CHARLOTTE — A chaotic week that featured a pre-tournament deluge, a trio of double bogeys from the supergroup on Thursday and extracurricular talking points that included mud balls and non-conforming drivers subsided when world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler restored order by claiming the 2025 PGA Championship.
Running away and hiding from the field on the back nine Sunday, Scheffler secured his third major championship title and pulled alongside some of the all-time greats in a number of categories. His winning mark sits at 21.43% across his last 70 starts, and he has won three times in his 21 major starts as a professional — good for a 14.28% winning percentage on golf’s grandest stages.
What Scheffler proved is what many had already known and had already seen — his bad golf can produce results that keeps him in tournaments, his OK golf is capable of raising trophies, and his great golf is unlike anyone else’s in the world. He had a little bit of all three this week, and the result was, well, a five-stroke victory.
Scheffler was not the only one who helped transform an odd couple of days into a Sunday to remember, however, as two-time major champion Jon Rahm entered the conversation on Sunday and momentarily held a share of the lead. Playing in a way that reminded golf fans of 2022-24 when Scheffler and Rahm dueled in Ryder Cups and various tournaments, the Spaniard showed he is still a force on the course.
Takeaways from the 107th PGA Championship include more than just two of the top players in the world playing fine golf en route to contention. It was a weird week and one which needs to be discussed at from all angles.
Scheffler soars to new heights
Scheffler’s third major championship title may not give him the most ever, or even the most among active players, but it elevates him alongside some of the all-time greats in certain categories. Whether it is the fastest to 15 wins and three major victories or fastest from zero wins to 15, Scheffler’s name has been linked with that of Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.
He also joins Woods in becoming the second player to win two straight PGA Tour starts by five strokes or more since 1985, displaying the dominance he is capable of when he is firing on all cylinders — or in the case of this week, when he is sort of firing on some cylinders.
As it goes with this discussion, only time will tell, but Scheffler’s step towards even more history seems likely. The way in which he goes about it both inside and outside the ropes is extremely healthy and is in a manner not seen in this era. Although he may never reach the numbers set by Nicklaus and Woods, it’s why Scheffler’s name will sit next to them when discussing absurd statistical accomplishments in the future.
Rahm reminds
There just aren’t many golfers that have the it factor — that gravitational pull that draws the viewer in and draws opponents to think about his presence. Rahm is one of them, and he showed us again on Sunday why that is the case.
“It was really close,” Rahm said. “God, it’s been a while since I had that much fun on a golf course, 15 holes. … A lot of positive to take from this week. Pretty fresh wound right now. But there’s been a lot of good happening this week and a lot of positive feelings to take for the rest of the year.”
Although the Legion XIII captain did not raise the Wanamaker Trophy, his inclusion atop the leaderboard down the stretch of the tournament gave a major championship that was on life support in terms of entertainment a rapidly beating heart. Three birdies in a four-hole stretch around the turn saw him tie Scheffler for the lead before a few bounces did not quite go his way.
He lipped out for birdie on the par-3 13th on a putt that had dying speed and looked like it would have dropped nine times out of 10. His tee shot on No. 14 kicked right when it hit with a draw, and his second up the hill into the par-5 15th landed on the front of the green and ran through the back.
Rahm struck the ball well enough to play those three holes in 3 under but instead walked away with three pars and was forced to play aggressive in the Green Mile. And, well, you know what happened then. While Rahm’s ball-striking stood up to the test, his short game came up … short.
He hit a poor bunker shot on No. 14 that was relatively straightforward and blasted his putt from off the green on No. 15 just north of 12 feet past and was unable to convert. Scheffler found himself in similar spots as he was adding circles to his scorecard. This was ultimately the difference.
The close call will serve as a motivating factor for Rahm, who is likely to be in the mix next month at Oakmont for the U.S. Open (Rahm’s betting odds are currently at +1200, according to FanDuel Sportsbook). Despite arriving with back-to-back top 15s in majors, the 30-year-old had not really been in the mix in a major since his win at Augusta National. With a reminder of what his senses may be like in this position, Rahm is poised to remind us of the major champion into which he developed.
“I think it’s the first time I’ve been in position to win a major that close and haven’t done it,” Rahm said. “The only times I think I’ve been in the lead in a major on a Sunday, I’ve been able to close it out, and this is a very different situation. So, I don’t know exactly. But, if it’s ever a time, that’s what family’s for is the best. Luckily, I’m going to get home maybe on time to get the kids to bed or not, I’m not sure. To them, whatever I did today, win or lose, they don’t care. So, that’s always a good perspective.
“I always like to go back a little bit on something that Charles Barkley likes to remind basketball players all the time. Like, I play golf for a living. It’s incredible. Am I embarrassed a little bit about how I finished today? Yeah. But I just need to get over it, get over myself. It’s not the end of the world. It’s not like I’m a doctor or a first responder where somebody, if they have a bad day, truly bad things happen.
“I’ll get over it. I’ll move on. Again, there’s a lot more positive than negative to think about this week. I’m really happy I put myself in position and hopefully learn from this and give it another go in the U.S. Open. Sorry for the long answers. I’m trying to process things right now.”
New approach for Bryson DeChambeau?
DeChambeau began his week by stating that he had intentions on changing his set of irons but was unable to ahead of the tournament. For whatever reason, whether they were still in the development stage or not quite to his liking yet, he did not and it cost him.
Playing his final three holes on Saturday in 3 over, DeChambeau went from the solo leader in this tournament to six strokes behind Scheffler heading into Sunday. He missed left down the hill into No. 16 from the right rough and missed left again on No. 17 only to find a watery grave.
His downfall was one part shot selection — a draw riding a right-to-left wind — and one part golf shot. Both were poorly executed and punished. But this has not been a one-off for DeChambeau in 2025; in fact, his play in Korea, which was his best iron performance since his U.S. Open win, may actually be the outlier to this point.
DeChambeau is experiencing the second-worst iron season of his career and losing strokes across his 10 starts. This becomes especially frustrating when you factor in what he is doing off the tee. It is bonkers! Video game numbers. The tug-and-pull of having such a weapon off the tee that you want to hit it on every single hole (and probably should) against the club setting up the worst part of your game is a fascinating puzzle the big golfer will need to solve before the U.S. Open.
You can trust Bryson will throw everything and the kitchen sink at it.
“I’ve got to learn how to be a little more precise with the wind, not let the wind affect the ball as much,” DeChambeau said. “It’s a tough task to do because I laid it so high and the ball just kind of moves it in the air. I’ve got to figure that out. I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve that I’m going to be working on and hopefully bring for the U.S. Open, but I’ve got to get some equipment here soon.”
Rory McIlroy’s weak showing
A letdown was inevitable, in hindsight, but this was more than that. McIlroy was a complete no show at the PGA Championship, and that isn’t really pertaining to anything he did on the golf course but rather what he did not do outside of the ropes.
McIlroy was a bit chippy in his pre-tournament press conference as he donned his new confidence with his green jacket at home in the closet. He bit back at some reporter’s questions and fielded others with intention, but that was the last time the press was afforded anytime with the career grand slam winner.
He snuck into the weekend and away from questions regarding his non-conforming driver which only built the noise around him. It would have taken 5 minutes to discuss the testing process, what occurred and whether it was the cause of his 26 (!) fairway performance, but McIlroy — for one reason or another (one has yet to be given) — did not feel obligated to do so.
I get it. The press can ask some dumb (dumb) questions, but it was equally dumb of McIlroy to dodge them this time around.
A championship set up for controversy
Quail Hollow produced an exciting finish, a great leaderboard filled with major champions and a rightful winner. That should be enough for some — and it was for most, don’t get me wrong — but the championship lacked a bit of substance as plenty went awry for the PGA of America this week. The early week rains did not help, and their press conference preemptively announcing the playing down of the golf ball — along with the USGA’s testing of drivers that affected both Scheffler and McIlroy — should have both been communicated more effectively.
The kickers regarding Quail Hollow are that it is a regular stop for the PGA Tour and a great venue for tournament golf but perhaps not the most notable as a “major championship course.” Particularly this week given corporate hospitality tents were set up at just about every critical location on the golf course — behind No. 15 green, lining the fairway on No. 16, behind the tee boxes and alongside the green on No. 17, and down the left side of No. 18 (even behind the green). That left the common folk to fend for their own in many cases.
Major hitters only
We have been spoiled — absolutely spoiled — when it comes to major championship winners the last couple of seasons. The last six major winners have been Scheffler (twice), Xander Schauffele (twice), McIlroy and DeChambeau — arguably the four best players in the world.
This run has made it clear that without any extenuating circumstances, these major championships are only winnable for the big dogs. You can throw Rahm in this mix, and that may well be the list of contenders at the U.S. Open next month where another driving test is expected to take place. If given a choice to wager on these five versus the field that comes to Pittsburgh in June, my money would be on them.