Ewan Murray was at Valhalla, and his report is in. Thanks for reading this blog. Nighty night.
-21: Schauffele
-20: DeChambeau
-18: Hovland
-15: Detry, Morikawa
-14: Rose, Lowry
-13: Horschel, Scheffler, Thomas, MacIntyre
-12: Noren, McIlroy, Moore, Burmester, Hodges, Theegala
Shane Lowry’s turn to talk to Sky. “I got off to an unbelievable start … literally didn’t miss a shot for the first eight holes … but I played the middle portion really badly and that was my tournament done and dusted … a tough day … I’m obviously disappointed … I come here to win and not finish in the top ten … but a decent week … a lot of positives … I would have dearly loved to get another major trophy … I wanted it for everyone, not just for me … I probably wanted it a bit too much … I hope I can give it a good run again [at Pinehurst in the US Open].”
Bob MacIntyre, who finished his week with an eagle, talks to Sky. “It’s been a good week … I got my reward today on the last … I stayed disciplined and patient … nothing was happening … when the rescue wood [on 18] took off it was absolutely perfect … it’s my best club in the bag at the moment … it’s a big confidence boost, to be in with a chance going into Sunday.”
Bryson DeChambeau talks to NBC. “I didn’t have my best ball-striking week … even though the numbers looked pretty good I wasn’t as comfortable as I was when I shot 58 at Greenbrier … but man I am proud of the way I fought today … I was proud of the way I persevered … I’m happy with it, but I wanna win!”
Schauffele is one of only ten players to have led the PGA Championship wire-to-wire. Including co-leads, the list reads:
Bobby Nichols (1964)
Raymond Floyd (1969, 1982)
Jack Nicklaus (1971)
Hal Sutton (1983)
Nick Price (1994)
Tiger Woods (2000)
Phil Mickelson (2005)
Jimmy Walker (2016)
Brooks Koepka (2019)
Xander Schauffele (2024)
That’s some pretty decent company to be keeping, no?!
The new PGA champion speaks to CBS. “I was actually kinda emotional after the putt lipped in … it’s been a while since I’ve won … I just needed to stay in my lane … man was it hard to stay in my lane today … I just tried to keep focus … I had some weird breaks coming into the house but it’s all good now … I’d be less of a patient person if that putt didn’t lip in … I really didn’t want to go into a play-off with Bryson … it would have been a lot of work … I told myself this is my opportunity, just capture it!”
The Wanamaker Trophy presentation. First up, Braden Shattuck gets his crystal for being the low club professional this year. Then it’s time for Xander Schauffele, who wanders over to pick up his spoils with a broad smile. The thing’s nearly as big as he is. So he doesn’t hoist it up for too long before carefully popping it back down onto its plinth. Then time for a quick chat with CBS!
Schauffele’s mark of -21 breaks the major-championship record of lowest winning score to par. That was previously jointly held by Jason Day (2015 PGA), Henrik Stenson (2016 Open), Dustin Johnson (2020 Masters) and Cameron Smith (2022 Open), all of whom shot -20.
Schauffele raises both arms in the air and smiles with a mixture of joy and relief. Some giggling; that’s definitely relief! At last he’s gotten over the line. After that opening round of 62, nobody deserved it more. Not even Bryson DeChambeau, who pushed him brilliantly today with that 64. But Xander shot a 65, and refused to back down with DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland coming at him hard. Collin Morikawa warmly congratulates him … as does Bryson, who comes over from the range to offer his best, despite his obvious disappointment. What a fine day of major-championship golf. What a deserving victor!
-21: Schauffele (F)
-20: DeChambeau (F)
-18: Hovland (F)
-15: Detry (F), Morikawa (F)
The putt’s not quite dead on line. But it catches the left-side of the cup, curls around the back, and drops! At long last, a major for the brilliant Californian!
It’s Morikawa to go first. He curls in his first birdie of the day (!) and that’s a level-par 71 and a share of fourth at -15. Over to Xander. More prowling. Much discussion of line with his caddie. This is it! He steps up, and …
Schauffele prowls the scene. As he thinks about his chip, Morikawa knocks his third close. Back over to Schauffele, who takes a few practice swipes, stops to wipe the sweat from his hands, and goes for it. He clips crisply to six feet. He’ll have an uphill putt for the title. Over on the range, Bryson watches the play on a big screen. He can’t do any more. He goes back to hitting balls.
Xander Schauffele has to stand in the bunker and grip down the shaft. A 4-iron. He takes a lash and aims for the bunker Rory McIlroy found himself in, ten years ago. Wheech! He likes it, giving his club a little twirl. The ball doesn’t reach the bunker, but stops short and that’s a great lay-up in the circumstances. A chip and a putt and a major championship is his at last! In the heat of battle, though, that is easier said than done. He walks up the fairway with a very determined look on his face. The shots of his life coming up.
The penultimate group reaches the 18th green. Sahith Theegala drains a birdie putt and throws his arms aloft in ironic triumph; it hasn’t happened for him today. A 73 and he finishes the week at -12. Par for Shane Lowry and a 70; he’s -14. He’ll always have that 62.
Schauffele hits his tee shot at 18 towards the bunker DeChambeau found down the left. But his ball doesn’t go in. However, unlike Hovland before him, he won’t have a stance. His feet will be in the bunker. All of a sudden, birdie looks like a job of work. A play-off looming a bit larger now!
Xander Schauffele is forced to step away from his chip as some eejit presses the shutter on a camera. He refocuses and clips a gentle wedge to two feet. That’s surely good enough to scramble his par. Yep, in it goes. Meanwhile Bryson DeChambeau wanders off to the practice range. Should he and Schauffele tie at -20 after 72 holes, there’ll be a three-hole play-off at 13, 17 and 18, followed by sudden-death holes if necessary.
-20: DeChambeau (F), Schauffele (17)
Bryson loves that 18th green! He chipped in for eagle last night; now he’s got up and down to post a serious total for Xander Schauffele to match. That suddenly looks quite the poser, because Schauffele’s second at 17, from the bunker to the left of the fairway, trundles off down a swale to the right of the green. Up and down for par far from certain!
Viktor Hovland has to make his putt now. He gives it a good rap, but it bobbles and is always curling off to the left. Once again last year’s runner-up comes up just short at the PGA. Overcome by disappointment, the remaining par putt lips out. A bogey to close and a 66. The small margins. Hovland walks off under a black cloud, while DeChambeau punches the air and screams positivity towards the crowd. He’s set a mark. Can Xander Schauffele better it?
-20: DeChambeau (F), Schauffele (16)
-18: Hovland (F)
Schauffele sends his tee shot at 17 into a fairway bunker down the left. He looks concerned. He’ll be even more concerned when he hears the bedlam on 18, where DeChambeau tickles in his birdie putt. Just enough energy to drop. A clenched fist of triumph, and that’s a magnificent final round of 64!
Another difficult hole out of the way for Xander Schauffele, with par at 16. But the real action’s up on the 18th, where Viktor Hovland wedges to eight feet. Not his best effort in the circumstances, but at least he’ll have a look at birdie. Over to Bryson DeChambeau, who chips up from the thick fringe, and though he gets onto the correct level of the undulating green, he leaves it 15 feet short. You’d think these chaps need to make these putts to put some proper pressure on Schauffele.
Viktor Hovland tries to fire a long iron into the heart of 18 … but sends a mishit up the fairway on the right. He’s got away with that, and will have a wedge in. Then Bryson DeChambeau, who has a decent lie in the bunker but a terrible stance, hoicks his second towards the gallery on the left. He calls fore, but the ball doesn’t get that far, stopping in the fringe. But that’s a long-distance up-and-down. Hovland’s wedge from the fairway, though further out, may be the easier shot.
Bob MacIntyre makes his eagle! A final round of 70 which will disappoint right now, but it ensures a top-ten finish and an invitation to next year’s championship. Oban’s finest ends the week at -13.
Bryson DeChambeau’s drive at 18 finds sand down the left. Not ideal. Viktor Hovland’s nearly finds the same bunker, but stays in the semi-rough beside, and he should probably get a stance. Up the hole, Bob MacIntyre nearly holes out from distance with his fairway wood; we’ve come close to an albatross on a few occasions this week. And back on 16, the leader Xander Schauffele finds the fairway with his drive.
Viktor Hovland has a much better opportunity from ten feet … but he doesn’t quite commit to his putt either! It’s always squeaking apologetically to the left, and he’s annoyed with himself as well. Par for both when birdies are priceless. Meanwhile back on 15, Xander Schauffele makes a fuss-free par as this tournament careens towards a most unpredictable and entertaining end!
-20: Schauffele (15)
-19: DeChambeau (17), Hovland (17)
But yeah, sport is also about winning. Back out on the course, Hovland and DeChambeau both send their second into 17. DeChambeau had hit the better tee shot, so he’ll be disappointed that he’s twice the distance away than Hovland. So he’s putting first. An uphill 25-footer with a bit of left-to-right slide. But he hits a slightly nervy one, and it’s never getting there. He tides up from 12 inches and walks away chiding himself. He’s -19.
A touching interview with Justin Thomas on Sky Sports. It doesn’t really matter what he said; he was just overcome with emotion after playing in front of his home crowd. The pride oozing out of every pore. A few tears of joy seeping out too. Sport’s not just about winning. Just a lovely moment.
Up on 18, the local hero Justin Thomas birdies to sign for a 68. After struggling with his game for a fair while, it’s good to see the two-time winner back on song, helped along a little bit by the adoring Kentucky crowd. He’s -13 and will be finishing in the top ten.
Xander Schauffele can’t make his birdie putt at 14. Par will do for now. It certainly will for Collin Morikawa, who splashes out from the bunker to a couple of feet, and keeps that Faldoesque run of pars going. At -15 victory is out of his reach; a quirky last round of 18 pars would be something to talk about when the pain of missing out subsides.
Viktor Hovland lags up to kick-in distance, and that’s par. Bryson then rolls in his short birdie putt, and that’s how to take advantage of a big break! Meanwhile there’s a new clubhouse leader in Thomas Detry, who finishes an impressive week with a final round of 66.
-20: Schauffele (13)
-19: Hovland (16), DeChambeau (16)
-16: Rose (16)
-15: Detry (F), Lowry (14), Morikawa (13)
Shane Lowry rattles in a 20-footer for birdie on 14. File under too little, too late. Meanwhile at the par-three 14th, Xander Schauffele sends a gentle fade into the green and will have a birdie putt from 15 feet. Collin Morikawa dunks his tee shot into the bunker at the front, and his run of par at every hole is in serious danger.
Bryson DeChambeau takes advantage of his good fortune in sensational style! He sends his second from 220 yards to three feet! This is absurd! What carpe-diem brilliance! More exclamation marks! The gallery goes nuts. Viktor Hovland knocks his approach on the green, 25 feet away, a decent enough shot under any other context. But not this one! Wow. Bryson, dearie me.
A huge stroke of luck for Bryson DeChambeau on 16. He hooks his drive into the trees on the left. “Fore!” Goodness knows where it’ll end up … but where it’ll end up is in the centre of the fairway! A huge deflection off a branch. That’s some outrageous good fortune … but hey, even the best players need the odd stroke of luck to get over the line in a major. Viktor Hovland is in position A. A garden-variety par meanwhile for Xander Schauffele on 13.