19_Scheffler wins PGA Championship
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (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.
"This back nine will be one that I remember for a long time," Scheffler said. "It was a grind out there. I think at one point on the front I maybe had a four- or five-shot lead, and making the turn, I think I was tied for the lead."
"So to step up when I needed to the most, I'll remember that for a while."
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.
The margin doesn't match up with the grind. That much was clear when Scheffler raised his arms on the 18th green and then ferociously slammed his cap to the turf, a brand of emotion rarely seen by the 28-year-old Texas star.
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. Under the most pressure he felt all day, Scheffler didn't miss a shot off the tee or from the fairway until his lead back to four shots.
Rahm wound up seven shots behind, but the two-time major champion was the only serious threat. His chances began to fade when he failed to birdie the 14th and 15th holes, the two easiest holes on the back nine and the last good scoring chances.
His 5-wood on the reachable par-4 14th was a yard from being perfect, instead going into the bunker. He blasted out weakly and his 7-foot birdie putt never had a chance.
He drilled a 345-yard drive on the par-5 15th and his 4-iron went just over the back. Rahm putted it too hard and it rolled 12 feet. He missed that birdie putt and then came unglued.
A bogey on the 16th hole went he went from rough to bunker. Having to take on a dangerous pin at the par-3 17th, it bounded over the sunbaked green into the water for double bogey. And his last tee shot went left off the grassy bank and into the stream for another double bogey.
All that work to make up a five-shot deficit at the start of the day and Rahm closed with a 73 to tie for eighth.
"Yeah, the last three holes, it's a tough pill to swallow right now," said Rahm, his first time seriously contending in a major since he left for the Saudi riches of LIV Golf two years ago.
"I'll get over it. I'll move on," Rahm said. "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 US Open."
DeChambeau birdied the 14th and 15th to get within two shots, but he never had another good look at birdie and bogeyed the 18th for a 70. He tied for second with Harris English (65) and Davis Riley, who overcame a triple bogey on No. 7 to play bogey-free the rest of the way and salvaged a 72.
"I'm baffled right now. Just felt like things just didn't go my way this week," DeChambeau said.
cap: Scottie Scheffler (center) poses for a photo with Johnny Harris (left), founder of the Quail Hollow Country Club and the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the PGA Championship, in Charlotte, North Carolina, Sunday. Reuters-Yonhap
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Korea Herald
19-05-2025
- Korea Herald
19_Scheffler wins PGA Championship
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (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. "This back nine will be one that I remember for a long time," Scheffler said. "It was a grind out there. I think at one point on the front I maybe had a four- or five-shot lead, and making the turn, I think I was tied for the lead." "So to step up when I needed to the most, I'll remember that for a while." 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. The margin doesn't match up with the grind. That much was clear when Scheffler raised his arms on the 18th green and then ferociously slammed his cap to the turf, a brand of emotion rarely seen by the 28-year-old Texas star. 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. Under the most pressure he felt all day, Scheffler didn't miss a shot off the tee or from the fairway until his lead back to four shots. Rahm wound up seven shots behind, but the two-time major champion was the only serious threat. His chances began to fade when he failed to birdie the 14th and 15th holes, the two easiest holes on the back nine and the last good scoring chances. His 5-wood on the reachable par-4 14th was a yard from being perfect, instead going into the bunker. He blasted out weakly and his 7-foot birdie putt never had a chance. He drilled a 345-yard drive on the par-5 15th and his 4-iron went just over the back. Rahm putted it too hard and it rolled 12 feet. He missed that birdie putt and then came unglued. A bogey on the 16th hole went he went from rough to bunker. Having to take on a dangerous pin at the par-3 17th, it bounded over the sunbaked green into the water for double bogey. And his last tee shot went left off the grassy bank and into the stream for another double bogey. All that work to make up a five-shot deficit at the start of the day and Rahm closed with a 73 to tie for eighth. "Yeah, the last three holes, it's a tough pill to swallow right now," said Rahm, his first time seriously contending in a major since he left for the Saudi riches of LIV Golf two years ago. "I'll get over it. I'll move on," Rahm said. "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 US Open." DeChambeau birdied the 14th and 15th to get within two shots, but he never had another good look at birdie and bogeyed the 18th for a 70. He tied for second with Harris English (65) and Davis Riley, who overcame a triple bogey on No. 7 to play bogey-free the rest of the way and salvaged a 72. "I'm baffled right now. Just felt like things just didn't go my way this week," DeChambeau said. cap: Scottie Scheffler (center) poses for a photo with Johnny Harris (left), founder of the Quail Hollow Country Club and the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the PGA Championship, in Charlotte, North Carolina, Sunday. Reuters-Yonhap
Korea Herald
16-05-2025
- Korea Herald
An Byeong-hun sits 5 back of opening-round lead at PGA Championship
An Byeong-hun made an eagle to hang around early contenders to begin the second major tournament of the 2025 PGA Tour season in North Carolina. The South Korean veteran shot two-under 69 at the PGA Championship at the par-71, 7,596-yard Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte on Thursday and sits five back of the leader, Jhonattan Vegas of Venezuela, in a tie for 20th. An began his round on the 10th hole, and had three birdies and two bogeys over his first nine holes. After trading two birdies for two bogeys over the first seven holes on his back nine, An eagled the par-4 eighth hole, which played 342 yards in the first round. An sent his tee shot 307 yards to the right side of the fairway, and his wedge shot dropped into the cup for the eagle. But An bogeyed the very next hole to finish with a 69. The 33-year-old has yet to win on the PGA Tour. Two other South Korean players each had an eagle, too, though they found themselves further out of early contention. Tom Kim shot an even 71 to tie for 46th after an up-and-down back nine. He had two birdies on the front nine but was one-under through 14 after making two bogeys against one birdie on the back nine. Then at the par-5 15th, Kim hit a 304-yard drive, and his second shot put him about 34 feet away from the hole. From there, Kim rolled his chip for an eagle that took him to three-under. However, Kim bogeyed the 16th and double-bogeyed the 18th to finish even-par for the round. On the finishing hole, Kim found left rough off the tee and then went bunker to bunker with his next two shots. He needed four shots to reach the green and missed an eight-foot bogey putt. Kim Si-woo shot 72 in the first round to tie for 60th after suffering the same fate as Tom Kim down the stretch -- making an eagle at the 15th and a double bogey at the 18th. Kim Si-woo had two birdies and three bogeys on the front nine. Im Sung-jae was the top-ranked South Korean player entering this week at No. 18, but he was the worst among the Korean quartet in the opening round after shooting two-over 73. It put him in a tie for 73rd place. He had two birdies and three bogeys over his first eight holes, and then had a string of eight consecutive pars before stumbling with a bogey at the par-3 17th, where he missed the green with his tee shot and two-putted from about six feet. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
15-05-2025
- Korea Herald
World No. 1 tennis player Jannik Sinner gifts a racket to tennis fan Pope Leo XIV
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV has made peace with Jannik Sinner. The top-ranked tennis player visited the new pope on Wednesday, gave him a tennis racket and offered to play, during an off day for Sinner at the Italian Open. Leo, the first American pope, is an avid tennis player and fan and had said earlier this week that he would be up for a charity match when it was suggested by a journalist. But at the time, Leo joked "we can't invite Sinner," an apparent reference to the English meaning of Sinner's last name. By Wednesday, all seemed forgotten. "It's an honor," Sinner said in Italian as he and his parents arrived in a reception room of the Vatican's auditorium. Holding one of his rackets and giving Leo another and a ball, the three-time Grand Slam champion suggested a quick volley. But the pope looked around at the antiques and said, "Better not." Leo, a 69-year-old from Chicago, then appeared to joke about his white cassock and its appropriateness for Wimbledon, perhaps a reference to the All England Club's all-white clothing rule. He asked how the Italian Open was going. "Now I'm in the game," Sinner said. "At the beginning of the tournament, it was a bit difficult." Sinner has a quarterfinal match on Thursday in his first tournament back after a three-month ban for doping that was judged to be an accidental contamination. He will next face freshly crowned Madrid champion Casper Ruud. Sinner is attempting to become the first Italian man to win the Rome title since Adriano Panatta in 1976. During the audience, Angelo Binaghi, the head of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, gave Leo an honorary federation card. "We all felt the passion that Leo XIV has for our sport and this filled us with pride," Binaghi said in a statement. "We hope to embrace the Holy Father again soon, maybe on a tennis court." The pope and Sinner posed for photos in front of the Davis Cup trophy that Sinner helped Italy win for the second consecutive time last year. Also on display in the room was the Billie Jean King Cup trophy won by Italy in 2024, the biggest women's team event in tennis. Earlier in the week, after Leo's first quip about not wanting to invite him, Sinner said it was "a good thing for us tennis players" that the new pope likes to play the sport. In addition to tennis, Leo is an avid Chicago White Sox baseball fan.
