How Scottie Scheffler won the 2025 PGA Championship

Twelve months ago, world number one Scottie Scheffler strode to a five-shot victory in the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, holding off the likes of Jon Rahm.

While the winning margin of five strokes suggests his third major was a formality, a different story threatened to unfold at Quail Hollow.

Scheffler began three shots ahead and five clear of Rahm, but it became a two-way duel for the Wanamaker Trophy. A patchy front nine from Scheffler, along with Spaniard Rahm's flurry of birdies around the turn, meant they shared the lead midway through the final round.

However, Rahm folded over his final three holes and Scheffler coasted to a major title that joined his Masters victories in 2022 and 2024. 

The 28-year-old was in tears walking down the 18th and his animated celebrations after sinking the winning putt demonstrated how much this latest title meant to him.

Before collecting the trophy, Scheffler said: "I knew it was going to be a challenging day. Finishing off a major championship is always difficult and I did a good job of staying patient on the front nine. I didn't play my best stuff but I kept myself in it, stepped up on the back nine and had a good nine holes."

After opening the door for Rahm by shooting two over par for his first nine, Scheffler posted birdies on the 10th, 14th and 15th to re-establish a buffer.

As Rahm tried to catch his American rival, his dreams of his own third major triumph were crushed on the tricky 'Green Mile' finale. He made a bogey on 16 before sending his tee shot into the water on the par-three 17th on his way to a double-bogey five. Two more dropped shots on the last hole saw him topple to a tie of eighth.

Above him, Bryson DeChambeau continued his fine recent record in majors by finishing in a share of second alongside fellow Americans Davis Riley and Harris English, whose six-under round of 65 catapulted him up the leaderboard.

Rory McIlroy, playing his first major since completing a career Grand Slam at the Masters, finished with a 72 to end three over par in a tie for 47th.

Defending champion Xander Schauffele fared marginally better, shooting 68 on Sunday to finish one under for the championship and sneak inside the top 30.

At the 2024 US PGA, Scheffler was arrested outside Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky before his second round, as he tried to avoid heavy traffic caused by an earlier unrelated accident in which a male pedestrian died. All of the subsequent charges he faced were dropped a couple of weeks later and, a year on, Scheffler stamped his authority on this tournament.

Having played his final five holes on Saturday in five under par, his was a commanding position heading into the final round. His previous two major wins at Augusta National had been almost processions after holding the 54-hole lead. This turned out to be anything but until the closing stretch.

A bogey at the first gave Scheffler's rivals hope but, after getting his shot straight back at the second, he actually led by five standing on the fifth tee, with his chasers faltering. Around the turn, Rahm made his move and as Scheffler stumbled to bogeys on the sixth and ninth, it was suddenly all square.

But Scheffler's ability to shoot a good score when not playing at his best are among his many strengths - and they were demonstrated to full effect on the back nine.

Watched by his wife and infant son by the 18th green, his emotion became evident as he approached the final hole. A closing bogey was incidental with victory, his third in the past 14 majors, long since assured.

This win was Scheffler's 15th on the PGA Tour and came just three years and 94 days since his first. That was the third fastest since 1950, behind only Tiger Woods (three years, 32 days) and Jack Nicklaus (three years, 45 days). A couple of months later he would add The Open Championship to his incredible CV.