Yesterday, Scottie Scheffler shot an even-par 71 to win the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, by five strokes over second place finishers Harris English, Bryson DeChambeau, and Davis Riley. It was Scheffler’s 15th win on the PGA Tour and his third major title alongside his two Masters wins in 2022 and 2024. The PGA Tour announced that 28-year-old Scheffler has now reached rarefied territory by joining Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only three pro golfers to have achieved this status since World War II.
Scheffler Says It Was “A Battle”
But it wasn’t easy yesterday for the tall, athletic-looking Texan, so he claims. He said this was the most difficult win of his career, claiming it was a “battle.” It was because he admitted that during much of the tournament, he didn’t have his A game. For example, even though he started the last round yesterday with a three-stroke lead, he bogeyed the first hole and gradually frittered away his lead as he hit only two and seven fairways the front nine, constantly driving left. At the turn, the hefty Spaniard Jon Rahm, who now plays the LIV pro golf tour, had charged from well back in the pack to tie Scheffler for the lead. But from then on, Scottie brought out his steady A game, and Rahm collapsed miserably the last few holes to finish 8th.
Scheffler Jokes about Last Year
Scheffler afterwards exclaimed, “It’s definitely very sweet sitting here with the trophy,” referring to the tournament’s big, shiny, silver, Wanamaker Trophy. He added, “I definitely have a few jokes that I want to say that I’m probably going to keep to myself.”
Scottie likely had in mind what happened to him last year in this tournament. With a very early starting time the second round, he was driving his courtesy car near the entrance to the clubhouse in the pre-dawn darkness when there was a car accident and much confusion. A police officer stopped Scheffler’s car, ordered him out, arrested and handcuffed him, and he was escorted off to jail. (See photo.) After the police department realized who he was, Scheffler was released and barely made his tournament tee time. It seemed he might have won that PGA Championship if that had not happened to him. There were many jokes about it afterwards, especially in comments made in social media. Scottie even had to show up in court weeks later.
Scottie Scheffler the Christian
Scottie Scheffler is a practicing Christian who likes to share his faith publicly. But I’d say he does it in a modest and attractive manner. Scottie has a winsome personality. And he is a family man with a new child he likes to show off. Plus, even though Scottie Scheffler is admittedly “very competitive,” he’s much beloved by his PGA Tour peers. A TV announcer said yesterday during the telecast of the tournament that Scottie Scheffler is “a role model.” He’s also a prominent member of the PGA Tour Bible Study that meets weekly.
A Personal Note
[In 1965, I co-founded and then co-led the PGA Tour Bible Study the next eighteen years. I played in the PGA Championship about fifteen times. I made the 36-hole cut much of the time. My two best finishes were 5th at San Antonio in 1968 and about 8th at Dayton, Ohio, in 1969. And I used to compete in the PGA Tour’s Kemper Open at this Quail Hollow golf course in Charlotte. The famous evangelist Billy Graham was born and grew up on a dairy farm just outside Charlotte. Billy spoke to our Christian group on Tour four times.]
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