US PGA Championship 2024: Everything you missed from the final round at Valhalla

Jordan Smith fires in the fourth sub-65 round of the 2024 PGA Championship

The 106th PGA Championship at Valhalla is underway and we’re here to ensure you don’t miss a thing from the third round action.

Things you missed at the PGA Championship: Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday

Schauffele wins 2024 PGA Championship

The 106th PGA Championship has been won by Xander Schauffele in wire-to-wire fashion. Schauffele has broken his Major duck – could this open the floodgates for the American?

After firing just the fourth 62 in Major Champion history in the opening round on Thursday, did this week really look like belonging to anyone else? Two steady rounds of 68 followed and a final round of 64 today has made the World No.3 a Major Champion for the first time.

Not only has Schauffele won the 2024 PGA Championship, he’s also broken the Major scoring record by shooting 21-under par for the week and recording an aggregate score of 263 over the four rounds at Valhalla Golf Club.

A worthy champion of this great golf event!

Here’s what the 2024 PGA Champion had to say about his wire-to-wire victory, “I knew I had to birdie the last hole, looking up at the board. I was trying to squeak a birdie in there somehow just to have some kind of cushion. It was a hectic birdie, as well, but it was awesome. I kept telling myself, I need to earn this, I need to prove this to myself, and this is my time.

“I stayed very patient. I was looking up at the board. There’s been times where I tried to look away from it until the back nine, but today I was looking at it.

“I just wanted to be aware of everything. I wanted to know exactly where I stood. I wanted to know — address my feelings when they were happening.

“[On the bogey on hole 10] I felt like there was a chance I could hit it over the green there, and if I could go back, I would have probably bumped it and played it differently based on the lie, but to bounce back with two birdies was tremendous, and I just kept fighting.”

Shattuck earns low PGA of America pro honors

Two PGA Professionals made the cut at the 2024 PGA Championship – Jeremy Wells and Braden Shattuck. Heading into the weekend, Wells and Shattuck were both sitting at one-under par. A better weekend performance from Braden Shattuck has earned him low PGA of America pro honors at Valhalla.

It might not have been the Michael Block story of last year, but a top-15 finish for a PGA Professional looked unlikely this week considering how low the scoring has been. Shattuck has finished the tournament at one-under par which means he’ll be a part of the ceremony when play concludes before setting off on a ten-hour drive to a Philly section event – the life of a PGA Professional!

Major Championship scoring record in danger

The current lowest-score record in a Major Championship is 20-under par achieved by Jason Day (2015 PGA Championship), Henrik Stenson (2016 Open), Dustin Johnson (2020 Masters), and Cam Smith (2022 Open). That record could very easily be broken by a whole host of players chasing the victory at the 2024 PGA Championship

As well as that record being broken at the 2024 PGA Championship, the lowest aggregate score could also be beaten. The lowest score recorded over four rounds of golf at any Major Championship is 264, set by Henrik Stenson (2016 Open) and Brooks Koepka (2018 PGA Championship).

For reference, should Schauffele shoot a final round of 65 or better he will break both records.

Is Valhalla too easy?

Valhalla 2024 has produced the most under-par rounds in PGA Championship history. With plenty of players still on the course there have been 228 rounds that have broken the course’s par 71 across the four days. The previous best was 214 at Bellerive in 2018. Before that it had been 194, dating back to Riviera in 1995. The last time the tournament was played here, when Rory McIlroy won in 2014, there were 179 under-par rounds.

The Major drought continues for McIlroy

Heading into the PGA Championship, Today’s Golfer Editor Rob Jerram and Contributing Editor Rob McGarr debated the possibility of Rory winning another Major Championship. Sadly, the wait continues and the chance of the World No.2 never winning a Major Championship again just got smaller.

McIlroy has ended the 2024 PGA Championship at 12-under par and his Major drought continues. The Northern Irishman hasn’t won a Major Championship since the PGA Championship was last played at Valhalla Golf Club in 2014.

The longest gap between Major victories is 11 years – Tiger Woods 2008 – 2019. If Rory fails to win the Open or US Open he will have gone 11 years without a win in one of the big four.

Are we heading towards a playoff?

With so many of the best golfers in the world posting low numbers today, the likelihood of a playoff is increasing. Here’s a full explanation of what happens if there’s a tie after 72 holes.

The chosen holes at Valhalla are the par-4 13th, the par-4 17th and the par-5 18th. The PGA Championship has been decided by a playoff 13 times in the event’s history, with five of those using the three-hole aggregate format. It was first used in 2000 when Tiger Woods defeated Bob May in an epic at Valhalla.

A playoff was last required two years ago at Southern Hills Country Club when Justin Thomas beat Will Zalatoris. Before that, it had been 2011 when Keegan Bradley beat Jason Dufner, a year after Martin Kaymer had defeated Bubba Watson by the same method.

Should this year’s championship go to a player they will not only be vying for the famous trophy and a Major title, but a record $3.3m winner’s cheque from the record $18.5m prize fund.

Hometown hero finishes 13-under par

The fans were out in force all week cheering on their hometown hero, Justin Thomas. The two-time PGA Champion enjoyed a bogey-free 68 to close out his 2024 PGA Championship. An emotional JT said he felt “loved” all week by the local crowd and he couldn’t help but reiterate how “special” this week has been for him playing and entertaining the people of Derby City – I’m pretty sure I know who their money was on to lift the Wanamaker Trophy this week.

Scheffler finishes his tournament at -13

After firing in his 35th round of 65 or better over the last 3 PGA Tour seasons Scottie Scheffler has entered the clubhouse tied with Billy Horschel.

In the last three seasons on the PGA Tour, no other golfer has had more rounds of 65 or better than Scheffler, the nearest golfer to the World No.1 has had 28 rounds breaking 65 – we can only imagine what might have happened if he had Ted Scott on the bag for all four rounds.

Although considering he was in a jail cell warming up on Friday morning, I think Scottie will be happy he was able to finish 72 holes, and at -13 I imagine he’ll be delighted – even if it does mean waiting another year to potentially get his hands on the Wanamaker Trophy.

Could this be the week for DeChambeau to double his Major tally?

Bryson DeChambeau, the 2020 US Open Champion is playing inspired golf this week and it currently has him perfectly poised in a tie for first place with long-time leader Xander Schauffele after firing in the sixth sub-65 round this week. The LIV golfer is bidding to double his Major tally by earning his second Major Championship.

The Crushers GC Captain led the Masters Tournament earlier this year, but unfortunately, he couldn’t keep the bogeys off the card. Something that hasn’t been an issue for the American this week. DeChambeau has only made three bogeys all week – very impressive.

Bryson is definitely a golfer who splits opinion, but if he were to win the 2024 PGA Championship, I don’t think anyone could question whether he was a worthy champion.

Horschel becomes latest player to break 65 at Valhalla

Billy Horschel finished at -13 after having a better day on the golf course than his beloved West Ham United had on the football pitch, with the Hammers losing their last game in the Premier League away to Champions, Manchester City.

Horschel became just the fifth player at this year’s PGA Championship to break 65, after carding a superb 64 at Valhalla on Sunday. The American opened up with a bogey on the first hole, but fired six birdies and an eagle on the way to his seven-under-par round.

Fleetwood shoots up the leaderboard with a 65 on Sunday

Tommy Fleetwood saved his best round until last to end his tournament at -9 alongside three-time PGA Champion, Brooks Koepka. The Englishman enjoyed a final round of 65 at Valhalla to close out his PGA Championship. He might not finish in a tie for third like he did at the 2024 Masters Tournament, but he’s jumped up the leaderboard and is currently on course to finish in the top 20 once again in a Major Championship.

Since 2022, Fleetwood has played in every Major Championship (9 discounting the 2024 PGA Championship) and finished inside the top 20 at the end of four grueling days on seven occasions. The European Ryder Cup star has put on another bold showing here and by the end of the night he could make it eight out of 10 top 20 finishes.

Tosti drives the 13th green

Alejandro Tosti Had a brilliant start to life in Major Championships when he carded a three-under par, 68 in the opening round of the 2024 PGA Championship. The Argentine made his Major Championship debut this week at Valhalla, heading into the weekend at four-under par.

Sadly, all that hard work and fantastic play was undone by a 79 on moving day that had him traveling in the wrong direction on the leaderboard. His 79 (eight-over par) included four double-bogeys, one of which came on the short par-4, 13th hole.

One day later, back on the 13th tee box and Tosti had driver in hand taking aim at the green. The 27-year-old produced arguably the best shot of the year – never mind the week! Tosti has finished his first-ever appearance in a Major Championship at even-par thanks to a three-under par, 68 today.

Smith goes low on Sunday

Going into the final round of the 2024 PGA Championship, England’s Jordan Smith was level par for the tournament. Fast forward 18 holes and Smith has finished with a score of -7 after a superb 64 today – just the fourth sub-65 round of the PGA Championship this year.

Another twist in the Scottie Scheffler saga

Friday was quite the morning for the World No.1 who was arrested outside Valhalla Golf Club while trying to make his way to the course in preparation for his second-round tee time. Scheffler was taken to jail and charged with:

– 2nd Degree assault of Police officer 

– Criminal Mischief 3rd degree 

– Reckless driving 

– Disregarding signals from officer directing traffic

According to the police report, Detective Gillis stopped Scheffler’s car and “attempted to give instruction”.

The report read: “Subject refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging Detective Gillis to the ground. Detective Gillis suffered pain, swelling, and abrasions to his left wrist and knees.

“He was transported to the hospital for further medical treatment by emergency medical personnel. Detective Gillis’ uniform pants, valued at approximately $80 were damaged beyond repair.”

As you can imagine, there was a major reaction on Social Media to this news. However, since then it has been reported that all charges against the two-time Major Champion will be dropped early next week by Jefferson County Prosecutors. Justice served?

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About the author

Will Shreeve-Peacock – Golf Equipment Writer

Will is an expert in golf shoes, GPS watches, rangefinders, and training aids.

He has a degree in journalism from Sheffield Hallam University and four years’ experience working in golf retail with American Golf where he was trained by a host of the big-name manufacturers.

A six-handicapper, Will has played golf for more than a decade and is a member at Burghley Park Golf Club in Stamford, Lincolnshire.