Xander Schauffele pips DeChambeau by one shot to win US PGA Championship

It seemed fitting that this staging of the US PGA Championship took place in Muhammad Ali’s hometown. Viktor Hovland swung and missed all afternoon at Xander Schauffele. Bryson DeChambeau did the same with typical force. Schauffele is no longer the golf guy. He withstood the immense pressure to claim the Wanamaker Trophy.

Naked statistics mask epic sporting theater during what quickly became a three-horse sprint. Schauffele, who was 21 under par, beat DeChambeau by one, breaking the record score to par in majors by the same margin. Hovland, such an integral part of the Valhalla story, closed at minus 18.

The level of golf and excitement were equally extraordinary. Neither Schauffele, Hovland nor DeChambeau had dropped a shot until the 10th. There, Schauffele used unnecessary wood from a fairway bunker and was unable to get himself back into position. His answer was impressive; he birdied the 11th and 12th.

Hovland and DeChambeau played the front nine in 32. Schauffele had beaten that one by one. On a trail set up to host a birding party, the drama was relentless. Pars were of no use in this environment.

The lights should have gone out for DeChambeau on the 16th. Instead, a wayward drive clattered into trees and bounced back into the middle of the fairway. Within ten minutes, DeChambeau scored an unlikely birdie. His problem was that he still had one lead over Schauffele.

Hovland’s situation was identical, hence his visible fear after missing a big chance on the penultimate hole. The Norwegian could have reached 20 under at the end, but had borrowed too little. Hovland, his head clearly spinning, also missed his short par attempt. And then there were two.

DeChambeau jumped off the final green and offered fist pumps and roars to the Valhalla galleries. On Sunday, he hadn’t evened the lead at all before his final birdie putt just — and only just — reached the hole. This was the last of DeChambeau’s 64 shots.

The ball was now firmly in the court of Schauffele, who had found a bunker from the tee on the 17th. The 30-year-old missed the green but saved par. A birdie on the 72nd hole would seal a precious victory. To do that, Schauffele would have to safely overcome an uneven lie caused by his drive to the edge of a fairway bunker on the par five. He advanced the ball to within 35 yards of the cup, from where he set off 1.8 yards for the tournament. The emotional scene when Schauffele hollowed out demonstrated his earlier years of frustration. DeChambeau’s playoff dream was crushed, but to his credit, he congratulated the champion.

It would be an exaggeration to say that Shane Lowry’s challenge disappeared on the first green, but what happened there looked significant. Sahith Theegala, playing alongside Lowry, hammered in a birdie putt from 50 feet away. Lowry had a tenth of that distance, but missed. The Irishman, who had putted so miraculously well for three days, suddenly showed fallibility. Lowry did collect shots at the 3rd and 4th, but cut an irate figure after failing to capitalize on the par-five 7th. Schauffele, DeChambeau and Hovland were well clear by the time Lowry made his next birdie, on 14.

Collin Morikawa missed chance after chance. A run of 14 consecutive pars was broken by a bogey on the 15th. The two-time champion had to settle for his close-up of Schauffele’s march. The European challenge was strong overall, although Justin Rose finished bogey, bogey and finished alongside Lowry in sixth place. Belgian Thomas Detry joined Morikawa in fourth place at 14 under.

A tumultuous week for Scottie Scheffler ended with a 65, which left the No. 1 seed in a tie for eighth place. Scheffler admitted he wasn’t sure what would happen to him outside the course; he remains charged with four crimes, including assault on a police officer, after a bizarre incident while entering Valhalla on Friday morning. Widespread speculation in Kentucky has suggested that Scheffler’s charges will be dropped, but the man himself appears to be none the wiser. The lingering image of this major will involve Scheffler in an orange jump suit.

“I think I was still pretty tired,” Scheffler said of his fourth lap. “I’m really proud of how I fought. I had a nice nine to make the week at least somewhat decent with the finish. Obviously it wasn’t what I was hoping for going into this week, but overall I’m proud of how I fought.”

Justin Thomas matched Scheffler’s total. Robert MacIntyre eventually did the same after an eagle. The Scot will return to the American PGA in 2025. Quail Hollow in Charlotte has a lot to live up to.