Exactly one year and one day after his booking photo became a prominent image from the PGA Championship, Scottie Scheffler, the world`s top-ranked golfer, held the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday at Quail Hollow Club. This marked his third career major championship victory.
Scheffler finished the 107th PGA Championship with an even-par final round of 71, securing a dominant five-stroke win over contenders Harris English, Bryson DeChambeau, and Davis Riley. While his lead seemed substantial early on, it narrowed significantly on the front nine during a hot, humid afternoon, with Spain`s Jon Rahm briefly tying him for the lead at the turn.
However, Scheffler demonstrated his characteristic strength on the back nine, pulling away from the field, while Rahm experienced difficulties on the challenging closing stretch known as the `Green Mile` at Quail Hollow.
Following his final putt, Scheffler tossed his hat and raised his arms to acknowledge the cheering crowd. He shared a moment with his wife, Meredith, and son, Bennett. His father, Scott, reportedly told him, “Words cannot describe what we just witnessed. You are so tough. We are so proud of you.”
Reflecting on his triumph, Scheffler expressed “Just a lot of happiness… maybe thankful as well.” He described the week as a difficult battle, perhaps the most challenging tournament fight of his career.
In a span of just over a year, Scheffler`s journey shifted from an unexpected arrest incident to adding the prestigious Wanamaker Trophy to an already impressive resume that includes two green jackets from the Masters.
Scheffler found holding the trophy to be “very sweet,” adding with a smile that he had some private jokes he would keep to himself.
He joins Seve Ballesteros as the only players in the last century to win each of their first three major championships by margins exceeding three strokes. Scheffler previously won the 2022 Masters by three shots over Rory McIlroy and the 2024 Masters by four shots ahead of Ludvig Åberg.
This victory was the 15th on the PGA Tour for the 28-year-old. Since World War II, only Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have achieved 15 tour wins and three major titles before turning 29.
Scheffler admitted he struggled with his driver during the initial holes, hitting only two of his first seven fairways. This often left him in the deep rough, limiting good opportunities for birdies.
He revealed post-round that his driver had been found nonconforming by the USGA during testing earlier in the week, though he noted it wasn`t a surprise as he had used the club for over a year.
Despite the equipment issue, Scheffler attributed his difficulties on Sunday primarily to his swing rather than the new driver.
He took responsibility for the early struggles, stating, “I think that was my fault.”
At the turn, his caddie, Ted Scott, offered a straightforward piece of advice.
Scott recounted Scheffler seeking input as his shots consistently went left.
Scott`s simple suggestion was, “The swings look good, but everything`s going left. Maybe aim right.”
Scott explained humorously to reporters that he was “just trying to be an idiot and just see what happened.” When Scheffler hit a great drive on the 10th, Scott`s response was simply, “There he is.”
Scott observed that from that moment, Scheffler began hitting the ball effectively, regaining comfort and predicting the ball`s flight, characteristic of his usual high level of play.
After briefly losing a three-stroke lead, Scheffler reclaimed it with a nine-foot birdie putt on the 10th. He extended his lead to two strokes with a seven-footer on the 14th and gained a three-shot advantage when Rahm recorded his first bogey of the round on the 16th.
A birdie on the 15th hole provided Scheffler with a four-shot cushion heading into the formidable `Green Mile`. His lead grew to five strokes before he even finished the 16th hole.
“This back nine will be one that I remember for a long time,” Scheffler commented. He described the play as a “grind,” particularly recalling how a significant lead on the front nine evaporated by the turn. Stepping up under pressure in that situation was particularly memorable for him.
Rahm was tied with Scheffler at nine under par after completing 12 holes. He had promising looks for birdies on the 13th and 14th but missed both. His round took a turn for the worse on the par-4 16th, where a tee shot far left led to a bogey.
On the par-3 17th, Rahm`s tee shot bounced off the green and into the water, resulting in a double bogey five. On the final hole, his drive went into the creek on the left, leading to another double bogey. He finished his last three holes five over par, dropping to a tie for eighth place at four under.
It was a disappointing finish for the two-time major champion, who had not been in strong contention in a major since tying for second at The Open Championship in 2023.
Rahm admitted feeling “a little bit about how I finished today,” but stated he needed to move past it, recognizing it wasn`t the end of the world.
Scheffler reached the turn two over par for the day, at 37, with his overall lead reduced to just one stroke over Rahm, who then birdied the 11th (following earlier birdies on the 8th and 10th) to pull even.
Rahm, who began the round five shots behind Scheffler, struggled with accuracy off the tee, hitting only two of his first 10 fairways. However, exceptional putting, requiring only 13 putts over the first 11 holes, and brilliant chipping around the greens helped him avoid bogeys and maintain his challenge.
This victory provided a vastly different experience for Scheffler compared to the previous year`s PGA Championship held at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.
On May 17, 2024, Scheffler was arrested following an incident near the tournament entrance. A police officer alleged the golfer failed to comply with instructions and attempted to drive around a traffic jam caused by a fatal accident.
The official arrest report claimed an officer was dragged and sustained injuries after Scheffler`s vehicle moved forward.
Scheffler was initially charged with felony assault and several misdemeanors. However, 12 days later, the charges were dropped after evidence supported Scheffler`s assertion that the situation was a significant misunderstanding.
Heading into last year`s tournament, Scheffler was in superb form, having won four of his five prior starts, including his second Masters title that April. Despite being processed at a detention center, he was released on bond less than 90 minutes before his scheduled second-round tee time.
Remarkably, Scheffler managed to shoot a five-under 66 that day. A two-over 73 in the third round dropped him out of contention, but he rallied with a 65 on Sunday to finish tied for eighth, eight strokes behind winner Xander Schauffele.
This Sunday, his dominant victory added a significant chapter to his growing legacy, one that will undoubtedly resonate far longer than the image from his arrest.
Scheffler commented that the events of the previous year still felt “almost not real” at times. He found it challenging to fully describe the experience but confirmed that winning the trophy this year felt particularly satisfying.
He concluded by stating it was “a pretty sweet feeling.”
Adrian Whitmore