CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Exactly one year and one day after his arrest photo became a widely recognized image during the previous PGA Championship, Scottie Scheffler was seen hoisting the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday. The world`s top-ranked golfer secured his third career major title at Quail Hollow Club.
Scheffler finished the final round of the 107th PGA Championship with an even-par 71, achieving a five-stroke victory over Harris English, Bryson DeChambeau, and Davis Riley. What seemed like a certain win at the start of the day briefly became uncertain as Scheffler reached the turn tied with Spain`s Jon Rahm during a hot and humid afternoon.
However, Scheffler surged on the back nine, showcasing his signature closing strength, while Rahm struggled significantly on the challenging final three holes known as the `Green Mile` at Quail Hollow.
After sinking his final putt, Scheffler threw his arms up as the crowd chanted his name. He tossed his hat onto the green. He found his wife, Meredith, and their son, Bennett. His father, Scott, told him, “Words cannot describe what we just witnessed. You are so tough. We are so proud of you.”
“Just a lot of happiness,” Scheffler commented. “I think, you know, just maybe thankful as well. It was a long week. I felt like this was as hard as I battled for a tournament in my career. This was a pretty challenging week.”
Within just 366 days, Scheffler`s narrative shifted from being handcuffed in a police car to adding the prestigious Wanamaker Trophy to his already impressive career, which includes two Masters green jackets.
“It`s definitely very sweet sitting here with the trophy,” Scheffler stated. “I definitely have a few jokes that I want to say that I`m probably going to keep to myself.”
Scheffler joins Seve Ballesteros as the only golfers in the last century to win each of their first three major championships by more than three strokes. He won the 2022 Masters by three strokes over Rory McIlroy and the 2024 Masters by four strokes over Ludvig Åberg.
This victory marks the 15th PGA Tour win for the 28-year-old Scheffler. Since World War II, only two other golfers have achieved 15 tour wins and three major titles before the age of 29: Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
Scheffler faced difficulties with his driver on the front nine, hitting only two of the first seven fairways. Being forced to hit from the deep rough frequently limited his birdie opportunities.
He mentioned after the round that the United States Golf Association had determined his driver was nonconforming during testing on Tuesday, which he said was expected as he had been using his older driver for over a year.
However, Scheffler clarified that the new driver was not the issue on Sunday; his swing was the problem.
“I think that was my fault,” Scheffler admitted.
At the turn, his caddie, Ted Scott, offered simple advice.
“He was hitting everything left, and he was like, `You see anything?`” Scott recalled.
Scott`s suggestion to Scheffler: “The swings look good, but everything`s going left. Maybe aim right.”
“I was just trying to be an idiot and just see what happened,” Scott told reporters. “And he stepped up on 10 and hit a great drive. And I said, `There he is.` That`s the only thing I said to him.”
“Then he started hitting it great and started feeling good and comfortable. He started kind of knowing where the ball was going to come off, and that`s back to Scottie Scheffler golf.”
After losing a three-stroke advantage, Scheffler regained the lead with a 9-foot birdie putt on No. 10. He extended his lead to two with a 7-footer on No. 14, then led by three when Rahm made his first bogey of the round on No. 16.
Another birdie on the 15th gave Scheffler a four-shot buffer heading into the `Green Mile.` His lead would grow to five before he even reached the 16th green.
“This back nine will be one that I remember for a long time,” Scheffler stated. “It was a grind out there. I think at one point on the front, I maybe had a four- or five-shot lead, and making the turn, I think I was tied for the lead. So to step up when I needed to the most, I`ll remember that for a while.”
Rahm was tied with Scheffler at 9 under par after his 12th hole, following birdies on Nos. 8 and 10. He had good chances for birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 but missed both. After making par on the 15th, Rahm`s tee shot on the par-4 16th went far left, resulting in a bogey.
On the par-3 17th, his tee shot bounced off the green and into the water, leading to a double-bogey 5. On the final hole, his drive found the creek down the left side, resulting in another double bogey. He finished 5 over par on his last three holes and tied for eighth place at 4 under.
It was a disappointing conclusion for the two-time major champion, who hadn`t been in contention at a major championship since tying for second at The Open in 2023.
“Am I embarrassed a little bit about how I finished today?” Rahm said. “Yeah, but I just need to get over it, get over myself. It`s not the end of the world.”
Scheffler reached the turn at 2-over 37, and his lead had shrunk to just one stroke over Rahm, who then tied for the lead with a birdie on No. 11.
Rahm, who began the round five shots behind Scheffler, struggled with accuracy off the tee, hitting only two of his first 10 fairways. However, he needed only 13 putts through the first 11 holes, executing brilliant chips when he missed the green and successfully avoiding bogeys early on.
The atmosphere felt significantly different for Scheffler compared to last year`s PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.
On May 17, 2024, Scheffler was in the back of a squad car after a Louisville Metro Police officer claimed the golfer disobeyed commands and attempted to bypass a crash scene on a median. Traffic outside the course had been stopped following a fatal incident involving a shuttle bus earlier that morning.
According to an arrest report, Detective Bryan Gillis was dragged “to the ground” and sustained “pain, swelling, and abrasions to his left wrist” after Scheffler`s vehicle “accelerated forward.”
Scheffler was charged with felony assault and several misdemeanors. However, 12 days later, Jefferson County Attorney Mike O`Connell dropped the charges, stating that the golfer`s account of the incident being a “big misunderstanding” was supported by the evidence.
Heading into last year`s PGA Championship, Scheffler had won four of his preceding five starts, including his second Masters title that April. After being booked into a downtown detention center, he was released on bond less than 90 minutes before his second-round tee time.
Remarkably, Scheffler managed to shoot a 5-under 66 that day. He slipped to a 2-over 73 in the third round, which took him out of contention. He rebounded with a 65 on Sunday to tie for eighth place at 13 under, eight strokes behind the winner, Xander Schauffele.
On Sunday, he added another significant chapter to his developing legacy, one that is poised to be remembered far longer than his booking photograph.
“Last year, sometimes it still doesn`t almost feel real,” Scheffler reflected. “It really doesn`t. It`s just one of those deals that I really don`t know how to describe it. But I can tell you it`s very sweet sitting here with the trophy this year.”
“It`s a pretty sweet feeling.”
