PGA Championship: Xander Schauffele makes history with dramatic win over Bryson DeChambeau at Valhalla | Golf

Xander Schauffele made golf history with his first major win with a dramatic one-stroke victory at the PGA Championship.

Heading into the final day at Valhalla, Schauffele was tied for the lead with Collin Morikawa and found himself two shots ahead heading into the back nine, joined only by Bryson DeChambeau and Victor Hovland scramble.

Hovland held the lead until a three-putt bogey on the final hole, and DeChambeau made a stellar birdie for a perfect 64 to tie Schauffele at 20 under. juxtaposed.

That left Schauffele needing a birdie on the final par-5 to win, and he hit it from six feet in the final round for a 65 to finish at 21 under – the men’s major. The lowest score in 72 holes in history – completed a tournament.

Hovland was third, Justin Rose tied for sixth with Shane Lowry, world No. 1 Scotty Scheffler ended a fantastic week in tied for eighth, and Rory McIlroy shot 67 par, tied for 12th at four under par.

How Schauffele kept his big break alive

The teams that shared the lead overnight found themselves in a three-way tie for first place when Sahith Theegala, who led the group, holed a 55-footer on the first hole that ended with Schauffele (Schauffele) started his round with a score of 25 and had a complete advantage.

Schauffele missed a birdie opportunity from six feet on the third hole but made his next birdie after getting up and down from the rough, giving him a two-game lead when Morikawa failed to convert from eight feet. shot, and then DeChambeau made a putt from just off the green on the sixth hole.

DeChambeau’s partner Hovland made a putt from 20 feet on the seventh hole for his third consecutive birdie, also closing in on Schauffele, who birdied the par-5 seventh hole. , and made a 10-foot birdie on the ninth hole, entering the second turn in front.

Hovland and DeChambeau birdied the par-5 10th hole after shooting 32 on the front nine, and Schauffele missed a 5-foot bogey on two attempts from the rough. The score fell to 18 under par.

With consecutive birdies on the 12th hole, Hovland temporarily jumped to the top of the list. DeChambeau tied the FedEx Cup champion’s score on the 13th hole, keeping the score within one stroke, but Schauffele was one shot away from the previous one. He recovered from a bogey and birdied three shots on the 11th hole to even the score.

Schauffele birdied the next par 4 from 7 feet to move to 20 under, one shot ahead of Hovland, and DeChambeau took advantage of a huge shot from the trees on the 16th. The breakaway set up a close call to regain second.

DeChambeau had to lay up late on the par 5 after finding a fairway bunker off the tee, then hit his third shot to 10 feet and set the clubhouse target with a birdie putt, sparking a frenzy. Celebrations.

Hovland had a chance to make a birdie to tie the game at three strokes, but after three-putting for bogey from 10 feet, he dropped to 18 under, while Schauffele shot five par , leaving him needing a birdie on the last hole to win.

“I knew I had to birdie the last hole and look up at the board,” Schauffele said. “I was trying to get a birdie there somehow, just to get some kind of cushion. It was a busy birdie, but a great one. I kept telling myself, I need to win this, I need to prove it to myself This, and this is my time.

Morikawa didn’t birdie the last hole until he shot an even-par 71, and Thomas Detry was also 15 under after a bogey-free 66. The score ended, and both Rose and Lowry threatened to go for the win at one point, but it ended in a tie.

Scheffler bounced back from an over-par first round of the year on Saturday with seven birdies in 10 holes as he shot a 65 to tie with Billy Horschel, Justin Thomas and Scotland Robert McIntyre was eight shots behind.

McIlroy hit the water twice in three holes for a 4-under 67 as he continued his quest for an elusive fifth major victory, while Brooks Koepka shot a final-round 66 Later, he ended his title defense with a score of 9 under par, tied for 26th.

What’s next?

The PGA Tour next heads to Colonial Country Club for the Charles Schwab Challenge, where Emiliano Grillo returns as the defending champion. Sky Sports Golf begins early coverage Thursday at 5pm, with full coverage in Texas at 9pm.

The next men’s major is the U.S. Open, which will be held from June 13 to 16 at Pinewood Resort and Country Club in North Carolina and broadcast live on Sky Sports. Live broadcast of PGA Tour, DP World Tour, major championships and more with NOW.

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