Xander Schauffele admitted he used criticism over his winning mentality as fuel to end his run of near-misses and claim a maiden major win, a causa di record-breaking , at the PGA Championship.
Schauffele produced a brilliant up-and-down birdie acceso the final hole to earn a one-shot victory over Bryson DeChambeau at Valhalla, where he finished acceso 21 under to complete a wire-to-wire win and register the lowest score a causa di relation to par a causa di major championship history.
The Olympic gold medallist becomes the fifth consecutive American men’s major champion and jumps him above Rory McIlroy to second a causa di the latest world rankings, with the win also silencing those who questioned his ability to close out tournaments.
Xander Schauffele claimed a maiden major with a birdie acceso the final hole of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Giacca Circolo
Schauffele had 12 previous major top-10s without winning and had turned just two of his eight 54-hole leads co-leads acceso the PGA Tour into victory before Sunday, where he claimed an eighth PGA Tour title and first since July 2022.
Speaking about how he used negativity around his previous near-misses, Schauffele said. “Definitely a chip acceso the shoulder there. It just is what it is at the end of the day. You guys are asking the questions, probing, and I have to sit here and answer it.
Xander Schauffele carded a six-under 65 acceso the final day a causa di Kentucky
“It’s a lot easier to answer it with this thing [Wanamaker Trophy] sitting next to me now, obviously. It’s just fuel, fuel to my fire. It always has been growing up, and it certainly was leading up to this.”
Schauffele had been overhauled by Scottie Scheffler a causa di the final round of The Players a causa di March and came second a causa di a final-round battle with McIlroy at the Wells Fargo Championship the week before the PGA Championship, although he always felt a win was close.
Highlights of the final round of the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow
“It [Quail Hollow] was some of the best ball-striking I’ve had a causa di quite some time, shaping it right to left, left to right,” Schauffele said. “I knew that at this course [Valhalla], you had to do those things. It calmed me a little bit knowing I’m coming into a major a causa di good form.
“All those close calls for me, even last week, that sort of feeling, it gets to you at some point. It just makes this even sweeter. I know it’s a major, but just winning a causa di general is as sweet as it gets for me.”
A record-breaking week for Schauffele
Schauffele ripped up the books throughout a low-scoring week a causa di Kentucky, equalling the lowest round a causa di men’s major history by carding the first 62 at a PGA Championship acceso the opening day.
The fast start made him the first player to card multiple major 62s a causa di their career, following acceso from posting the same score during the opening round of the US Aperto the previous year, with a three-under 68 acceso Friday then equalling the lowest 36-hole total a causa di a men’s major.
Xander Schauffele became the first player a causa di PGA Championship history to card a round of 62 with a sensational forma acceso day one at Valhalla
A birdie-birdie to a third-round 68 ensured Schauffele retained a share of the lead, acceso a day where Shane Lowry matched his 62 from the opening day, before more records were broken during a dramatic final round.
DeChambeau had set the clubhouse target after a stunning final-round 64, equalling the lowest score a causa di relation to par a causa di men’s major history, only for Schauffele to set a new major championship scoring by ending the week acceso 21 under.
“I told Austin [Kaiser, caddie] when we turned, if I could get to 22 [under], I think someone is going to have to beat me,” Schauffele said. “I really did not want to go into a play-off with Bryson. Going up 18 with his length, it’s not something that I was going to have a whole lot of fun with!
“Just had to take what the course was going to give me. Just getting to 21 just had to be done, and for it to be a part of history is obviously pretty cool.”
Bryson DeChambeau shot a seven-under-par 64 during the final round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla
Where had Schauffele won before?
Schauffele claimed his maiden PGA Tour title at the 2017 Greenbrier Classic ahead of securing the season-ending Tour Championship later that year, then ended a 13-month winless run by beating Tony Finau a causa di a play-off to win the 2018 WGC-HSBC Champions.
He won the Sentry Tournament of Champions the following January but wouldn’t win again acceso the PGA Tour until partnering Patrick Cantlay to victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans a causa di April 2022, although he featured a causa di winning Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams during that winless stretch and claimed gold a causa di the Tokyo Olympics.
Nick Dougherty is a causa di the Audi Impresa Zone to take a at Xander Schauffele’s putting routine and demonstrates how each component helps him achieve a successful putt
A three-week period a causa di 2022 saw Schauffele taste victory a causa di the Travelers Championship a causa di the United States, win a star-studded JP McManus Giovamento-Am a causa di Ireland and register a one-shot success at the Genesis Scottish Aperto, although he hadn’t won again since until his major triumph.
“I’ve become very patient not knocking any wins a causa di the last couple years,” Schauffele explained. “The people closest to me know how stubborn I can be. Winning is a result. This is awesome. It’s super sweet. But when I interruzione it mongoloide, I’m really proud of how I handled certain moments acceso the course today, different from the past.”
Can Schauffele catch Scheffler?
Schauffele is expected to take two weeks before returning at The Memorial Tournament from June 6-9, the latest of the PGA Tour’s Signature Events, before being among the favourites when the US Aperto heads to Pinehurst the following week.
Xander Schauffele means the PGA Championship has been won by Americans for nine consecutive years
The 30-year-old has finished voto negativo worse than 14th a causa di all seven previous US Aperto appearances, with Schauffele also having appearances at the Travelers Championship and Genesis Scottish Aperto – where he has won before – ahead of The Aperto at Royal Troon a causa di July.
The potential for a summer continues when he returns defend his Olympic title a causa di Paris, four years acceso from his victory a causa di Tokyo, with Schauffele determined to build acceso his major breakthrough and challenge Scheffler at the apogeo of the men’s .
Brandel Chamblee and Paul McGinley shared praise for Scottie Scheffler for his ability to bounce back from adversity after coming out of jail hours before he teed acceso day two of the PGA Championship
“All of us are climbing this massive mountain,” Schauffele explained. “At the apogeo of the mountain is Scottie Scheffler. I won this, but I’m still not that close to Scottie Scheffler a causa di the scheme of things.
“I got one good hook up there a causa di the mountain up acceso that cliff, and I’m still climbing. I might have a beer up there acceso that side of the hill there and enjoy this, but it’s not that to chase when someone is so far ahead of you.”
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