Xander Schauffele wins PGA Championship as Shane Lowry suffers ...
Xander Schauffele answered questions about his ability to close out tournaments in emphatic fashion with a wire-to-wire victory in the US PGA Championship.
Schauffele carded a final round of 65 at Valhalla to hold off the challenges of Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland to secure a maiden major title.
The Olympic champion held his nerve to birdie the 72nd hole for a winning total of 21 under par, the lowest score in relation to par in major championship history.
Schauffele held a three-shot lead after also equalling the lowest single-round score for a second time with a stunning opening 62, but came into the final round tied with two-time major winner Collin Morikawa.
A birdie on the first saw Schauffele reclaim the outright lead and further gains on the fourth, seventh and ninth took him into the back nine two ahead.
However, a clumsy bogey on the par-five 10th and Hovland’s birdie on the 12th meant the pair were suddenly tied and Hovland moved in front for the first time with a birdie on the 13th.
Schauffele responded superbly to pick up shots on the 11th and 12th to reclaim the lead before DeChambeau joined playing partner Hovland on Schauffele’s heels with a birdie on the 16th after his pulled drive clattered into the trees and bounced back into the fairway.
DeChambeau holed from 10 feet for birdie on the 18th to join Schauffele on 20 under before Hovland failed to convert from the same distance and also missed the par putt.
Schauffele bravely saved par from right of the 17th green but was unfortunate to see his drive on the last stop just short of a fairway bunker, leaving him with a hugely awkward stance.
With both feet in the sand, Schauffele hit a superb shot short of the green, pitched up to six feet and held his nerve to hole the winning putt for his first major title.
It was the perfect riposte to those who viewed him as something of an underachiever, especially after being overhauled by Scottie Scheffler in the last round of the Players Championship in March and by Rory McIlroy at Quail Hollow last week
It wasn’t to be for Shane Lowry, who entered the day on -13, two shots behind co-leaders Schauffele and Collin Morikawa.
The Offaly golfer started brightly and two early birdies saw him move to within one shot of the lead, but he lost momentum with a bogey at the 8th.
Lowry made this third birdie of the day at 14 before another bogey at the 16th meant he finished the day with a one-under-par round of 70.
Lowry’s performance was enough to see him finish in a tie for sixth, but the day belonged to Schauffele, who finally was able to win a Major after a number of near misses.
