Xander Schauffele birdied the 72nd hole to break a late tie with Bryson DeChambeau and win the PGA Championship for his first career major championship on Sunday at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.
Schauffele, 30, posted a final-round, 6-under 65 to finish the week 21-under 263 and beat a charging DeChambeau by one.
The California native held at least a share of the lead after each round. He entered Sunday tied with Collin Morikawa and began to separate quickly with birdies at Nos. 1, 4, 7 and 9.
A mistake at the par-5 10th led to his only bogey of the day, which he erased immediately with birdies at Nos. 11 and 12.
DeChambeau, a one-time major winner and LIV Golf star, polished off his 64 with four birdies on the back nine, including at Nos. 16 and 18. The crowd roared as his long birdie try at the par-5 18th hole dropped, tying him with Schauffele, who at that point was finishing the 17th hole.
Schauffele missed the 18th fairway but hit a stellar second shot out of the rough, from a stance in a sand bunker, and his ball landed just short of the green. He chipped to 6 feet to set up the winning putt.
Norway’s Viktor Hovland shot 66 and took third place at 18 under. Morikawa was left behind as he made 14 straight pars to begin his round; he didn’t make birdie until the last hole and shot an even-par 71, tying him with Belgium’s Thomas Detry for fourth at 15 under.
–Field Level Media