Xander Schauffele wins first major as Shane Lowry loses momentum on the final day

Lowry's charge falls short as Schauffele wins his first major.

Xander Schauffele clinched his first major victory at the PGA Championship, overcoming stiff competition and securing a $3.3 million prize. Irish golfer Shane Lowry, who had shown great promise with a stunning performance on Saturday, fell short in the final stretch.

Schauffele, who shared the lead with Collin Morikawa at the start of the final round, demonstrated consistent performance to finish with a score of -20.

Morikawa, the 2020 PGA Champion, ended up tied for fourth at -15 after struggling on the greens and managing only a level par round on Sunday.

Schauffele took an early lead with a birdie at the first hole, advancing to -16. Lowry, starting at -13, managed early birdies but could not maintain momentum. The Irish golfer finished tied for sixth at -14.

Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland both put up impressive performances. DeChambeau shot a final-round 64 to set a clubhouse target of -20, finishing second. Hovland's consistent birdies put him in third place at -18.

Lowry started the final round following a sensational Saturday score of 62.

However, despite early birdies, he couldn't keep pace with Schauffele and DeChambeau.

Schauffele's birdie at the fourth hole extended his lead, and he managed a crucial up-and-down on the 18th hole to secure his victory with a final round of 65.

DeChambeau's aggressive play, including a remarkable and lucky birdie at the 16th, brought him level with Hovland at -19 before his final birdie at the 18th solidified his second-place finish.

Hovland played impressively, with a streak of birdies at the 7th, 10th, and 13th holes, finishing third.

Elsewhere, Scottie Scheffler, despite personal distractions earlier in the week, bounced back with a final-round 65 to tie for eighth at -13.

While Rory McIlroy, starting the weekend seven shots behind, finished tied for 12th.

Schauffele's victory at the PGA Championship marks his first major win and first victory since 2022 Genesis Scottish Open. Lowry and Justin Rose finished tied sixth -14 and both received a nice paycheque of $639,400.