so-slightly thinking about escaping the hole but having no room to avoid it.