'The Valhalla nail-biter that had everything'
Xander Schauffele’s thrilling breakthrough PGA victory over Bryson DeChambeau portrayed major golf in the best possible light at the end of what had been a troubled week for the championship. This Valhalla nail-biter had everything; it proved that Schauffele does have what it takes at the highest level, while DeChambeau reminded us that he is a unique, charismatic and idiosyncratic talent that should be treasured. And third-placed Viktor Hovland displayed how fortune can favourably flip in an instant. The Norwegian ended a week where he considered withdrawing through lack of form to feeling for the first time the heat of having a chance to win a major while striding onto the 72nd green. What a weird and wonderful game it is.2 days ago Scheffler 'fairly tired' after 'hectic' US PGA weekend Published 1 day ago US PGA Championship: Relive Schauffele's victory - final round as it happened Schauffele deserves huge credit for this win, as gritty as a sarnie dropped in a bunker. He just refused to be beaten and had to hole a closing six footer for birdie to go lower in relation to par than any previous major champion. We had all known he was the best player out there never to have won a major. He had been of a similar opinion. “I thought I was,” the Tokyo Olympic champion said. “Not that people saying it made me think that. I just felt like I've done enough work, I'm good enough to do it. “I just needed to shut my mind up and actually do it.” The 30-year-old from San Diego had not won a title since the 2022 Scottish Open. There had been a string of subsequent near misses including coughing up the 54 hole lead at Quail Hollow seven days earlier when he was overwhelmed by Rory McIlroy. “I've become very patient not knocking off any wins in the last couple years. The people closest to me know how stubborn I can be,” added Schauffele. “When I break it down, I'm really proud of how I handled certain moments on the course… different from the past.” He had recorded a dozen major top 10s prior to this victory, six of them top fives, and was runner up at the 2018 Open and the following year’s Masters. At this year’s Players Championship he came up short with a putt to force a play-off with Scottie Scheffler. That was so Xander - golf’s nearly man - the guy who would please his bank manager but leave his silverware polisher unemployed. “I don't think I'd ever look at it as lacking,” he reflected on his career to this point. “I looked at it as someone that is trying really hard and needs more experience. He added: “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. “Definitely a chip on the shoulder there. It just is what it is at the end of the day. You guys [the press] are asking the questions, probing, and I have to sit here and answer it. “It's a lot easier to answer it with this thing sitting next to me now,” he said nodding at a giant Wanamaker Trophy that will require plenty of polishing. “It's just fuel, fuel to my fire. It always has been growing up, and it certainly was leading up to this.”