The Punter's US PGA Championship De-brief: Scheffler cruises to third major win

• Rahm's run comes up short as Scheffler win US PGA

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Having just completed the major Grand Slam with victory at Augusta in April, and having won at this year's US PGA Championship venue, Quail Hollow, four times previously, the world number two, Rory McIlroy, went off favourite to win the year's second major last week. He was matched at as low as 4/15.00 when he birdied his opening hole, but that was as good as it got for Rory backers.

Although there was plenty of confidence behind Rory before the off, Scottie Scheffler's credentials were rock solid given he'd tied the PGA Tour's 72-hole scoring record with his 31-under-par total at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson just two weeks earlier. The American was generally a 6.611/2 chance at the off but he was back at the head of the market following his two-under-par 69 on Thursday.

Trailing the early pacesetter, Jhonnatan Vegas, by five in a tie for 20^th, Scheffler was generally a 5.24/1 chance on Friday morning and after he'd closed the gap to just three, he was 3.39/4 at halfway.

With Vegas treading water, the pre-event third favourite, Bryson DeChambeau, was matched at a low of 3.211/5 when he hit the front through 15 holes of his third round, but he wasn't leading for long once the notorious Green Mile took its toll.

To underline how hard the finishing three holes are at Quail Hollow, through three rounds of the championship, holes 1-15 had been a combined -251, whereas holes 16, 17 and 18 were a combined +420!

A double bogey at 16 by Bryson, after he'd found water off the tee, and a bogey at 17, saw him slip back into the pack at just the wrong time as Scottie powered home to take control.

With all around him finishing poorly, Scottie played his last five holes of round three in five-under-par. He went into Sunday's fourth and final round leading by three and trading at 1.330/100.

On the PGA Tour this century, three-stroke 54-hole leaders have a 53% strike rate and only two of the previous eight winners at Quail Hollow were in front with a round to go.

It's a notoriously tricky place to convert and Sergio Garcia was beaten here 20 years ago having led by six with a round to go. So it shouldn't have been a shock to anyone when things tightened up on Sunday.

Rahm falls short as Scheffler triumphs at Quail Hollow

Scheffler was matched at as low as 1.11/10, when leading by five, as his closest challengers all started round four poorly. But he drifted all the way back out to 1.855/6 as Jon Rahm emerged from the pack to draw alongside him with a birdie at the 11^th hole, moments after Scheffler had bogeyed the ninth.

It looked like we may get a tighter finish than expected and the Spaniard was matched at a low of 2.6413/8 but Scheffler responded in the way only the very best can.

Just seconds after Rahm had missed a 13-footer for his third birdie in-a-row at the 12^th, Scheffler drained a nine-foot birdie putt at 10 to edge back ahead. He stayed in front after that.

Rahm had a great chance at the short par four 14^th to draw back alongside Scheffler but once he'd missed there from just seven feet, the writing was on the wall.

The Spaniard failed to birdie the par five 15^th and, with his chance of victory slipping away, played the Green Mile in five-over-par!

Scheffler kept his cool superbly and after back-to-back birdies at 14 and 15, he could afford a bogey at the last to still win by five.

It was impossible not to be impressed by the way Scheffler closed out his third major title and he's building quite a legacy.

15 PGA Tour wins including 3 majors before age 29 (since WWII)

Jack Nicklaus
Tiger Woods
Scottie Scheffler

-- Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) May 18, 2025

The freak hand injury he suffered on Christmas Day caused a slight downturn in form in the early part of the year but he's back to his best now and it's going to be very interesting to see how he kicks on from here.

Scheffler shortens up for Oakmont glory

Having won nine of the 21 events that he played in 2024, it took Scheffler nine starts to get off the mark in 2025 but he's clearly in the groove now after back-to-back wide margin wins. He's understandably shortened up to win the last two majors of the year.

He's now just a 4.77/2 chance to win next month's US Open at Oakmont and he can be backed at 6.411/2 to win the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in July.

In contrast, following his disappointing tied 47^th at Quail, Rory is out to 7.413/2 to win at Portrush, having been matched at as low as 6.05/1, and he's a 7/18.00 chance to win the US Open, having been matched at a low of 6.25/1.

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