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Follow live reaction as Xander Schauffele birdies the final hole to win the 2024 PGA Championship ahead of Bryson DeChambeau

Michael Bailey

May 20, 2024 at 7:21 AM EDT

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Xander Schauffele wins the 2024 PGA Championship

Final leaderboard:

What to know from Xander Schauffele's PGA Championship win

By drilling a clutch 6-foot birdie putt on the final hole, Schauffele held off Bryson DeChambeau by one stroke to win his first career major championship. Schauffele's score of 21-under-par is the lowest in men's major history, and his 25 birdies tie the most ever by a player in a PGA Championship. Schauffele is the first player in history to make 25 or more birdies in multiple majors in his career, having done so previously at the 2019 Masters.

Reflecting on the evolution of DeChambeau

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Wild to think a year ago this week at Oak Hill was basically the debut of this latest iteration of Bryson DeChambeau. Slimmed down. Talking about losing 18 pounds in 24 days — all water weight. A new caddie — one who had left the business to pursue other ventures.

I remember talking to Greg Bodine that week and him speaking about DeChambeau's evolution, most interestingly that he could now "dial it back and still swing his driver 10 miles per hour faster than he ever did five or six years ago".

It was the notion that DeChambeau was coming to combine both his original talent and his massive size/strength gains to find a happy medium. Now here we are.

DeChambeau: 'I didn't take care of it earlier in the week'

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You can hear the sense of regret in Bryson DeChambeau's words. Here's what he had to say, speaking to Sky Sports after missing out on a PGA Championship playoff:

💬 "I didn't have my best ball-striking week. I wasn't too comfortable. So I have a little bit to work on there. But I'm proud of the way I fought today. My birdie on the 10th ignited the fire and I showed resilience.

"I thought the (number) might be good enough. Weird stuff can happen on the 18th. But I didn't take care of it earlier in the week.

"I'm happy with my week but I want to win."

Xander Schauffele wins PGA Championship for first career major victory

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Xander Schauffele can finally remove the albatross from around his neck. Schauffele, golf's beacon of unrewarded consistency, won the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on Sunday for his first career major victory.

He did it in one of the more memorable ways possible, sinking a six-foot birdie putt on 18 with the entirety of the crowd watching. After watching the ball circle the hole before finally dropping in to get Schauffele to 21-under-par, one stroke ahead of Bryson DeChambeau, he threw both arms into the air and let out perhaps the biggest smile of his career.

Starting the day in a loaded and crowded leaderboard full of top players, Schauffele shared the lead with Collin Morikawa, only adding more pressure to end his major woes. Schauffele failed to win starting in three final groups already this spring. Twenty times he'd finished in the top 20 of a major without a win. Each impressive week was also just another bitter-sweet reminder of not being good enough to win the trophy at the end.

But in a low-scoring week, Schauffele opened with a major-record 62 and finished with a 65 to properly establish himself as one of golf's best players. He led or co-led after every round.

Read more here.

Schauffele felt the emotion with his winning putt

Xander Schauffele gets the microphone following his Wanamaker Trophy presentation, and his smile is dominating his face.

Here's what he said to CBS after getting his hands on the silverware:

💬 "I was kind of emotional after the putt lipped in. It's been a while since I won and really, I just kept saying I needed to stay in my lane. That was hard all day but I stayed focused. I had some weird breaks coming into the house but we're here now.

"I would be less of a patient person if that putt didn't lip in! I didn't want to go into a playoff with Bryson. We would probably have played 18!

"My Mum is back at home in San Diego and my Dad is in Hawaii. I just spoke to him. I had to hang-up pretty quickly because he was starting to make me cry. He was sat on the phone bawling. Everyone I have here makes me feel pretty special. I was pleased to do this for my team."

Xander Schauffele: PGA Champion and major winner

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The Wanamaker Trophy looks good on you, Xander.

A fleeting thought for DeChambeau

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Obviously no-one things of anyone other than the winner at this point. But it's hard not to feel for Bryson DeChambeau for a moment.

The adrenaline of his birdie on 18, the minutes of practicing for a playoff or victory that might come... And then doesn't.

Still, this is Xander Schauffele's moment, and he is about to get his hands on the Wanamaker Trophy.

Schauffele matches his best when it mattered

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Xander Schauffele's final-round 65 matches the lowest of his major championship career.

He twice closed with 65 at the 2021 Open and 2017 Open, but in both came from way down the board to finish T26 and T20.

Today, he made it count.

A PGA Championship record here at Valhalla

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Lowest combined score to par by field, PGA Championship history:

That's for the doubters

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I must admit, I wasn't sure that putt was going to drop. But it did.

In fairness, a lot of people weren't sure Xander Schauffele were going to see today out either. But he did.

That record-equalling 62 on Thursday proved to be just the start. What a PGA Championship and what a first major for the 30-year-old.

Get to know Xander Schauffele

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Want to get a feel for Xander Schauffele's makeup? How he approaches his place in the game? During a long chat at the Presidents Cup last year, he was asked about why he seems to hold back so much publicly.

"I feel prone to hermit because it's easier to just focus on the golf," Schauffele said. "It's a safe space — hermitting is a safe space. Golf is such a weird game, you know? It's so slow. Quiet. Non-contact. It makes it so much easier to not go scorched earth. If I just said, screw it, and said what I wanted all the time? No. As soon as you put yourself out there, let the bad things in, getting your mind going somewhere else, it'll tear you apart. You've seen it happen to golfers.

"Instead, I just go at what I see as the agreeable rout," he continued. "Just sort of agree with everything being said by other top players. Go along. Everyone falls into categories and I just try to stay on my little peninsula."

SCHAUFFELE WINS THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP!

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1: Xander SCHAUFFELE (-21) 65

The birdie putt wipes its feet and rolls round the rim before dropping in the hole for 6ft...

Xander Schauffele has his first major title!

Morikawa DOES get his birdie in the end

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T4: Collin MORIKAWA (-15) 71

Morikawa finishes with his first birdie! He got one in the end then.

Something to consider as it comes down to the 18th

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As Xander Schauffele walks up the 18th fairway needing a birdie to win and a par to force a playoff with Bryson DeChambeau, consider that the par-5 hole is playing as the easiest hole on the course today (4.554 average score).

There have been two eagles, 40 birdies, 23 pars, eight bogeys and one "other."

Schauffele will have the putt to win it

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That's a wonderful chip and run from Schauffle, which checks up short of the hole and leaves a tempter for the birdie that wins the championship.

DeChambeau returns to his playoff practice. Just in case.

Schauffle setting up a major-winning finish

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Here we go. Schauffele is down in two at the par-five 18th after a super second shot.

Surely there's a PGA-winning birdie on the cards here...

Theegala holes out in style

T12: Sahith THEEGALA (-12) 73

It's not been the day Theegala was hoping for, but rolling in a 20-footer on 18 for a birdie may well add a bit of good feeling as he heads home.

Shane Lowry (-14) also wraps up on 18. He does it with a par to finish with 70 and tied-fifth for the championship.

Bryson out to prepare

Off to the practice range heads Bryson DeChambeau, as he waits to hear about what Xander Schauffele manages on the 18th.

A second major, a last-gasp defeat or a playoff... It's all possible from here.

More than anything, DeChambeau will be hoping to settle a bit after the adrenaline of his birdie on 18 moments ago.

Hovland's bogey ends streak

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Viktor Hovland went the entire weekend without a bogey, then took a six on the par-5 18th on Sunday.

As if the 16th at Oak Hill wasn't tough enough to stomach — leaving his approach in the fairway bunker in a one-on-one matchup versus Brooks Koepka — this will sit even worse.

Consider: He very well could've become only the third major champion over the last 30 years to go bogey-free over the final two rounds. Instead, it's more regret.

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