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Just another Scottie Sunday. Major number three for Scottie Scheffler, the first outside Augusta National and the latest stride towards golfing immortality. A year on from being bundled into a police cell during his last attempt to lift the Wanamaker Trophy, Scheffler took no prisoners. Dancing to the jailhouse rock. Jon Rahm swung and missed at the new US PGA champion before capitulating under sheer frustration. Nobody else seriously featured.
Scheffler earned himself $3.4m (£2.5m) plus further daylight between himself and the rest at the summit of the world rankings. The most remarkable thing about Scheffler is how unremarkable he makes all this seem. This is a golfer who has walked up to the 72nd green of a major holding six-, five- and four-shot leads. He has no experience of anxiety in such scenarios because of his own ability to steady the ship as others waver.
A 71 enable him to breeze home by five at 12 under par. Second belonged to Harris English, Bryson DeChambeau and Davis Riley.
The biggest criticism of hosting the year’s second major at Quail Hollow has been that a PGA Tour event is played here every year. Many felt this tournament did not feel suitably distinct. Scheffler certainly did not; this is his 15th victory since early 2022. The gap between wins from last September to the start of this month, when Scheffler prevailed at the Byron Nelson, felt like a drought.
This US PGA Sunday was not without flickers of drama. Scheffler began round four with a three-shot lead. The advantage was stretched to five within the same number of holes. This felt like a procession.
Rahm then made things interesting. Birdies at the 8th and 10th placed him within two of Scheffler. Rahm had dual motivation; to prove his switch to LIV had not blunted his major capabilities and to win a first US PGA for Spain. As Scheffler made a bogey at the 9th and Rahm a birdie at the 11th, we had a tie. Rahm had taken just 13 putts in 11 holes. Scheffler found only four greens in regulation during his outward half.
Scheffler now needed to steady himself. Should there have been any doubt he would do precisely that? Birdies at the 10th and 14th – Rahm failed to take advantage of the gettable latter – placed this tournament back into Scheffler’s grip. The Green Mile bit Rahm. He dropped a shot at the 16th to leave Scheffler again leading by three. Rahm then found water at the short 17th. Race, run. Scheffler had five shots to spare when finding a fairway bunker from the 16th tee. Rahm cracked his drive into water at the last, smoke flowing out of his ears. As Rahm signed for a 73 and share of eighth, it was so hard to remember what had happened just hours before. Rahm finished seven shots behind Scheffler.
DeChambeau’s erratic day at the office involved 70 shots. Too much of the US Open champion’s fine work was undermined by sloppy wedge play during this major. “I’m pretty disappointed,” said DeChambeau. “But Scottie is an incredible golfer and I’ve got to look forward to trying to get to his level.” English played the back nine in a wonderful 31, his 65 blasting him up the leaderboard. A US Ryder Cup berth is within English’s sights.
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Rory McIlroy’s low-key week ended with a 72. The Masters champion’s aggregate was three over par. There will be an element of reset required after the emotion and heroics of Augusta National. A 69 from Sergio García was not sufficient to allow the Spaniard to talk up his hopes of a Ryder Cup reappearance, at Bethpage in September. “The way I’m playing, even if Luke [Donald] offered me a pick right now, I would tell him no,” Garcia said. “So obviously I need to get better. I need to get more where I was just before the Masters, just to show myself and show everyone that my game is solid and it can help the team. It’s as simple as that. The good thing is that there’s still months until the team is finalised. I have time to gain some confidence and improve a little bit on my game.”
García watched on as his compatriot Rahm sought to make history for their country. He could not. Still, the mere fact Rahm made this interesting for a while is to his huge credit. Scheffler’s treble of major titles will only grow, grow and grow.
