Xander Schauffele beat out a field of tightly contested stars to pull out the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on Sunday evening in Louisville, Kentucky. The win marks the first major for Schauffele, and his score of -21 sets the 72-hole scoring record for a major championship.
The 2024 PGA Championship had no shortage of intrigue. From record low scoring to weather delays to shocking developments, this tournament had it all. Let’s look back at each day of the event that saw Schauffele become a major champion:
Thursday: A familiar name emerges
The tournament began on Thursday with good scoring conditions and the opportunity to go low. Plenty of the big names put good scores on the card, with Rory McIlroy, Tony Finau, Collin Morikawa, and Sahith Theegala all scoring -5 or better on the Par 71 course. However, none played as well as Xander Schauffele, who shot a bogey-free -9 score of 62 to tie the record low for a Major Championship round.
Schauffele is no stranger to playing well in majors. He has, however, had a propensity to struggle in the later stages of said tournament, having never sealed the victory at one of golf’s biggest events. That was reflected when he spoke after his first round:
“Yeah, it’s a great start to a big tournament. One I’m obviously always going to take. It’s just Thursday. That’s about it,” Schauffele said.
It was clear that he knew a great start to the tournament was just that: a great start. His focus would stay as the chaos of Friday ensued.
Friday: One of the strangest days in golf history
There is simply no way to tell the story of the 2024 PGA Championship without addressing what happened on Friday morning, hours before a golf ball was ever hit into a fairway. It began with tragedy, as a pedestrian was struck and killed by a shuttle bus. After that, traffic became very backed up and the entrance to the course was very congested. Combine that with heavy rains, and it became very difficult for anyone to navigate the roads near the club.
Scottie Scheffler, the world’s #1 ranked golfer and reigning Masters Champion, got his tournament started with a solid round of 67 to sit at -4 after Thursday. He entered the event as the favorite and has been on an incredible trajectory in his young career.
Early Friday morning, while Scheffler was attempting to get through traffic, he was involved in an incident that resulted in him being arrested and brought to jail. He ultimately returned to the course in time to play his second round, where he shot a 66 to get to -9 and put himself in contention. He released a statement on the matter, with part of it being this:
“This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers. It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do. I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I’m hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today.”
Along with the Scheffler situation, it was a rainy day throughout, but greens became softer and more receptive, resulting in scores not being affected much by weather. Again Schauffele led, but still plenty of players were in striking distance heading into the weekend.
Saturday: Back to normal
Saturday was a return to normalcy at Valhalla Golf Club. After the hectic Friday in regards to weather, arrests, and tragedy, Saturday was a much more typical day in regards to major championship golf.
The story became the bunched up leaderboard, as plenty of players remained in the mix with favorable scoring conditions on a sunny day in Louisville.
Among those making a charge was none other than former McNeese Cowboy Roberts MacIntyre. He sat at -7 through two rounds, and he made his charge on Saturday. Six birdies and just one bogey saw him match his first round score of -5 as a 66 sent him near the top of the leaderboard.
“The only reason there is pressure is because you care so much,” MacIntyre said after his round. “I’m gonna get nervous tomorrow, I’m gonna be nervous tonight, but all I can do is try my best, and that’s honestly… all I can do”
All in all, big names still lingered all over the front page of the leaderboard. Schauffele and Morikawa led the way at -15 entering Sunday, with a whole host of players right behind them, in position to strike on Sunday.
Sunday: A long-awaited first
Entering Sunday’s final round, Schauffele was fighting a reputation that has been built around his golf game. It is a reputation of being a great player, but not being able to finish in the biggest moments.
He entered this week with eleven top-ten finishes in majors. However, he did not have that elusive win.
The pressure would be on, as Schauffele entered with only a share of the lead. Morikawa had the other share, but struggled on Sunday, shooting just even par.
The playee that surged the most was Bryson DeChambeau. DeChambeau put together a round of 64, shooting -7 and getting his tournament score to -20.
Schauffele, however, did not blink. He went shot-for-shot, making critical birdies and avoiding the big slip up that many expected. Heading into the final hole, DeChambeau made another birdie to tie the lead at -20.
Xander once again responded to the challenge, overcoming a tough lie to get up and down for birdie, winning the PGA Championship at Valhalla.
“I’m just happy to win this one for my team,” Schauffele said to the CBS broadcast after his win.
It is the culmination for a player that everyone knew had the talent, but plenty doubted the ability in the clutch. He weathered a crazy week and set the 72-hole scoring record for a major along the way.