Scottie Scheffler won his first US PGA Championship title at Quail Hollow, adding another major to his glowing career. The world number one finished five strokes ahead of his nearest competitors, but the win did not come easily for him.
Scheffler began Sunday with a comfortable lead, three shots clear at the top and five ahead of Jon Rahm. Yet, the early holes quickly erased any sense of ease. Rahm surged with a string of birdies, while Scheffler faltered, carding two-over par on his opening nine. By the turn, the two were tied, setting the stage for a tense duel for the Wanamaker Trophy.
Reflecting on the pressure, Scheffler said, “I knew it was going to be a challenging day. Finishing off a major championship is always difficult, and I did a good job of staying patient on the front nine.
“I didn’t play my best stuff, but I kept myself in it, stepped up on the back nine, and had a good nine holes.”
The defining moment arrived on the 10th hole. Scheffler, having just bogeyed the ninth, responded with a birdie, one of several times during the tournament he answered being cornered with immediate brilliance. His steady play down the stretch contrasted sharply with Rahm, who stumbled on the challenging ‘Green Mile’, with a bogey on 16, followed by a costly double-bogey after finding water on the par-three 17th, effectively ending his challenge.
The American closed with a final-round 71, and his emotional celebration on the 18th green captured how much the moment meant to him.
Speaking after the win, Scheffler remarked, “To step up when I needed to the most, this back nine will be one that I remember for a long time. I felt like this was as hard as I battled for a tournament in my career. It was a pretty challenging week.”
The legacy of the 28-year-old continues to grow with each passing game. With the PGA Championship title now in his possession, it remains the US Open and The Open Championship as the remaining major titles missing he’s yet to win. It will be interesting to see what he can accomplish and what other titles he can add to the list in the coming years.
