Xander Schauffele is a major champion. After years of consistent, yearly top-10 finishes in the majors, he has one to call his own. In a very low-scoring week by major championship standards, Xander didn’t let up, leading from start to finish. After an opening round 62, he shot three-under in consecutive rounds before closing with an impressive Sunday 65 that included just a single bogey. Talk about a guy who’s been there before.
Schauffele Goes Low for the Win
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On a day when everyone predicted a shootout, the co-leader, Schauffele, seized birdie chance after birdie chance all around. His game was calculated and sharp from start to finish. He shot a bogey-free four under 31 on the front and a two under on the back with a birdie on 18 for the win. After a bogey on 10 threatened to turn his momentum, Xander backed it up with back-to-back birdies on 11 and 12.
Schauffele’s seventy-two-hole total of twenty-one under par is the lowest in the history of the PGA Championship. As is his 263 stroke total for the week. Those scores also hold the lowest record in any major championship. The last two winners of the PGA Championships hosted by Valhalla Golf Club were Tiger Woods in 2000 and Rory McIlroy in 2014. Their winning totals were fourteen and sixteen under par, respectively.
Schauffele Holds Off DeChambeau, Stellar Field
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Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland, paired together two groups ahead, made Schauffele earn it. Both golfers went low, firing 64 and 66, respectively. Bryson’s round got him to twenty under, forcing Schauffele to birdie the 18th in dramatic fashion for the win. Xander was aware of the DeChambeau birdie ahead of him to tie for the lead. He spoke on it after his win:
“I really didn’t want to go into a playoff against Bryson,” Schauffele said. “I told myself this was my opportunity. Just capture it.”
DeChambeau had the crowd in a frenzy that could’ve unnerved a leader without a major of his own, but that didn’t happen to Schauffele. The deafening roars DeChambeau’s play didn’t seem to phase Xander in the slightest. Neither did major winners Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, and world number one, Scottie Scheffler, all making their presence felt inside the top 10.
Schauffele’s Trajectory for More Major Success is High
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Schauffele’s consistency since joining the tour has been superior to most. He’s never finished a season with fewer than 11 top-20 finishes and finished top 10 in nine of his first 17 majors. He’s also played on two Ryder Cup teams. Steve Stricker, Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie are the only other players with Ryder Cup experience to have spent more weeks in the world top 10 without a major win.
In 28 career majors, Schauffele now has a win, two runner-ups, seven top-fives, and 13 top-tens. The win moves him ahead of Rory McIlroy into the second position behind Scheffler in the official World Golf rankings. It is the highest position Schauffele has ever held by those metrics. Xander is second behind Scheffler in the Ryder Cup rankings now. And he’s now third behind Scheffler and Wyndham Clark on the PGA Tour’s money list.
About the Author
Eric Colton is a former Hollywood screenwriter turned sports columnist. With several feature-length screenplays to his credit and 3 short films written and produced, Colton is a respected writer in film and television. His recent move to sports writing is based on his life-long love affair with sports.
Growing up outside of Detroit, he’s die-hard for all of the hometown teams. With over 20 years of fantasy sports experience, he’s well-versed in the intricacies of many sports and with the premier athletes of their respective sports. Colton’s voice is one filled with positivity, directness, and humor. He loves to write and does so at a ‘stream-of-consciousness’ pace.
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