Schauffele Clinches Maiden Major Victory At PGA Championship With Record-Breaking Performance

Xander Schauffele captured a significant moment during his PGA Championship win, handling crucial situations better than in previous tournaments. Schauffele secured his first major victory with a dramatic one-shot win at Valhalla, Kentucky, on Sunday. He made history by finishing 21 under, the lowest 72-hole score in men's major history.

Schauffele held off late challenges from Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland to secure the Wanamaker Trophy after carding a 65 on the final day. "It feels amazing," Schauffele told reporters post-win. "Winning is a result. This is awesome, it's super sweet, but when I break it down, I'm really proud of how I handled certain moments on the course today, different from the past."

Reflecting on his performance, Schauffele said, "I was pretty nervous. I don't really remember it [the birdie putt] lipping in; I just heard everyone roaring and looked up to the sky in relief." He added that he was relieved not to go into a play-off with DeChambeau, given the latter's length off the tee.

Major championship history for @XSchauffele! pic.twitter.com/rNlqAOjQLU

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 19, 2024

Despite lifting the trophy, Schauffele believes he still has work to do to reach Scottie Scheffler. The world number one had a turbulent week, which saw him arrested ahead of the second round on Friday. Scheffler finished joint-eighth.

"All of us are climbing this massive mountain and at the top is Scottie Scheffler," Schauffele added. "I won this today, but I'm still not that close to Scottie Scheffler in the big scheme of things. I got one good hook up there on the mountain up on that cliff, and I'm still climbing."

Schauffele concluded by saying he might have a beer to celebrate but acknowledged that chasing someone so far ahead is not easy.