Scottie Scheffler Claims Third Major Title with Commanding PGA Championship Win
World number one Scottie Scheffler added another milestone to his already remarkable career on Sunday, clinching his third major title at the PGA Championship with a composed and confident final round at Quail Hollow. The 28-year-old Texan held off a fierce challenge from Spain’s Jon Rahm and pulled away on the back nine to win by five strokes.
Scheffler, who previously won the Masters in 2022 and again earlier this year, became the 10th consecutive American to capture the PGA Championship. With a steady even-par 71, he finished 11-under for the tournament (273), well ahead of fellow Americans Harris English, Davis Riley, and Bryson DeChambeau, who tied for second at 6-under.
It was a dramatic final round that saw momentum swing back and forth. Scheffler began the day with a three-shot cushion over Sweden’s Alex Noren, but early struggles off the tee saw his lead slip. Rahm capitalized, briefly tying Scheffler for the lead with a birdie at the 11th. But that was as close as the Spaniard would get.
Scheffler responded with a clutch birdie at the par-5 10th to retake the lead and never looked back. He added birdies at 14 and 15 while Rahm faltered down the stretch with a bogey at 16 and double bogeys at 17 and 18, finishing with a 2-over 73 and settling for a share of eighth place at 4-under (280).
“I did a good job staying patient on the front nine. I didn’t have my best stuff,” Scheffler admitted afterward. “I stepped up on the back nine and got it done.”
Sunday’s win was worth $3.42 million from a record $19 million purse. It also placed Scheffler in elite company: only he and Spanish legend Seve Ballesteros have won each of their first three majors by at least three shots in the last century.
His victory at Quail Hollow marked his 15th PGA Tour win in just over three years—a pace only Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have bettered. Despite a right-hand injury that delayed his start to the 2024 season, Scheffler now boasts nine titles this year, including Olympic gold in Paris, and has successfully converted eight straight 54-hole leads into wins.
The day’s other contenders had their own share of drama. LIV Golf’s Jon Rahm, winner of the 2021 U.S. Open and 2023 Masters, came close before unraveling late. Fellow LIV star Bryson DeChambeau, who tied for second, left disappointed.
“I had the game to win this week,” DeChambeau said. “I just didn’t get it done. This is burning a bigger fire in my belly.”
Xander Schauffele, the 2024 PGA Championship and British Open champion, ended his tournament with a 22-foot birdie on 18 for a final-round 68, finishing at 1-under (283). Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy, fresh off his career Grand Slam win at the Masters, carded a 72 on Sunday to finish at 3-over (287) and declined media interviews all week—a surprising move at a course where he’s previously won four times and holds the course record.