The final round of the 106th PGA Championship saw one player that was going to pull it out and be last man standing in a 156-man field to win and lift the 27-pound Wanamaker Trophy.
The third round was a precursor to what the final round offered with advantageous holes as long as players executed their shots.
Bryson DeChambeau made things interesting when he made a 10-foot putt on the 72nd hole to tie Xander Schauffele at 20-under par, as Schauffele still had two holes left to play. Schauffele was still tied with DeChambeau as he entered the 72nd hole, needing a birdie to win. The 30-year-old Schauffele was able to execute by making a 6-foot birdie putt for his first major championship in wire-to-wire fashion.
Here are 10 winners and losers from this week at the PGA Championship.
Winner: 2024 PGA Championship winner; Xander Schauffele
The winner this week, especially during the final round, came down to who was going to make their putts, primarily those within 15 feet. The key part of his round came as he made the turn. On the par-4 ninth when, even despite not hitting the fairway, he gets his approach to 10 feet and sunk that for birdie. Although he missed a 5-footer to save par on the ensuing hole, he bounced back by making two straight birdies on holes No. 11 and 12, which both required high-quality approach shots.
Winner: Bryson DeChambeau
Even on the LIV Golf Tour, Bryson DeChambeau continues to show that he is a major champion. Although he did not win this week, coming one stroke short, DeChambeau has had two good major starts with his T6 at the Masters, followed by this week’s runner-up. DeChambeau, was making shots from off the green all week long as he even shot a bogey-free 7-under 64 in Sunday’s final round.
Winner: Viktor Hovland
Viktor Hovland put himself back on the map this week with his performance at the PGA Championship. Hovland consistently played well all week long. After a 3-under 68 on Thursday, Hovland recorded three straight 5-under 66s over his final 54 holes. This week has the opportunity for Hovland to get back on track with two major championships left and get back in the running to defend his FedEx Cup.
Loser: Sahith Theegala
Sahith Theegala did not have a final round to remember, shooting a 2-over 73, while being one stroke back of Collin Morikawa and Schauffele to begin the day. Although he birdied the opening hole, Theegala went +4 over his next 14 holes that already put him out of the running, including two straight bogeys on holes No. 14 and 15.
Winners: Shane Lowry & Justin Rose
Despite being 37 and 43 years old, respectively, Shane Lowry and Justin Rose showed this week that they can still compete at a major championship level. The third round Saturday was a prime example of that as they combined to shoot 16-under par, and Lowry was two feet away from scoring the first 18-hole 61 in men’s major championship history. Both Lowry and Rose, who both have a major championship under their belt, both finished tied for fifth in a strong showing with two majors left.
Related: Best golfers of all time
Loser: Collin Morikawa
Collin Morikawa entered Sunday’s final round tied atop the leaderboard with Schauffele. As Schauffele made four birdies on the front nine, Morikawa remained at even par with no birdies or bogeys on the scorecard. His first non-par came on the par-4 15th when he missed his 7-foot par putt. However, he was able to get that stroke back with a birdie on the par-5 18th to finish tied for fifth.
Related: Where Collin Morikawa victory stands in the all-time PGA Championship winner’s list
Winner: Thomas Detry
Thomas Detry has shown all season long he can compete with the game’s best players after his T4 at Pebble Beach and the runner-up at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. Detry was able to put it on display in one of golf’s highest levels this week as he shot 15-under par to place tied for fourth for his best finish at a major championship. If Detry shoots better than his 1-under 70 in Saturday’s third round, it was a different story today.
Related: Top 5 Longest Golf Drives Ever, including historic shots from Tiger Woods and Davis Love III
Winner: Scottie Scheffler
After everything Scottie Scheffler went through from holing out from the fairway on the first hole Thursday to stretching in a jail cell the next morning, the No. 1 player in the world had to overcome so much more on top of competing against the world’s best at a premier event. In addition to not having his primary caddie, Ted Scott, in Saturday’s third round, it was definitely a valiant effort for an unshakable golfer.
Related: Scottie Scheffler, World’s No. 1 golfer, arrested before Round 2 of PGA Championship
Loser: Max Homa
It was not quite the week Max Homa had hoped for as he played too close to par as the tournament progressed. His best round came on Thursday with a 3-under 68. Luckily for Homa he was still able to keep a semi-positive mentality as he posted on Instagram, “Frustrating week in KY. Lost to a guy who was literally in jail Friday morning. Tough look for me.” (That is referenced to Scheffler as Homa finished at 8-under par compared to Scheffler shooting 13-under par.)
Winner: Justin Thomas
Anytime a player gets to compete in their hometown, whether it is for a regular season tournament on the PGA Tour, or in a major championship, it is special. Justin Thomas had that opportunity this week at the PGA Championship, growing up 20 minutes away from Valhalla Golf Club. Although Thomas would have liked to score better than his 13-under par score and be in contention for his third Wanamaker Trophy and second in three years, he has plenty of memories playing in front of family and friends.
Follow us on MSN to see more exclusive content