CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler worked harder than he imagined and got the result everyone expected Sunday in the PGA Championship: A most pleasant walk to the 18th green with another major title secure in the hands of golf’s No. 1 player.
Scheffler was flawless when he had to be on the back nine of Quail Hollow, leaving the blunders to Jon Rahm and everyone else trying to catch him on a final day that turned tense until Scheffler pulled away with a steady diet of fairways and greens.
He closed with a bogey he could afford for an even-par 71, giving him a five-shot victory and his third major title. Scheffler became the first player since Seve Ballesteros to win his first three majors by three shots or more.
A snoozer? Not even close. That much was clear when Scheffler raised his arms on the 18th green and then ferociously slammed his cap to the turf.
Scheffler was five shots ahead coming to the last hole when he won his first Masters green jacket in 2022. He was four shots clear of the field when he won at Augusta National last year. And he had a six-shot lead at Quail Hollow.
But this sure didn’t feel like a walk in the park.
He had a five-shot lead standing on the sixth tee. But with a shaky swing that led to two bogeys, and with Rahm making three birdies in a four-hole stretch around the turn — they were tied when Scheffler got to the 10th tee.
It looked like a duel to the finish, with Bryson DeChambeau doing all he could to get in the mix, until Scheffler looked every bit the best in golf. He didn’t miss a shot off the tee or from the fairway until his lead back to four shots.
PGA Tour Champions
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Angel Cabrera and Jerry Kelly shared the lead at 18 under in the final round of the Regions Tradition when play was suspended for the day because of darkness.
Cabrera had three holes left and Kelly four to go at Greystone in the PGA Tour Champions major tournament. Cabrera closed with a bogey on the par-5 15th, dropping him to 6 under for the day. They will resume play Monday.
Y.E. Yang was a stroke back with four holes left.
Cabrera won the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational last month for his first senior title, 20 months after he was released after spending two years in an Argentine prison for gender violence.
Cabrera, a former Masters and U.S. Open champion, was imprisoned for threats and harassment against two of his ex-girlfriends. He was released on parole in August 2023 and cleared to return to the PGA Tour Champions later that year.
Korn Ferry Tour
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — S.H. Kim won the AdventHealth Championship for his first Korn Ferry Tour title, closing with a 1-under 71 in windy conditions for a three-stroke victory.
Kim finished at 20-under 268 at Blue Hills Country Club. The 26-year-old South Korean player won in his 30th start of the tour. He leads the season points lists.
Blaine Hale Jr. was second after a 63. Ben Taylor (68), Alvaro Ortiz (70) and Carter Jenkins (69) tied for third at 16 under.
Other tours
Mimi Rhodes of England played bogey-free for a 3-under 69, giving her a two-shot victory in the Dutch Ladies Open, her third Ladies European Tour title in her last four starts. ... Gina Kim handled 25 mph gusts for a 3-under 69 and a one-shot victory over Carla Tejedo Mulet and Melanie Green in the Copper Rock Championship in an Epson Tour event that ended on Saturday in Hurricane, Utah. ... Kota Kaneko rallied with an eagle-birdie-par finish for 3-under 67, giving him a one-shot victory over Yosuke Asaji and Hyun-Woo Ryu in the Kansai Open Golf Championship for his first title on the Japan Golf Tour. ... Luis Carrera of Mexico won for the second straight week on the Sunshine Tour with a 10-under 62 for a 10-shot victory in the Kit Kat Cash & Carry Pro-Am. ... Yewon Lee won for the second straight week with a 3-and-2 victory over Youmin Hwang in the Doosan Match Play. Lee now has three victories on the Korea LPGA this year. ... Sora Kamiya closed with a 5-under 67 for a one-shot victory in the Sky RKB Ladies Classic on the Japan LPGA.
___
AP golf:
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation