28-year-old Scottie Scheffler captured his first PGA Championship and third career major victory Sunday. With a pair of green jackets from the Masters and now a Wannamaker trophy, he’s now halfway to a career grand slam.
The world’s top-ranked golfer carded an even-par 71 on payday, good enough for a five-shot victory over the trio of Harris English, Bryson DeChambeau and Davis Riley.
“Words cannot describe what we just witnessed. You are so tough. We are so proud of you,” Scheffler’s Father Scott told him while embracing the two embraced after the win.
It was quite an emotional scene after sinking his final putt. Scheffler threw his arms in the air and found his wife, son, and parents.
“Just a lot of happiness,” Scheffler said. “I think, you know, just maybe thankful as well. It was a long week. I felt like this was as hard as I battled for a tournament in my career. This was a pretty challenging week.”
Scheffler began the final round with a three-stroke lead, then stretched it to five before Jon Rahm made his presence known, briefly tying the Texan before folding down the stretch. The Spaniard finished the “Green Mile” – named for the three holes at Quail Hollow – at 5-over par to finish in an eighth-place tie.
“A lot of positive to take from this week,” Rahm said. “Pretty fresh wound right now. But there’s been a lot of good happening this week and a lot of positive feelings to take for the rest of the year.”
Scheffler finished 11-under par, and his five-stroke victory is the largest margin since Rory McIlroy won by eight in 2012 at the Ocean Course of the Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina.
Taylor Pendrith, Jhonattan Vegas, and J.T. Poston finished in a three-way tie for 5th place at minus 5. Meanwhile, 9 players, including Ryder Cup Captain Keegan Bradley, finished 4-under par.
“I’m just trying to be a player right now,” Bradley responded when asked if his solid performances have him considering a dual role at Bethpage come late September. “Honestly, it’s not even crossing my mind at this point. I’m the captain right now. If we get down to the Playoffs and I’m in the picture then I’ll start thinking about it. But I’m thinking of myself as a player first.”
Scheffler is the 10th consecutive American winner of the PGA Championship, while Jason Day was the last foreign national to hoist the trophy in 2015.
Regarding rare air and elite company, this is Scheffler’s 15th PGA TOUR victory in his 140th start and has him joining Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only three players in golf’s modern era to win that many events, including three majors before the age of 29.
