Xander Schauffele landed his first major title on Sunday evening, sealing a one-shot victory over Bryson DeChambeau at the PGA Championship.
It was a low-scoring affair at Valhalla, with the soft conditions somewhat nullifying the Louisville track’s immense length.
Schauffele, DeChambeau, Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa all enjoyed the conditions throughout the weekend.
Shane Lowry even matched the PGA Championship record on Saturday, shooting a majestic 62 – matching Schauffele’s day-one total.
The eventual winner answered his critics emphatically and, whilst claiming the title, managed to achieve something only Tiger Woods has done before.
Xander Schauffele matches 24-year Tiger Woods record
Woods claimed the PGA Championship title at Valhalla in 2000 thanks to a play-off victory over Bob May.
In doing so, the 15-time major champion made 60 greens in regulation during his four rounds, something Schauffele managed to replicate last week.
The duo are the only players who have achieved such a feat in the PGA Championship in the last 30 years [Justin Ray Golf].
Xander Schauffele is now among the game’s elite players
Much of the talk after The Masters centred around Scottie Scheffler and the dominance he could have over the coming years.
Attention shifted slightly after the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow, with Rory McIlroy also playing his way into form.
Schauffele fell off badly at the PGA Tour signature event and, for the most part, was written off by many, even after his record-breaking opening round at Valhalla.
Now, after demonstrating the mental capacity to succeed in the most pressurised environment, the 2024 PGA Champion must be considered among the elite players along with Scheffler and McIlroy.
As shown by the statistics, there are very few who can match Schauffele tee to green. If he maintains his impressive ball-striking work at Pinehurst, there’s every chance of him threatening the leaderboard once more.