Scheffler pulls away from Rahm for runaway PGA Championship victory
Scottie Scheffler held off a spirited effort by Spain's Jon Rahm to secure a five-shot PGA Championship victory at Quail Hollow Club for his third career major title.
The top-ranked Scheffler, who was three shots clear of Swede Alex Noren at the start of the day, struggled off the tee early on Sunday but righted the ship in time for the back nine to card an even-par 71 that left him at 11 under for the week.
'I knew it was going to be a challenging day, finishing off a major championship is always challenging,' Scheffler said on the 18th green after being presented with the Wanamaker Trophy.
'I didn't have my best stuff … but stepped it up on the back nine.'
Ryder Cup hopeful Harris English, who began his day 11 shots adrift, shot a 65 that was the low round of the day and finished in a distant share of second place alongside fellow Americans Bryson DeChambeau (70) and Davis Riley (72).
Twice major champion Rahm (73) gave Scheffler a scare early on the back nine but came apart in stunning fashion with five dropped shots over his final three holes to slide back into a share of eighth place.
Rahm, who began the day five shots back of the lead and playing two groups ahead of Scheffler, took a while to get going in the final round but found his groove right in time to set up some back-nine drama at Quail Hollow Club.
The Spaniard joined Scheffler atop the leaderboard when, at the par-four 11th, he made his third birdie over a four-hole stretch, but Scheffler reclaimed the outright lead with a 9-foot birdie at the 10th moments later.
Rahm nearly answered right back, but his perfectly paced 19-foot birdie attempt at the par-three 13th curled around and out of the cup before going on to misread birdie putts at the next two holes, followed by his brutal closing stretch.
Scheffler added birdies at 14 and 15 and then saw his lead suddenly grow to five over JT Poston after Rahm made double-bogey at the par-three 17th, where he blasted his tee shot into the water.
'It's a tough pill to swallow right now,' said Rahm.
'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.'
US Open champion DeChambeau, who finished runner-up at last year's PGA Championship, was driving the ball and giving himself chances, but struggled on the greens.
'I felt like I had the game to win this week, and the golf course suited me pretty well, missed a few putts coming down the stretch and got a little unlucky in this great game of golf,' said DeChambeau.
'It was a good fight, good battle, take a lot from it. It's just burning a bigger fire in my belly.'
Noren, playing alongside Scheffler and alone in second place to start the day, stayed in the mix until his round unravelled with a trio of bogeys early on the back nine.
Scheffler took home a $3.42m top prize from a record $19m purse.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
6 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Can Real Madrid erase the memories of failed defences at Club World Cup?
Manager: Xabi Alonso Star player: Kylian Mbappe Club World Cup record: Five-time winners Fixtures: Al Hilal (June 18), Pachuca (June 22), FC Salzburg (June 26) For most teams, second place in their domestic league, runners up in both domestic cups and reaching the quarterfinals of the Champions League would mark a season of relative success. For Real Madrid, it means it is time to change the manager. Following two successful spells in charge of Los Blancos, a trophyless season, and not making the last four of the Champions League, marked the end for Carlo Ancelotti – the most successful manager in history. The Italian's boots are big ones to fill, but that is the task that former Real midfielder Xabi Alonso has taken on. A title winner in Germany, in his first managerial job with Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso was always hot favourite to replace Ancelotti when the time came. The 43-year-old is hardly walking into a minefield in Madrid with the Spanish giants claiming a league and European double only a season ago. Added to that squad last year was the latest Galactico, Kylian Mbappe. In the French forward, Alonso may face his biggest challenge – not due to Mbappe's personality or work rate, but purely his position in the side. In the words of Alonso's predecessor, Real are unbalanced but also lack 'collective commitment'. In short, the squad had too many attackers that Ancelotti felt he had to cram onto the field, while injuries left the defence in tatters, and Madrid did not sign someone to replace midfielder Toni Kroos, who retired last year. Veteran midfielder Luka Modric's departure after the Club World Cup means Alonso will be losing yet more poise, technique and wisdom from the midfield. Two seasons ago, prior to the retirement of Kroos, Real swept all before them with their then-new signing, Jude Bellingham, playing in an advanced role through the middle, flanked by Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo. The arrival of Mbappe forced Bellingham deeper, and something of a false-nine formation was changed to a straight 4-3-3 set up. The chemistry didn't blend easily. Mbappe ended up as the leading scorer in La Liga, helped in some part by a late-season injury to his closest competitor, Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski. The former PSG striker netted 43 goals across all competitions with his new club. That did not mask the fact that the team was not as fluid as the one that glided through the previous campaign to finish 10 points clear of Barcelona. Ancelotti's final season saw his side trail their fierce rivals from Catalonia by only four points. Still, the conundrum of making Madrid tick again, with a side that has no choice but to pick Mbappe, Bellingham and Vinicius for all the big games, is Alonso's great challenge – and that begins at the FIFA Club World Cup. On the eve of the final El Clasico of the season, and what would be the last of Ancelotti's career, the Italian politely reminded everyone that Real Madrid would be competing in FIFA's showpiece club event and not their rivals, Barcelona. The pressure was growing on Real's then-manager, and the speculation was mounting that his time at Santiago Bernabeu was coming to an end, potentially before the end of the season. Real would lose the match at Barcelona 4-3, and with it any final realistic chance of retaining their La Liga title, having already seen their Champions League defence ended by Arsenal. Ancelotti was not one to be pushed quietly aside after a glittering career across Europe. 'Playing Barcelona is special,' Brazil's new national manager said on the eve of the game. 'And this will be the last El Clasico of the season, because Barca are not in the Club World Cup.' Whatever the merits of FIFA's Club World Cup, long term, there is little doubt that, short term, the importance off the field far outweighs the significance of the tournament on the field. The prize pot is all that matters to the clubs, with the winner set to earn a football record $125m as part of the $1bn prize money fund.
Al Jazeera
17 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Has FIFA scored an own goal with big teams missing Club World Cup?
'The FIFA Club World Cup will determine who is the best club in the world.' This is the claim of FIFA President Gianni Infantino about the FIFA Club World Cup, which is about to be played across the United States for the next month. With the tournament expanded from seven to 32 clubs, it's certainly bigger, but will it be better? Football fans are asking: where are Liverpool, Barcelona and Napoli? The three champions of England, Spain and Italy aren't competing. The qualifying criteria were designed to reflect the strength of clubs over the past four years. But that has caused FIFA a credibility problem for a tournament it hopes can eclipse UEFA's Champions League. FIFA's own criteria was diluted and compromised by the way a place was suddenly found for Inter Miami, one of three MLS (Major League Soccer) clubs that will be representing the host nation. MLS Champions Los Angeles Galaxy didn't get a spot. With superstar Lionel Messi having helped Inter Miami become a major global brand, they gained entry by finishing top of the regular-season standings in last year's MLS. This wasn't part of the qualification criteria until suddenly announced by FIFA, with Infantino congratulating them in person at the celebrations on the pitch in Miami. Messi's team will play in the opening fixture against Egypt's Al Ahly on Saturday night at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium, but the 37-year-old's legendary status hasn't quite worked its magic, with organisers already having to cut ticket prices to the match. Indeed, FIFA expressed an appetite for 40-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo to join Messi at the tournament. It was Infantino who first suggested the Portuguese forward could leave his Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, after they failed to qualify for the Club World Cup, making use of the special 10-day (June 1 -10) created by FIFA for players to be signed by teams in the brand new CWC. But Ronaldo has been busy elsewhere, scoring to help Portugal to win the UEFA Nations League on Sunday against closest rivals Spain, proving Infantino was right to realise he is still 'box office'. Whether FIFA presidents should be starting transfer speculation is another matter. Ronaldo turned down approaches to play. Another player who won't be playing in the CWC is the rising star of world football, Lamine Yamal (who turns 18 on July 13, the day of the final in New Jersey). Yamal's club? Barcelona, of course. Meaning, the young genius generating millions of clicks and clips around the globe will play no part in something FIFA wants and needs football fans to embrace. Sources at the Spanish club tell me that missing out on the money available for the tournament has hurt Barcelona's board of directors. A $1bn TV rights deal with sports streaming platform DAZN was finalised six months before the tournament, undeniably welcome for the participating clubs, particularly the winners who'll receive up to $125m. But after a tiring season, the coach and players are more philosophical. Players' union FIFPRO reacted with dismay to the major expansion of the tournament and its shift to June/July, going as far as to threaten legal action, and calling FIFA 'inherently abusive' for adding so many games. At Liverpool, who won the English Premier League by 10 points, failing to qualify for the tournament has been met with a shrug of the shoulders. The club's Dutch manager Arne Slot feels his team, who won the Premier League in his first season in charge, didn't need another challenge and more games. 'I don't think it's healthy for players to only have maybe one week off, then go into the tournament, then have one week off and start the whole Premier League season again. That can never be good for the health of a player,' said Slot. 'Maybe when the tournament has been played or done well, we'll all feel we would love to have been there, because what a great occasion. I think most people in football have the same opinion: 'Pfft, another tournament.'' The four-year qualifying criteria may have been designed for fairness, but it also means no Napoli, whose Serie A triumph was warmly received by fans across the globe, some of whom retain a soft spot from Maradona's famous era in the city. The Italian club's absence is unfortunate for the hosts and organisers. FIFA can point to 12 European teams in the 32-club lineup, reflecting the dominance of the continent in club football. And the lineup does include Real Madrid (who've won six of the last 12 Champions Leagues); Bayern Munich, and English duo Chelsea and Manchester City, who both returned to late-season form. Paris Saint-Germain may hold the key to the tournament's credibility. The French champions deservedly won the Champions League for the first time with irresistible form and flair in the knockout stages, before beating Inter Milan 5-0 in the final in Munich. Many will already have decided they are currently the best team in the world – European teams have won the last 11 Club World Cups in the shorter format. They will be tested, though, with Brazilian champions Botafogo, Atletico Madrid and CONCACAF champions Seattle Sounders in their group. If PSG slip up, it could indicate the tournament is more difficult than its critics suggest. FIFA is accustomed to criticism, but with the Club World Cup, it is also dealing with something potentially more damaging: apathy. As well as the slow ticket sales, there are no guarantees DAZN will get the viewing figures it would like for its billion-dollar investment. And the tournament will provide a litmus test of the current interest in football from the American public, a year before co-hosting the 48-team World Cup with Mexico and Canada. Ultimately, football fans notice what happens on the field more than off it. The political aspect of this tournament is not talked about it, but don't underestimate its significance. FIFA's global vision wasn't expanded only because the governing body wanted to 'prove the world's best team'. It's largely about the relationship between the FIFA president and UEFA, his former employers. The Champions League is regarded as the best knockout club competition in world football, with unchallenged kudos, huge broadcasting deals and an unmatched quality of football. Tensions between FIFA and UEFA recently surfaced when Infantino arrived late to the FIFA Congress in Paraguay, straight from meetings in the Middle East during US President Donald Trump's state visit. UEFA's delegates walked out mid-meeting over what they called a 'deeply regrettable' delay. Infantino desperately wants the Club World Cup to succeed, and even has his name engraved on the trophy. So, how does that happen? No embarrassing empty seats and higher ticket sales would help. Then FIFA hopes the public gets caught up in the action, with four matches per day covering time zones, and not much competition from other men's football. The operative word, though, is form. The NBA basketball finals have shown how quickly things change. Last year's finalists were the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks. Both crashed out of contention this year, losing their best players (to injury and via a controversial trade respectively). FIFA's four-year qualification period needs refining. Whatever happens in the next month, expect there to be changes in qualification criteria before the 2029 Club World Cup, whether it is tweaks or something more drastic. Global football doesn't stand still, but FIFA has shown that it can and will make its own rules. Now it's over to the players.
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Al Jazeera
From Messi to Mbappe: Ten players to watch at FIFA Club World Cup 2025
The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 kicks off in the United States when Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami take on Egypt's Al Ahly at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, on Saturday. High-profile players and breakout stars from the best leagues in the world will compete in the monthlong club tournament. Here's a look at our top 10 players who are set to light up the competition: A record eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and arguably the greatest footballer of all time, Messi is expected to steal the limelight at the Club World Cup. The 37-year-old forward and captain of Inter Miami will be looking to guide the MLS side to the Club World Cup title in front of their home fans during their debut at the tournament. Making 25 appearances in his full debut season for Inter Miami, Messi scored 23 goals and provided 13 assists, leading them to the MLS Supporters' Shield triumph in 2024. In the ongoing MLS season, he has made 20 appearances and scored 15 goals. The forward, who will turn 38 during the tournament, has put Inter Miami in the spotlight since his arrival at the club in 2023. France forward Mbappe joined Real Madrid in 2024 and grabbed the headlines during his first season at the Spanish club, finishing as La Liga's top scorer with 31 goals. With 43 goals in 56 matches in all competitions in 2024-25, Mbappe also became Real Madrid's top goal scorer in a debut campaign, surpassing Ivan Zamorano (37 goals in 1992-93) and Cristiano Ronaldo (33 goals in 2009-10). To top off a promising debut season, in which he won the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup, the 26-year-old will look to get his hands on the Club World Cup, which Real have won a record five times. The Brazilian is another Madrid player expected to create havoc on the field. The 24-year-old scored 21 goals and had 15 assists in 52 matches in all competitions for the Spanish giants, who finished second in the league. Vinicius, who signed with Real at the age of 17, is regarded as one of the most exciting talents and was seen as an unlucky runner-up at the 2024 Ballon d'Or. Kane enjoyed the best phase of his career during the 2024-25 season, winning his first major title as Bayern Munich were crowned the Bundesliga champions. The 31-year-old also made Bundesliga history as the first player to finish as the top scorer in both his first two seasons, netting 26 goals in Bayern's title-winning campaign. Kane, who captains England, said his individual achievement marked the 'perfect end' to a 'brilliant season' with the Bavarians. The Englishman will be key to Bayern's chances of lifting their third Club World Cup title, having last won in 2020. Haaland found the net 31 times in 44 appearances for City in 2024-25 as Pep Guardiola's side finished third in the Premier League. While they qualified for the Champions League for 2025-26, Haaland was upset at the club's failure to win a fifth league title in a row, calling it 'a horrific season'. Looking to move on from the disappointment, the Norwegian will be aiming to win the Club World Cup for the first time with City, having missed their 2023 triumph due to injury. The 24-year-old striker, known for his relentless pursuit of goals, was the third highest goal scorer in the Premier League's last season with 22. French forward Dembele played a vital role in PSG's dominant performance en route to the 2024-25 Ligue 1 title as the Parisian club finished a whopping 19 points clear at the top. Dembele chipped in with 21 league goals in 29 appearances, finishing as the top scorer for the first time. The 28-year-old was also named the Ligue 1 Player of the Season. With eight goals in the Champions League, Dembele also enjoyed a stellar season in Europe, finishing the campaign by winning the continent's premier club competition. PSG will count on Dembele to score more goals and help them land their fifth trophy of the season, having already completed a domestic treble of the Ligue 1 title, Coupe de France and French Super Cup. A rising star of Brazilian football, Estevao was Palmeiras's top performer in 2024, achieving 13 goals and nine assists, as they finished second in the Brazilian Serie A. The 18-year-old left-footed winger, known for his dribbling and pace, will be joining the English club Chelsea in the 2025-26 season, having agreed on a deal in June 2024 reportedly worth $75m. Having emerged as one of the most exciting talents in South America, Estevao will represent Palmeiras for the final time at the Club World Cup after they insisted on a clause in the deal with Chelsea to ensure his participation in the competition before he heads to Stamford Bridge. Venezuelan Rondon was Mexican club Pachuca's top scorer during Liga MX Clasura 2024-25 with 10 goals and three assists. The 35-year-old striker, who previously played for West Bromwich Albion, was also part of Pachuca's run to the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final, which they lost to Real Madrid. Veteran Rondon, his nation's all-time leading scorer, is a valuable player on the Mexican club, having scored 36 goals in 67 appearances for them in all competitions since his arrival in January 2024 on a free transfer. Colombia's Borja is a reliable forward for River Plate, having scored 11 goals during Liga Profesional 2024 in Argentina. The 32-year-old has made more than 100 appearances at the club and has 60 goals to his name. He also won the Argentinian Primera Division with River Plate in 2023. At the Club World Cup, South American giants River Plate will rely heavily on Borja to find the net as they make their tournament debut. Another Colombian to look out for is the versatile and talented Fluminense winger Arias. The 27-year-old scored 14 goals in 51 matches across all competitions for the Brazilian Serie A club in 2024 as they finished 13th in the 20-team league. In 2023, Arias was a key figure in the Fluminense side that won their maiden Copa Libertadores title. The same year, he also won the Bronze Ball when Fluminense reached the FIFA Club World Cup final. Arias's primary position is on the right wing, but he can also play on the left as well as an attacking or central midfielder.
