LOUISVILLE – On Sunday at Valhalla Golf Club, Xander Schauffele made a six-foot birdie on the par-5 18th hole to claim a one-shot victory over Bryson DeChambeau at the 2024 PGA Championship.
Playing in the final group alongside Collin Morikawa (70), Schauffele arrived at the 18th tee on 20 under and tied with DeChambeau. The 30-year-old San Diego native needed a birdie to win, while a par would force a playoff. A bogey would be disastrous.
Schauffele got a bad break when his tee ball landed on the edge of the bunker, leaving him with a challenging stance. With both feet planted in the sand and the ball on the grass, Schauffele flushed a 3 iron some 240 yards, leaving his ball 35 yards short of the green and 55 yards to the pin. On his third shot, Schauffele chipped it to six feet below the hole.
Trying to take away any break, Schauffele hit the putt firmly, and when the ball finally fell into the cup after rolling along the left lip, he threw his arms in the air to celebrate.
“I was actually kind of emotional after the putt lipped in,” said Schauffele, who became the first player since Phil Mickelson in 2005 at Baltusrol to win the PGA Championship by one shot with a birdie on the final hole.
“It’s been a while since I’ve won. I kept saying it all week, I just need to stay in my lane.
“Man, was it hard to stay in my lane today, but I tried all day to just keep focus on what I’m trying to do and keep every hole ahead of me. Had some weird kind of breaks coming into the house, but it’s all good now.”
Schauffele finished his final day in Louisville, Kentucky with one bogey against seven birdies, highlighted by the final-hole gain to post 65 and reach 21-under par.
For his eighth career PGA Tour title, and first major, Schauffele earned $3,330,000 and 700 FedExCup points, which moved him to No. 2 in both money and points. He also picked up 100 world ranking points to jump to No. 2 from 3rd.
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Pro-File: Xander Schauffele
Name: Alexander Victor Schauffele
Nationality: American
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 175
Birthdate: Oct 25, 1993 (age 30)
Native: San Diego, CA
Resides: Las Vegas, NV
College: San Diego State
Turned Pro: 2015
PGA Tour Rookie: 2017
Best Masters: T2 (2019)
Best PGA: 1st (2024)
Best Open: T3 (2019)
Best U.S. Open: T2 (2018)
Equipment: Callaway
Leaderboard: 2024 PGA Championship
Top-10 Finishers
Pos-Player-To Par (Rd 4 Score)
1. Xander Schauffele -21 (-6)
2. Bryson DeChambeau -20 (-7)
2. Viktor Hovland -18 (-5)
4. Thomas Detry -15 (-5)
4. Collin Morikawa -15 (-1)
6. Justin Rose -14 (-2)
6. Shane Lowry -14 (-1)
8. Billy Horschel -13 (-7)
8. Scottie Scheffler -13 (-6)
8. Justin Thomas -13 (-3)
8. Robert MacIntyre -13 (-1)
Top-5 Check Cashers
1. Xander Schauffele – $3.3m
2. Bryson DeChambeau – $1.99m
3. Viktor Hovland – $1.25m
4. Thomas Detry – $814k
4. Collin Morikawa – $814k
Video: Schauffele’s Winning Highlights
Watch highlights as Xander Schauffele’s shoots a 6-under par 65 to win the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club.
Schauffele’s Winning Numbers
Topline Stats:
Driving: 310.10 yards (15th)
Fairways: 41/56, 73.21% (T16)
Greens: 60/72, 83.3% (1st)
Putts/GIR: 1.63 (6th)
Sand Saves: 5/5, 100% (1st)
Birdies: 25 (1st)
Strokes Gained:
Off the Tee: 5.227 (3rd)
Approach: 7.811 (2nd)
Around the Green: 0.424 (43rd)
Putting: 4.704 (13th)
Total: 18.165 (1st)
Schauffele’s PGA Tour Season
Starts: 13
Cuts Made: 13
Wins: 1 (PGA)
Additional Top 10: 8
Earnings: $11,018,071 (2nd)
FedExCup Pts: 2689 (2nd)
World Rank Before/After: 3/2
3 Questions: Xander Schauffele
1. How tough was it with that battle with Bryson already posting 20-under?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I mean, I assumed — my goal was to get to 22 today. I told Austin (caddie) when we turned, if I could get to 22, I think someone is going to have to beat me.
I really did not want to go into a playoff with Bryson. Going up 18 with his length, it’s not something that I was going to have a whole lot of fun with.
I was able to capture that moment there, getting up-and-down on 17 was really big, and then that chip there on 18 was big for me, as well. I just kept telling myself I need to earn this, earn this and be in the moment, and I was able to do that.
2. What were your emotions like when that putt was on its way on 18?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I was pretty nervous. I walked up, I saw a little left to right. I kept reading it, kept kind of panning. Started to look right to left to me and I thought, oh, my gosh, this is not what I want for a winning putt.
Fortunately, it was uphill, it was six feet-ish. I ended up playing it straight. It did go left, caught the left side. Just so much relief. When it lipped in — I don’t really remember it lipping in, I just heard everyone roaring and I just looked up to the sky in relief.
3. Why weren’t you looking forward to a battle with Bryson in a playoff?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: It’s just 18. It’s like a driver, pitching wedge for him, or like a 9-iron maybe? I don’t even know. If he tomahawks a draw off the water it’s literally going to be like a driver, 9-iron maybe — you can ask him — 8-iron. It’s just one of those things, if you run that stat in your head, who has the advantage, it’s the guy who hits it further.
If we’re playing like a long par-3 or a short par-4 or something like that, maybe I’d feel like I have an edge, but I kind of calculate those things in my head and I knew it was important to take advantage of that.
WITB: Xander Schauffele 2024 PGA
Schauffele won his first major championship title playing (mostly) a full bag of Callaway gear including a Paradym driver, Apex irons, and a Chrome Tour golf ball.
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5°)
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (15°)
4-wood: Callaway Apex UW (21°)
Long Iron: Mizuno MP-20 (3)
Irons: Callaway Apex TCB ’24 (4-10)
Gap Wedge: Callaway Jaws Raw (52°)
Sand Wedge: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (56˚)
Lob Wedge: Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks Proto (60˚)
Putter: Odyssey Toulon Design Las Vegas Prototype 7CH
Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour
Credits: Getty Images, USGA, GolfWRX
