Xander Schauffele had become the guy who couldn't quite get there. Before May 2024, if you followed golf, you knew the narrative: incredible talent, gold medalist, but always the bridesmaid in the majors. He had something like 11 top-10 finishes in the big four without a single trophy to show for it. People were starting to wonder if he had that "killer instinct." Honestly, it was getting a bit exhausting to watch him come so close every single time.
Then Valhalla happened.
The 2024 PGA Championship winner didn't just stumble into a victory; he basically rewrote the record books to get it. Xander finished at 21-under par. That is the lowest score to par in the history of men’s major championship golf. Think about that for a second. In over a century of these tournaments, nobody had ever gone lower. He shot a 62 on Thursday—tying the record for the lowest round ever in a major—and then he actually held on. Usually, when someone starts that hot, they fade. Xander didn't.
How Xander Schauffele Became the 2024 PGA Championship Winner
The final round was pure chaos. If you were watching the leaderboard on Sunday, it felt less like a golf tournament and more like a shootout. Bryson DeChambeau was charging. Viktor Hovland was right there. At one point, it felt like any of those three could take it. Bryson, in particular, was doing Bryson things—pumping fists, making wild birdies from the trees, and eventually birdying the 18th to tie Xander for the lead.
Schauffele was on the 18th fairway when he heard the roar for Bryson. He knew exactly what he had to do: birdie or go to a playoff.
His drive on the par-5 18th was... stressful. It stopped just on the edge of a fairway bunker, leaving him with this awkward, leaning stance where his feet were way below the ball in the sand. Most guys would have played it safe. Xander gripped down on a long iron and just mashed it. He got it up near the green, chipped to about six feet, and then faced the putt of his life.
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"I just told myself, 'This is your moment,'" Schauffele said later.
The putt didn't even go in the center. It caught the left edge, circled the cup, and finally dropped. It was the first time since Phil Mickelson in 2005 that someone won the PGA Championship with a birdie on the final hole to win by one.
The Bryson Factor and the Valhalla Scoring Blitz
We have to talk about the course. Valhalla was soft, and these guys were absolutely tearing it apart. While Xander was the 2024 PGA Championship winner, Bryson DeChambeau's performance was legendary in its own right. He shot a 64 on Sunday. Usually, a 64 on Sunday in a major wins you the trophy by three strokes.
But this wasn't a usual week.
- The Winning Score: 263 (21-under par)
- The Runner-Up: Bryson DeChambeau (20-under par)
- The Bronze: Viktor Hovland (18-under par)
- The Course Record: 62 (set by Xander in Round 1)
The scoring was so low that some traditionalists were actually kind of annoyed. They like to see the pros struggle and grind for pars. But for the rest of us? It was a blast. Seeing Xander and Bryson trade blows like heavyweights was exactly what the sport needed, especially with all the drama surrounding the PGA Tour and LIV Golf at the time.
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Why This Win Changed Everything for Xander
Before this, Xander was often labeled as "too chill." His dad, Stefan Schauffele, has been his long-time coach and mentor, and they always preached this "commit, execute, accept" philosophy. It’s great for consistency, but critics argued it didn't produce the aggression needed to win a Wanamaker Trophy.
Winning at Valhalla broke the dam.
He didn't just win; he fended off the most aggressive player in the world (DeChambeau) while carrying the weight of all those past "almosts." It’s worth noting that he went on to win The Open Championship at Royal Troon just two months later. Suddenly, the guy who couldn't win a major had two in a single summer. That 6-foot putt at Valhalla didn't just win him a tournament; it basically secured his future Hall of Fame spot.
What Most People Missed About Sunday at Valhalla
Everyone remembers the 18th, but the tournament was actually won on the 11th and 12th. Xander had made a messy bogey on the 10th after a bad bunker shot, and he lost the lead. For a minute there, it looked like the "Xander Collapse" was finally happening.
Instead of folding, he went birdie-birdie on the next two holes. That's where the 2024 PGA Championship was won. It was the mental toughness to realize he’d messed up and immediately fix it.
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Honestly, the conditions weren't even that easy on Sunday. The pressure of a major makes every 4-footer feel like a 40-footer. The fact that he shot a 65 under that kind of heat is just ridiculous.
Practical Takeaways from the 2024 PGA Championship
If you're looking to apply some of that "Xander Energy" to your own game or just want to understand why this win was so significant, here are the real-world takeaways:
- Trust the Process (Literally): Schauffele didn't change his swing or his routine because he hadn't won a major. He stayed with his dad's coaching and eventually, the math worked out.
- Aggression vs. Accuracy: Valhalla usually favors the "bombers," but Xander won by being the most accurate iron player in the field. He didn't try to out-drive Bryson; he out-flushed him.
- The Power of the "Reset": If you make a double or a bogey, the next hole is a new game. Xander's bounce-back after the 10th is a masterclass in sports psychology.
For those tracking the history of the sport, Xander Schauffele's name is now permanently etched alongside the greats. He’s no longer the guy who could win; he's the guy who did, and he did it with the lowest score ever recorded.
If you want to dive deeper into how Xander's game evolved, you should look at his strokes gained (SG) data from that week. He led the field in SG: Tee to Green, which basically means he was playing a different game than everyone else from the moment he stepped off the tee. You can find those detailed breakdowns on sites like Data Golf or the official PGA Tour stats page.
Check out the highlights of that 18th hole finish if you haven't seen them recently—the look on his face when the ball drops says more than any interview ever could.