Xander Schauffele won his first major at the PGA Championship after edging Bryson DeChambeau, but he was still learning about the rules on his way to victory
Golf sensation Xander Schauffele was taken to school soon after claiming victory at the PGA Championship.
Schauffele, who hails from California, secured his debut major title under pressure on Sunday as he defeated Bryson DeChambeau by just a single stroke. Despite his recent success, the golf star admitted he was still learning the intricacies of his craft at Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky.
During an interview on the Pardon My Take podcast (via the Mirror) discussion led to the possibility of a playoff against renowned long-yardage hitter DeChambeau. However, not all spectators (or p
One hundred percent. Absolutely,” replied Schauffele when questioned about whether the play-off scenarios were spinning around his head as he approached the 18th. “I didn’t even know, but the playoff is actually an aggregate. It’s three holes.”
Thus, it turned out beneficial for the 30-year-old as he followed DeChambeau’s example and birdied the final hole to maintain his lead and seize the championship. Schauffele confessed that if he had missed the crucial putt determining the title, momentum would have been in favour of his opponent in a playoff.
Speaking further about the high-pressure putt, Schauffele also detailed that he received a stern text from one of his coaches after his first major win. Despite the cause for celebration, it reminded him there is always room for improvement.
articipants) were well-informed about this predicament.
I was like, ‘Screw it, I need to commit to this,'” he revealed as he recalled the crucial moments before sinking the final putt. “And so I actually didn’t take that much time, because I was like, ‘The longer I look at this, the more stuff I’m going to see [and potentially over-analyse].’ So I was nervous.
“I ended up hitting it pretty straight. Actually, my putting coach texted me and was like, ‘You pulled it.’ I was like, ‘Thanks, man.’ He’s right! I’ve watched that putt like six times, and it looks like it’s gonna miss every time [laughs].
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