Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Xander Schauffele finally won a major championship. But Valhalla produced plenty of losers on Sunday, including the course itself.
Xander Schauffele made a clutch birdie on the 18th hole to defeat Bryson DeChambeau by one stroke to claim his first major title.
After so many runner-up finishes, Schauffele finally got over the hump and won a major.
In doing so, Schauffele went wire to wire as he held at least a share of the lead after each round of the PGA Championship.
Yet, this tournament produced many more winners outside of Schauffele. Others shined at Valhalla Golf Club with the lights shining the brightest.
But the day also saw a few losers who did not live up to the week’s hype.
Check out the winners and losers from the final round of the PGA Championship:
Winners:
Xander Schauffele
Schauffele recorded seven birdies and a bogey on Sunday to claim his first major championship.
In his eighth appearance in the PGA Championship, Schauffele finally took home the hardware. His best finish in this tournament came in 2020 at TPC Harding Park, when Collin Morikawa prevailed.
But this time around, Schauffele held tough and made the biggest putt of his career on 18.
Viktor Hovland
Viktor Hovland finally found his form this week at Valhalla Golf Club after reuniting with old coach Joe Mayo. On Sunday, the reigning FedEx Cup Champion shot a 5-under 66 to finish at 18-under, good for solo third.
Sunday’s score gave him his third straight 66 on the week.
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images
It also marked his second straight PGA Championship inside the Top 5. He tied for second with Scottie Scheffler in 2023 at Oak Hill to Brooks Koepka.
Reuniting with Mayo proved crucial for the young Norweigan. His confidence grew each day. Then, on Sunday, he made six birdies in a nine-hole stretch and even held part of the lead. But Schauffele was not letting another lead go down the drain.
Yet, Hovland did make one mistake: a bogey on the 18th proved costly, as he finished three strokes behind Schauffele. But at least Hovland has rescovered his mojo. Whatever Mayo does for Hovland, it works, and hopefully, the duo will stay together for many more majors to come.
Bryson DeChambeau and YouTube Golf
The final winner of day four must be Bryson DeChambeau and how he continues to grow golf. He regularly posts videos to his YouTube page, and surely, his channel will grow more after his performance on Sunday.
DeChambeau came out with a lot of passion, making three birdies on the front nine. The longer the round went on, the more fired up he got. A birdie on the 12th saw a nice fist pump, but his birdie on the 18th produced an incredible moment. He threw both fists into the air and just yelled, echoing Phil Mickelson from his win at Kiawah Island in 2021.
The former U.S. Open winner made that birdie putt with ice in his veins, putting all the pressure on Schauffele.
But his demeanor is different from when he played on the PGA Tour. DeChambeau seems happier. He played freely the entire week and even more so on Sunday. It appeared he had the time of his life because he was okay with being himself.
Fans obsessed over him on Sunday. Following DeChambeau and Hovland, everyone rooted for the LIV Golf captain. He had a massive crowd on every hole, anticipating his every move. He made a lot of new fans on Sunday and likely helped YouTube golf grow even more.
Losers:
Collin Morikawa
Collin Morikawa came into the final round tied with Schauffele. He had a lot of momentum in his pocket but could not get anything going on Sunday. The two-time major winner had a shot at winning his second Wanamaker Trophy, but instead, he choked again.
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Morikawa made only one bogey and one birdie the entire day. While he did not drop many shots, he did not pick up any. His putter went cold as he looked stale and uncomfortable on the greens.
Instead, it was Schauffele’s day to win a major championship, as Morikawa quickly faded to the background midway through the round.
He needs to bring that fire back at major championships.
Brooks Koepka
Brooks Koepka tied for 26th after shooting a 5-under 66 on Sunday. His Saturday performance put him completely out of contention, and the five-time major winner did not play like himself.
He started the week with a lot of momentum, but by Sunday, his energy felt stagnant.
“Not very good. I think it’s pretty obvious, isn’t it,” Koepka said about his week at Valhalla.
Photo by Scott Taetsch/PGA of America via Getty Images
He shot in the 60s for three days, but that Saturday round proved detrimental. It cost him a shot at his sixth major, but the U.S. Open is just a few weeks away.
Valhalla Golf Club
The Valhalla leaderboard had some of the best names in golf, and it came down to the wire, but it almost felt too easy. To see a 21-under score at a major championship feels odd.
Why should a major venue ever allow players to go that low? Granted, the rain made the course extremely soft, which the club could not control, but the scores resembled The American Express or the Travelers Championship, not a major.
The top three finishers shot 65, 64, and 66 on a par-71 layout on Sunday. Those are fantastic scores, but at a major championship, there should be some semblance of difficulty.
There were rumors on the golf course that some of the drink stands ran out of beer and did not refill them around 2 p.m. The traffic, logistical, and low scores put Valhalla in the loser bracket for the week.
It will be shocking to see the club get another major soon.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
