By Frank Pingue
May 18, 2025 – 5:45 PM PDT
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) – Scottie Scheffler was put to the test at the PGA Championship on Sunday but stood tall in the face of adversity as he corrected swing issues in time to hold off a spirited effort by Spaniard Jon Rahm for a runaway victory and third career major title.
Scheffler began the day with a seemingly comfortable three-shot lead but what many felt was an inevitable victory turned into a back-nine tussle as the world number one golfer struggled off the tee early and Rahm mounted a charge.
But like a true champion, the unflappable Scheffler did not panic and found his stride on the homeward stretch while Rahm, playing two groups ahead, endured a stunning collapse that robbed the final holes of any drama.
“Finishing off a major championship is always difficult, and I did a good job of staying patient on the front nine,” said Scheffler.
“I didn’t have my best stuff, but I kept myself in it, and I stepped up on the back nine and had a really good nine holes. That’s about it.”
Scheffler made two key birdies midway through the back nine to regain control just as Rahm was falling apart and went on to card an even-par 71 that left him at 11 under on the week at the year’s second major.
His five-stroke win is the largest at the PGA Championship since Rory McIlroy won by eight in 2012.
Ryder Cup hopeful Harris English, who began his day 11 shots adrift, shot a 65 that was the low round of the day and finished in a distant share of second place alongside fellow Americans Bryson DeChambeau (70) and Davis Riley (72).
Twice major champion Rahm (73) gave Scheffler a scare early on the back nine but came apart in stunning fashion with five dropped shots over his final three holes to slide back into a share of eighth place.
“Pretty fresh wound right now,” said Rahm. “But there’s been a lot of good happening this week and a lot of positive feelings to take for the rest of the year.”
‘LITTLE UNLUCKY’
Rahm, who began the day five shots back of the lead and playing two groups ahead of Scheffler, took a while to get going in the final round but found his groove right in time to set up some back-nine drama at Quail Hollow Club.
The Spaniard joined Scheffler atop the leaderboard when, at the par-four 11th, he made his third birdie over a four-hole stretch, but Scheffler reclaimed the outright lead with a nine-foot birdie at the 10th moments later.
Rahm nearly answered right back but his perfectly paced 19-foot birdie attempt at the par-three 13th curled around and out of the cup before going on to misread birdie putts at the next two holes, followed by his brutal closing stretch.
Scheffler added birdies at 14 and 15 and then saw his lead suddenly balloon to five over J.T. Poston when Rahm made a double-bogey at the par-three 17th where he blasted his tee shot into the water.
U.S. Open champion DeChambeau, who finished runner-up at last year’s PGA Championship, was driving the ball and giving himself chances but struggled on the greens.
“I felt like I had the game to win this week, and the golf course suited me pretty well; missed a few putts coming down the stretch and got a little unlucky in this great game of golf,” said DeChambeau.
“It was a good fight, good battle, take a lot from it. It’s just burning a bigger fire in my belly.”
Swede Alex Noren, playing alongside Scheffler and alone in second place to start the day, stayed in the mix until his round unravelled with a trio of bogeys early on the back nine.
McIlroy, who made the cut on the number in his first major since completing the career Grand Slam at last month’s Masters, went out with the early starters and shot a one-over-par 72 to finish in a share of 47th place.
Defending champion Xander Schauffele also started early and finished the week at one under after a closing 68 during which he drained a 46-foot eagle chip at the par-four eighth hole.
Reporting by Frank Pingue; Editing by Stephen Coates and Christopher Cushing