Xander Schauffele entered PGA Championship week widely regarded as the best current player to not have won a major. He left with the Wanamaker Trophy.
— Deep down, Bryson DeChambeau knew it. And yet he couldn’t stop himself from swinging.
Alone on the driving range after turning in the lowest round of the day at 7-under, highlighted by an electric birdie on 18 to tie Xander Schauffele for the lead at 20-under, DeChambeau was in his comfort zone.
With a giant jumbotron screen that would show his fate to his left, DeChambeau smashed driver after driver, fairway wood after fairway wood, into the hot Louisville evening, every ball carrying with it a plea that there would be more golf to play.
“Well, this is a nice practice session,” DeChambeau told his caddie with a smile. He turned to his swing coach — who was taking video of his swing — and said: “I think the club is just behind me.”
If Schauffele birdied the par-5 18th hole, the PGA Championship would be his. A par and a playoff between the two would ensue.
Every time it was Schauffele’s turn to hit, DeChambeau would pause his swings and watch. When Schauffele’s drive on 18 landed near the fairway bunker, giving him an awkward stance, DeChambeau seemed emboldened. He crushed another drive.
But when Schauffele hit a great recovery shot that left him a mere pitch and putt for the winning birdie, DeChambeau all but accepted what was coming. Schauffele was not going to miss. Not this week.
“Agh,” DeChambeau said. “Played great though.”
With Schauffele lining up the winning putt, DeChambeau kept swinging. He launched one more fairway wood and stopped. Schauffele’s putt trickled into the left side of the hole, his arms launching into the air as DeChambeau’s slumped and he began walking off the range. There would be no more shots to hit.
“He’s an amazing golfer and well-deserved major champion now,” DeChambeau said. “He’s played well for a long, long time.”
On the green at 18, Schauffele’s elation spread throughout his team. His caddie, Austin Kaiser, hugged him and told him, “I love you, man. Proud of you.” His swing coach Chris Como, teared up. Shortly before the trophy presentation, Schauffele called his dad, Stefan, in Hawaii. He was crying too.
Schauffele’s own smile spoke volumes. As DeChambeau alluded to, the golf world has always known and seen how good the 30-year-old from San Diego is throughout his nine-year career.
