Xander Schauffele hailed his “hectic and awesome” winning birdie after securing his maiden major title in the US PGA Championship.
Schauffele carded a final round of 65 at Valhalla to hold off the challenges of Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland in record-breaking fashion.
The Olympic champion held his nerve to birdie the 72nd hole and finish a shot ahead of DeChambeau on 21 under par, the lowest score in relation to par in major championship history.
“I was actually kind of emotional after the putt lipped in,” Schauffele said. “It’s been a while since I’ve won and I kept saying it all week, I just need to stay in my lane.
“Man, was it hard to stay in my lane today, but I tried all day to just keep focus on what I’m trying to do and keep every hole ahead of me. Had some weird kind of breaks coming into the house, but it’s all good now.”
He continued: “I really didn’t want to go into a play-off against Bryson. It would have been a lot of work. I just told myself, this is my opportunity, just capture it.
“I am very satisfied. I’m tired. Once I sat down in scoring, I felt a little bit more tired. But just a whirlwind of emotions.
“I knew I had to birdie the last hole, looking up at the board. It was a hectic birdie, as well, but it was awesome. I kept telling myself, I need to earn this, I need to prove this to myself and this is my time.”
Quote of the day
“I had to hang up pretty quickly because he started to make me cry. He was sitting on the phone bawling” – Schauffele called his father Stefan following his win.
Shot of the day
Schauffele hit a superb second shot to the 18th from a very awkward lie to help set up the winning birdie.
Round of the day
Bryson DeChambeau was one of three players to card a closing 64, but Schauffele’s 65 was more impressive in the circumstances.
Easiest hole
The par-five 18th was the easiest for the fourth day running, with two eagles 43 birdies and nine scores over par resulting in an average of 4.54.
Hardest hole
The first hole was the hardest in the final round with just six birdies, 16 bogeys and three double bogeys for an average of 4.21.
When is the next major?
The 124th US Open will take place at Pinehurst in North Carolina from June 13-16.