PGA Championship 2024 highlights: Xander Schauffele perseveres to claim first career major
Xander Schauffele, for the first time in his career, is a major winner.
Schauffele held off charges Sunday by Viktor Hovland, who was also seeking his first major title, and Bryson DeChambeau to win the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky with a record-setting score of 21-under par.
"I was actually kind of emotional after the putt lipped in. It’s been a while since I’ve won," Schauffele said after being presented with the Wannamaker Trophy. "I really just I kept saying it all week, I just need to stay in my lane. And, man, was it hard to stay in my lane today. But I tried all day to just keep focused on what I’m trying to do, and keep every hole ahead of me. Had some weird kind of breaks coming into the house, but it’s all good now."
Schauffele, 30, had been on the cusp of a victory last week at the Wells Fargo Championship. Similar to Sunday at Valhalla, he began the final round at the Wells Fargo with the 54-hole lead, but he finished second behind Rory McIlroy.
This time, Schauffele, needed a stinger on his second shot on No. 18 to put himself in position to win the tournament. After his tee shot landed just short of a fairway bunker, he struck the shot with both feet in the sand. He would go on to set up a 6-foot birdie putt to win the tournament, a putt he drained.
"I really didn’t want to go into a playoff against Bryson," Schauffele said. "I’m assuming we probably would’ve played 18. It would’ve been a lot of work. I just told myself this is my opportunity, and just capture it."
Schauffele set a record for the lowest score-to-par in major championship history, besting four players who had won theirs at 20-under. Schauffele shot 6-under 65 for the round and becomes the 11th wire-to-wire winner in PGA Championship history.
Here's how the final round of the PGA Championship unfolded:
PGA Championship 2024 leaderboard
1. Xander Schauffele: 21-under 263
2. Bryson DeChambeau: 20-under 264
3. Viktor Hovland: 18-under 266
T4. Thomas Detry: 15-under 269
T4. Collin Morikawa: 15-under 269
T6. Justin Rose: 14-under 270
T6. Shane Lowry: 14-under 270
T8. Scottie Scheffler: 13-under 271
T8. Billy Horschel: 13-under 271
T8. Robert McIntyre: 13-under 271
T8. Justin Thomas: 13-under 271
Check out the final 2024 PGA Championship leaderboard.
Xander Schauffele makes PGA Championship-clinching birdie
Xander Schauffele didn’t have the cleanest final hole at Valhalla, but it brought him a major.
His tee shot was crushed down the left side of the fairway, but it got perilously close to a fairway bunker. The ball hit the first cut, but it left him with an awkward stance for his second shot, with both feet in the sand.
He smashed his iron shot down the fairway and short of a greenside bunker to put himself in solid position to secure that birdie. His chip shot was well taken, low and with enough pace to roll to within 6 feet of the cup.
Schauffele sunk the putt to win the Wannamaker Trophy. — Lorenzo Reyes
Xander Schauffele goes up and down for par, heads to No. 18
Xander Schauffele caught a bad break when his tee shot couldn’t carry the lip of a fairway bunker, landing in the sand. He had to scramble, but managed to stay at 20-under and a tie for the lead.
Schauffele, who has slowed his pace of play, took his time with his third shot, a chip that he hit beautifully to within a few feet for a par-saving putt.
This means he enters the final hole of the tournament, a par-5, with the chance to birdie for the win.
Byrson DeChambeau is the leader in the clubhouse, and he went to the range to stay loose in the case of a playoff. — Lorenzo Reyes
DeChambeau puts pressure on Schauffele, sinks birdie to tie for lead
Byrson DeChambeau had to scramble on No. 18. His tee shot landed in a fairway bunker. His second was punched low into the first cut, near the gallery. And he drained a tense birdie putt to tie Xander Schauffele for the lead at 20-under par.
Viktor Hovland, DeChambeau’s playing partner, bogeyed the final hole to fall into third place.
Now, Schauffele must shave one stroke off his score to prevent a playoff. Worse yet, if he drops any strokes, it will give DeChambeau the victory. Schauffele is on No. 17, and his tee shot landed in a bunker. — Lorenzo Reyes
Tight PGA Championship coming down to the wire
Three players are within one stroke and the lead at Valhalla, as the final group arrives to the tee box at No. 16.
Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland are each 19-under par after both missed birdie attempts on No. 16. Hovland had the easier attempt, but miscalculated the speed, forcing him to settle for a two-putt.
DeChambeau’s tee shot on 17 landed in the middle of a fairway bunker. Hovland’s landed on the first cut just short of the same bunker.
Xander Schauffele, who has led nearly the entire way, converted a steady par on No. 15 after he left his approach on the 15th well left of the pin. He is in sole possession of the lead at 20-under par. — Lorenzo Reyes
Bryson DeChambeau catches a huge break
If only all scratch golfers could have the kind of luck that Bryson DeChambeau just had.
Looking to gain some strokes off the tee box on No. 16, DeChambeau uncorked his drive but hooked it badly, as it sailed well left and into the gallery. Yet, somehow, the ball struck an object deep up the hill that allowed it to deflect – safely – back onto the fairway. He capitalized on the break. His approach was an 8-iron that he flushed to within 4 feet of the pin. He sunk that putt for a birdie, moving him into 19-under and a tie for second place with Viktor Hovland.
Elsewhere on the course, Xander Schauffele mishit his approach hot on the par-4 13th and had to settle for par to remain at 20-under. — Lorenzo Reyes
Xander Schauffele makes it two birdies in a row
If this is the response that Xander Schauffele has to his first bogey, the rest of the leaderboard may be in trouble.
Schauffele followed his bogey on No. 10 with a pair of consecutive birdies on Nos. 11 and 12 to claim sole possession of the lead at 20-under par. The scary part is that Schauffele has been efficient with his shots since the bogey, and with all of his clubs.
Viktor Hovland is lurking at 19-under, after he was forced to two-putt on No. 15, when his birdie try sailed just past the cup. — Lorenzo Reyes
Viktor Hovland takes the lead, but only very briefly
Seeking his first career major, Viktor Hovland is on an absolute heater, converting birdies on six of his last nine holes and three in the last four.
Hovland is not missing many shots and he is flushing his putts with confidence. On No. 13, he faced a 15-foot putt for birdie and sole possession of first and there was no doubt that it would go in as soon as he struck it.
He’s at 19-under par and held sole possession of first for about a minute and a half.
That’s because Xander Schauffele, fresh off his first bogey of the day, confidently converted a birdie on the par-3 11th to move into a co-lead with Hovland. — Lorenzo Reyes
Xander Schauffele drops a stroke, now in tie for lead
Xander Schauffele got aggressive on the par-5 No. 10, looking to gain some more ground when perhaps more conservative play would’ve been prudent. He tried clubbing a hybrid 3-iron from a fairway bunker, and the shot landed in an awkward lie, on a downslope, in the rough. His third sailed over the pin and he had to scramble to set up a par save putt. He misread that and the try curled around the lip of the cup, leading to his first bogey of the day.
He is now in a co-lead with Viktor Hovland at 18-under par. — Lorenzo Reyes
Bryson DeChambeau's short game proving to be very solid
Known for his power, it’s Bryson DeChambeau’s short game that has kept him well in position of leader Xander Schauffele. DeChambeau showed precisely that on No. 12, when his approach shot landed in thick rough near the green. DeChambeau expertly got under the shot and chipped it safely onto the green for a simple par putt. He remained at 17-under.
Meanwhile, as Schauffele has found some trouble on the par-5 No. 10, hitting a bunker off the tee shot and then the rough on his second, Viktor Hovland hit a birdie on No. 12 to move into second place at 18-under. — Lorenzo Reyes
Collin Morikawa's putter letting him down
It’s not that Collin Morikawa is playing poorly; he has converted pars through every hole on the front-nine.
It’s more that his score could be better. Morikawa has been stuck at 15-under par, mostly because he has failed to capitalize when he’s been on the green. All day, his putts have seemed to be misread or mishit and he has often had to settle for two-putts.
On a day when scoring is there to be had, that may prevent him from making a significant charge.
To that point, his playing partner, leader Xander Schauffele, birdied No. 9 and is 4-under on the day as he makes the turn to the very attainable par-5 No. 10. — Lorenzo Reyes
Bryson DeChambeau nearly records eagle on No. 10
Taking advantage of his power and distance, Bryson DeChambeau went all-in on an eagle attempt on the par-5 10th, uncorking a drive down the fairway. He then crushed a 6-iron onto the green that set up an eagle try that would’ve given him a share of the lead. The putt rolled just left of the cup, so he settled for a relatively easy birdie, if such a thing exists in a major championship.
DeChambeau now sits at 17-under par, one stroke behind Xander Schauffele.
He’s not alone, either. His playing partner for the day, Viktor Hovland, also converted a birdie on No. 10 to move to 17-under. — Lorenzo Reyes
He had to earn it, but Xander Schauffele extends his lead
The seventh hole was anything but easy for Xander Schauffele, but he ended it with a hard-fought birdie that extended his lead to two strokes, at 18-under par.
Schauffele’s approach found a greenside bunker, and he took his time assessing his next move. He ended up hitting the shot past the pin with plenty of spin so that it died on the green with a manageable birdie try. He confidently drained that as the players tied for second place at 16-under, Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland have remained at 3-under on the day. — Lorenzo Reyes
Look out for Viktor Hovland
Viktor Hovland began his final round with some misses, but he has quickly course corrected. Seeking his first career major, Hovland is now one stroke off the lead and in a tie with Bryson DeChambeau for second place at 16-under.
Hovland has birdied three consecutive holes – Nos. 5, 6 and 7 – and his tee shot on the par-3 eighth landed softly on the green, leaving himself a chance for birdie.
DeChambeau, meanwhile, has taken an aggressive approach, but missed his approach on No. 7 (though he still scrambled for par) and his tee shot on No. 8 landed in a greenside bunker. — Lorenzo Reyes
Scottie Scheffler on a torrid back-9
He almost certainly won’t factor in the final, but Scottie Scheffler is playing as clean a back-9 as you can at Valhalla.
After bogeying his first hole of the day, Scheffler has poured in six birdies, including four through the first six holes after the turn. He’s currently 12-under par and in a tie for seventh. — Lorenzo Reyes
Bryson DeChambeau moves into second
Bryce DeChambeau has come out of the gate strongly, with birdies in consecutive holes and three of his last five. The most recent came on No. 6, when he used his putter from below a little ridge under the green.
Once DeChambeau’s putt cleared the top of the ridge, the momentum of the downslope carried the ball into the cup. He is now in sole possession of second place at 16-under par, one stroke shy of leader Xander Schauffele.
Schauffele, for his part, came up well short on a birdie putt at No. 5 to stay at 17-under. — Lorenzo Reyes
Shane Lowry gains some ground
Shane Lowry, whose round started a bit uneven, has settled in with consecutive birdies on Nos. 3 and 4. He is now in a three-way tie for second place at 15-under par with Collin Morikawa and Bryson DeChambeau. — Lorenzo Reyes
Xander Schauffele extends his lead at PGA Championship
After just missing out on a birdie on No. 3, Xander Schauffele widened his lead to two strokes with a birdie on No. 4 to move to 17-under par.
One potential area of concern for Schauffele has been that he has been just slightly off on his tee shots; through his first four holes, excluding the par-3 No. 3, he has failed to hit the fairway off the tee box. — Lorenzo Reyes
Sahith Theegala drops a stroke, a darkhorse is making a charge
Just as soon as he climbed into a co-lead, Sahith Theegala bogeyed No. 2 to drop into a tie for third place. He is now sitting at 14-under par, as leader Xander Schauffele’s birdie try at No. 3 just lipped out of the hole. Schauffele settled for par and remains in sole possession of the lead at 16-under par.
Meanwhile, a darkhorse is making a late charge. Alex Noren, with a bogey-free round and six birdies to his name, is now at 12-under par and in a tie for eighth. Noren is through 16 and has converted three birdies in his last five holes. — Lorenzo Reyes
Rory McIlroy making moves, but will it be enough?
Rory McIlroy certainly has a lot of ground to gain, sitting six strokes off the lead in a tie for 15th, but he closed out his front-nine in excellent shape. McIlroy has converted three consecutive birdies at Nos. 7, 8 and 9 and is now at 10-under par as he makes the turn.
It presents a solid turnaround for McIlroy, who opened his round with a bogey at No. 1. Since then he has made five consecutive pars before the three straight birdies.
Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler made birdie at No. 12, marking his fourth birdie in his last eight holes. He, too, is at 10-under par. — Lorenzo Reyes
Xander Schauffele separates himself early
Xander Schauffele wasted no time Sunday taking advantage of the favorable scoring conditions. His approach on the first hole, coming from the first cut 200 yards away from the pin, just cleared a lip over a greenside bunker and kicked forward to leave himself a putt just shy of 30 yards.
He studied the green well and drained it to record his first birdie of the day on what has been playing as the toughest hole of the course on Sunday. He is now in sole possession of first place at 16-under par, one stroke ahead of Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala. — Lorenzo Reyes
Sahith Theegala joins PGA Championship co-lead after No. 1
Sahith Theegala, who started the day one stroke off the lead in third place, has been battling allergies and a dislocated rib suffered last week. He started his day in perfect form.
Theegala drained a 55-foot birdie putt to move into a three-way tie with Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa for the co-lead at 15-under par. Theegala hit his birdie just minutes after Schauffele and Morikawa teed off at No. 1. — Lorenzo Reyes
All golfer have now teed off for final round at PGA Championship
Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa, the co-leaders at 15-under par, teed off in the final pairing of the day at 2:35 p.m. ET.
Schauffele’s drive off the tee at No. 1 just caught the first cut on the right side of the fairway, while Morikawa hit a well-struck fade that landed safely in the fairway. — Lorenzo Reyes
Bryson DeChambeau, Viktor Hovland start final round at PGA Championship
The pairing of Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland, both sitting at 13-under and a tie for fourth, have teed off. DeChambeau piped his drive 337 yards down the fairway and then pinned his approach to within 11 feet. He pulled the putt left and had to settle for par, matching Hovland, who had to scramble to get there. — Lorenzo Reyes
Justin Thomas holes out on No. 3
Justin Thomas, a Kentucky native, found himself in an awkward spot on the par-3 third, deep in a greenside bunker. It didn’t matter. Thomas lofted a perfect shot that bounced softly on the green and then rolled into the cup for a birdie. He now sits at 11-under, in a tie for ninth place, four strokes off the lead. — Lorenzo Reyes
Justin Thomas, Tony Finau start final round at PGA Championship
Two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas (2017, 2022) and Tony Finau entered the day at 10-under, five back of the co-lead. They are paired together and teed off at 1:35 p.m., and – thus far – both players are matching each other. They each recorded pars on No. 1, and they both had similar shots and approaches on No. 2, giving themselves birdie tries. They once again matched each other, mishitting their putts and settling for pars. They are in a five-way tie for 11th place.
Jordan Spieth, meanwhile, has converted pars on all his five holes today, though he has left opportunities on the course. He set himself up with birdie tries at Nos. 4 and 5 and, each time, left both putts well short of the cup. He sits at 8-under par. – Lorenzo Reyes
Justin Rose, Robert McIntyre start final round at PGA Championship
One by one the groups containing contenders are teeing off at Valhalla.
Justin Rose, who shot a 7-under 64 on Saturday, and lefty Robert McIntyre, are off and running. Both are locked in a seventh-place tie at 12-under.
Brooks Koepka gets sixth birdie, Kurt Kitayama misses out on eagle
As the conditions remain optimal for low scores in the final round, a pair of players have continued their torrid play Sunday. Brooks Koepka recorded a birdie – his sixth of the day – on No. 16, to move to 9-under par.
Meanwhile, Kurt Kitayama just missed out on an eagle putt at No. 10, eventually settling for his fifth birdie of the day after making the turn, leaving himself a chance to make up even more ground on the back-9. Like Koepka, Kitayama is at 9-under, good for a tie for 17th place. – Lorenzo Reyes
Scottie Scheffler records first birdie, Jordan Spieth begins final round
After dropping a stroke on his first hole, World Golf Ranking No. 1 player Scottie Scheffler steadied and converted three consecutive pars before he got to the par-4 fifth. Scheffler’s drive off the tee was pure, landing in the fairway, and his approach was even better, leaving himself a 14-foot birdie attempt. Scheffler took it with confidence and it rolled into the cup for his first birdie of the day, leaving him at 7-under par, eight strokes off the lead.
Elsewhere on the course, Jordan Spieth, who may be just out of reach of the top of the leaderboard, began his final round with a par on No. 1. Spieth, who needs a PGA Championship title to claim a career grand slam, essentially needs to play an error-free round. He gave himself a birdie try on No. 2 with a lengthy, 20-foot putt. His attempt was solid, but it rolled just wide of the hole. He remains at 8-under par. – Lorenzo Reyes
Rory McIlroy starts final round at PGA Championship
Two-time PGA champion Rory McIlroy began his final round seven strokes behind co-leaders Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa. After missing the fairway on No. 1 and landing his approach in the rough to the right of the green, McIlroy dropped another shot.
The 2014 PGA champion on this very same course, McIlroy made headlines this week after news broke that he had filed for divorce from wife Erica after seven years of marriage.
McIlroy finished tied for seventh and eighth in the past two PGA Championships. He also won the Wanamaker Trophy in 2012 at Kiawah Island, South Carolina, but hasn't won a major in the decade since his triumph at Valhalla. – Steve Gardner
Scottie Scheffler bogeys No. 1 at PGA Championship
Any hope World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler might erase an eight-stroke deficit and continue his pursuit of the Grand Slam appears even more unlikely after beginning his final round with a bogey on the par-4 first hole.
This year's Masters champ memorably holed out from the first fairway for an eagle 2 in his opening round at the PGA and shot a 4-under 67 to put him in solid contention. Following his arrest and release from jail before Friday's second round, and his disappointing 2-over 73 on Saturday, Scheffler has faded back into the pack.
Scheffler has finished in the top 25 in 12 of the past 13 major championships, including nine top-10s. The only blemish was a missed cut at the 2022 PGA. His bogey on No. 1 dropped him into a tie for 39th. – Steve Gardner
Jordan Smith cards 7-under 64 at PGA Championship
England native Jordan Smith finished up his PGA Championship on a high note, turning in a 7-under to finish 7-under for the tournament. Smith had six birdies and an eagle.
Smith shot 70-71-72 on the first three days to come into the final round at even par.
Scottie Scheffler starts final round at PGA Championship
An emotionally taxing weekend for Scottie Scheffler at Valhalla Golf Club is winding down as the World No. 1 begins his final round.
Scheffler starts at 7-under and is paired up with Mark Hubbard. Scheffler's shot off the tee sliced right an into the rough.
Scheffler was 9-under after two rounds, but his 2-over 73 on Saturday dropped him back in the pack.
No. 13 at Valhalla could be lucky
Valhalla's 349-yard, par-4 13th hole could provide some fireworks for the gallery and the TV audience on the final day of the PGA Championship. The hole has already yielded three eagles out of the day's first seven groups – in vastly different ways.
In the first group of the day and trailing the leaders by 18 shots, Alejandro Tosti had nothing to lose in attempting to drive the green off the tee. He smashed it 338 yards onto the putting surface and nailed the putt for eagle.
A little while later, Jordan Smith laid up to 111 yards and holed his second shot for eagle. Adam Hadwin added the third eagle of the day on 13 with a wedge he spun back into the hole.
With so many top players bunched at the top of the leaderboard entering the final round, the 13th could play a pivotal role in who ultimately claims the Wanamaker Trophy. – Steve Gardner
Brooks Koepka continues hot start
Brooks Koepka is through six holes and has three birdies to give him 3-under for the round and 7-under for the tournament. Koepka is now in a tie for 24th place.
Follow the PGA Championship leaderboard throughout the day.
Jordan Smith drains eagle on No. 13
Jordan Smith made an impressive 2 on the Par 4 No. 13 hole to improve his round score to 5-under. In addition to his eagle, Smith has four birdies and one bogey.
Tommy Fleetwood makes eagle on No. 7
Tommy Fleetwood is off to a strong start during the fourth round at the PGA Championship. The England native already had two birdies before he rolled in a 20-foot putt for eagle on No. 7. Fleetwood is now at 6-under for the tournament and in a tie for 29th place.
Brooks Koepka notches birdie
Brooke Koepka, the defending PGA Championship winner, started Round 4 with a birdie on No. 2's 500-yard Par 4, and two pars to run his score to 5-under. Koepka came into Sunday's final round 11 shots off the lead.
Jordan Smith joins Sebastian Soderberg at 4-under par
English golfer Jordan Smith has joined Sebastian Soderberg with the best score here in the early going. Smith has four birdies, including his past two holes, and seven pars to run his score for the day (and tournament) to 4-under.
Sebastian Soderberg off to quick start
Sebastian Soderberg came into Sunday at 1-over par, but the Swedish golfer has birdied four of his past five holes for a 4-under round through 10 holes. Soderberg is now at 3-under for the tournament and in a tie for 55th place.
PGA Championship tee times for final round
Here is every tee time and grouping for Round 4 of the PGA Championship.
PGA Championship leaderboard
Find the live updating PGA Championship leaderboard here.
Updated PGA Championship odds
Coming into this tournament, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was the favorite to win the PGA Championship title at Valhalla, according to BetMGM. The current odds, entering Sunday's final round:
Xander Schauffele (-15): +260
Collin Morikawa (-15): +275
Bryson DeChambeau (-13): +700
Sahith Theegala (-14): +750
Viktor Hovland (-13): +800
Shane Lowry (-13): +1200
Justin Rose (-12): +3300
Robert MacIntyre (-12): +4000
Justin Thomas (-10): +6600
Scottie Scheffler (-7): +12500
Valhalla Golf Course map
Check out this complete Valhalla Golf Club course map for the 2024 PGA Championship.
PGA Championship announcers
Scott Van Pelt will anchor live play coverage on ESPN joined by David Duval. Jim Nantz makes his return for CBS and he’ll be joined by Trevor Immelman, Ian Baker-Finch and Frank Nobilo.
PGA Championship final round start time
The first paring – Jeremy Wells and Alejandro Tosti – tee off at 7:45 a.m. ET.
PGA Championship weather
Sunday’s forecast at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky: Sunny and warm, according to AccuWeather. The high temperature is 86 degrees (with a real feel of 92) and winds coming from NNE at 5 mph.
How to watch PGA Championship final round
ESPN+: 7:45 a.m. - 10 a.m. ET
ESPN: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. ET
CBS: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m. ET
Daily TV coverage of the 2024 PGA Championship tournament will be available on ESPN and CBS. ESPN2 will offer an alternate telecast, ESPN BET at the PGA Championship, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. followed by PGA Championship with No Laying Up from 1-3 p.m.
How to stream PGA Championship final round
ESPN+ will stream coverage from 7:45 a.m. until 10 a.m. ET.
For cord-cutters, select focuses of the PGA will be available on CBS Sports HQ. Cord-cutters can also turn to Fubo, which carries CBS and ESPN.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: PGA Championship 2024 highlights: Xander Schauffele wins first major
