ROUND 4 HIGHLIGHTS | 2026 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

BEST MOMENTS FROM ROUND 1 OF 2026 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

 

ROUND 1 | 2026 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

 

HIGHLIGHTS | ROUND 2 | PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

 

GREAT SCOTTIE: SCHEFFLER SURGES TO PGA CHAMPIONSHIP WIN

World No.1 Scottie Scheffler has joined Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus in golf's history books with a five-shot victory at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.

Scottie Scheffler worked harder than he imagined and got the result everyone expected at the PGA Championship: A most pleasant walk to the 18th green with another major title secure in the hands of golf's undisputed 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 he pulled away.

Scheffler overcame an early stumble to card a closing 71 and finish 11 under par, five shots ahead of fellow Americans Bryson DeChambeau (70), Harris English (65) and Davis Riley (72).

The 28-year-old is the 10th straight American winner of the PGA and joins the late Seve Ballesteros as the only players since 1906 to win each of their first three majors by three or more shots.

"This back nine will be one that I remember for a long time. It was a grind out there," Scheffler said.

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.

Incredibly, two hours later Scheffler closed with a bogey that no one predicted he could afford.

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.

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.

"I knew it was going to be a challenging day. Finishing off a major championship is always challenging," Scheffler said after being presented with the Wanamaker Trophy.

"I didn't have my best stuff ... but stepped it up on the back nine."

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. 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."

Scheffler finished at 11-under 273 and picked up his 15th victory in just his sixth year on the PGA Tour. Dating to 1950, he is the third-fastest player to go from one to 15 tour wins, behind only Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, and even then by a matter of months.

Scheffler came into the PGA Championship off an eight-shot victory in the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. And then he won a major by five. It was the first time since Woods in 2000 that a player won consecutive PGA Tour starts by five shots or more in the same season.

With PA

- Doug Ferguson and Phil Casey 

WHY RORY MCILROY'S DRIVER MAY HAVE VIOLATED PGA CHAMPIONSHIP RULE AS HISTORY REPEATS

The Masters champion was forced into a last-minute change before his struggles at Quail Hollow.

Rory McIlroy has been using a different driver this week. (Image: Getty)

Rory McIlroy might have narrowly made the cut at the PGA Championship, but he had to do it without his favoured driver. The Northern Irishman teed off as the pre-tournament favourite at Quail Hollow, but was left fighting to simply make the weekend after a roller coaster second round.

McIlroy began the day three-over-par and, at one point, appeared to be charging as he reached one under after 10 holes. His progress stalled, though, and he eventually carded a 69 after six birdies and four bogeys. That left him one-over-par, meaning he survived by just one shot, but is still nine back from leader Jhonattan Vegas.

However, it has emerged that the 36-year-old had to deal with a last-minute club switch before his first round on Thursday. CBS Sports reported that his regular driver was deemed ‘nonconforming’ after tests by the USGA.

The sanction was due to the worn-down carbon face of McIlroy’s Qi10 club. This can occur if a driver has been used frequently, and the more the face flexes on impact, the more head speed that can be generated.

McIlroy has been using his current driver since the start of last year. Officials have now judged it to be producing a ‘Coefficient of Time’ (CT) that is too high. The higher the CT, the faster the ball will come off the face, which potentially increases distance off the tee. 

McIlroy is deemed one of the fastest and most powerful players on the tour, meaning the life cycle of his drivers is likely to be shorter than most. Indeed, it’s not the first time the Grand Slam champion has fallen foul of the regulations.

He was also forced into a late change at the Players Championship in TPC Sawgrass two years ago. Rival Xander Schauffele suffered the same fate at the 2019 Open.

Regardless, the world No.2 has been in no mood to discuss the controversy or his performance at Quail Hollow. After both rounds, he’s headed straight off the course after declining to speak to the media.

- FRASER WATSON

XANDER SCHAUFFELE WINS THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER FINAL-ROUND 65

AP Photo 

 TROON, Scotland -- Xander Schauffele's critics used to say he didn't have the nerves or backbone to win one of golf's major championships.

Now, the 30-year-old PGA Tour star from San Diego can't stop winning them.

Two months after Schauffele captured his first major championship victory at the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, he added a second one Sunday at the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club.

"There's calmness and super stressful moments when you're trying to win a major championship," Schauffele said. "I felt them in the past -- the ones I didn't win -- and I let them get to me. Today, I felt like I did a pretty good job of weathering the storm when I needed to."

On a day when seven golfers started the final round within one shot of leader Billy Horschel, Schauffele was the man holding the Claret Jug at the iconic links course on Scotland's west coast. He posted a 6-under 65 on Sunday, just like he did in the final round of the PGA Championship, and his 72-hole total of 9-under 275 put him two strokes ahead of Horschel and England's Justin Rose.

South Africa's Thriston Lawrence was another stroke back.

"It was hard," Schauffele said. "It was very difficult. I think winning the first one helped me a lot today on the back nine. I had some feeling of calmness come through. It was very helpful on what has been one of the hardest back nines I've ever played in a tournament.

"I mean, it's a dream come true to win two majors in one year. It took me forever just to win one, and to have two now is something else."

Schauffele described Sunday's bogey-free round as the "best round I've played."

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Schauffele is the first golfer in the Masters era (since 1934) to have multiple final rounds of 65 or better in majors in the same year.

It's the seventh consecutive major won by an American golfer, the longest such streak since they captured 13 straight from 1974 to 1977.

It's the first year since 1982 that U.S. golfers claimed all four majors -- Scottie Scheffler won the Masters, and Bryson DeChambeau captured the U.S. Open.

Schauffele is the first golfer since Brooks Koepka in 2018 (U.S. Open and PGA Championship) to claim two majors in one season. It's only the seventh time a player has won the PGA Championship and The Open in the same year; Rory McIlroy was the last to do it, in 2014.

Schauffele's victory Sunday required patience. He opened his final round with five straight pars, and he fell behind Horschel, Lawrence and Rose. Schauffele kick-started his round with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 6 and 7 and made the turn at 2-under 34.

Although the difficult par-4 11th, known as The Railway, ended plenty of golfers' hopes this week, Schauffele avoided trouble off the tee and hit his approach from 171 yards to 2½ feet for another birdie to get to 6 under. He moved into a tie for first when Lawrence made a bogey on the 12th.

Schauffele then seized control with another pair of birdies, making a 16-foot uphill putt on the par-4 13th and a 12½-footer on the par-3 14th. He moved to 8 under and had a two-stroke lead with four holes to play.

Schauffele added another birdie on the par-5 16th to stretch his lead to three shots.

He will head to next month's Olympics tournament outside Paris to defend his gold medal.

"He's obviously now learning that the winning is easy," Rose said of Schauffele. "He has a lot of horsepower, do you know what I mean? In the sense of he's good with a wedge, he's great with a putter, he hits the ball a long way, obviously his iron play is strong. So he's got a lot of weapons out there.

"I think probably one of his most unappreciated ones is his mentality. He's such a calm guy out there. I don't know what he's feeling, but he certainly makes it look very easy. He plays with a freedom, which kind of tells you as a competitor that he's probably not feeling a ton of the bad stuff. He's got a lot of runway ahead and a lot of exciting stuff ahead, I'm sure."

Even after waiting so long to win a major, Schauffele admits he can't help but think about the career Grand Slam after moving a step closer. He only needs to win the Masters and U.S. Open now to do it.

"I mean, before I had any majors, it's something I've always wanted," Schauffele said. "I'm one step closer and still have a long way to go. But if you don't see yourself doing it, you're never going to do it."

Several other golfers, including Scheffler, the No. 1-ranked player in the world, faltered down the stretch. Scheffler was looking for his seventh victory and second major championship title this season. He moved into the mix with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 7 and 8.

Scheffler's chances of winning a Claret Jug ended on the par-4 ninth, though. His approach shot was 15 yards short of the green. He putted to 6½ feet and somehow three-putted from there, missing from 2 feet, 8 inches on the second attempt. Scheffler carded a double-bogey 6, dropping him to 2 under, four shots behind the leaders as he made the turn.

Scheffler also had a double bogey on the 18th. He posted a 1-over 72 and tied for seventh at 1-under 283.

Spain's Jon Rahm made one of the biggest moves after starting the day six shots behind Horschel. The two-time major champion made four birdies in his first seven holes to get to 2 under.

On the par-4 11th hole, Rahm pushed his tee shot toward the railway on the right. He hit a provisional tee shot but ended up finding his ball in a gorse bush. After a one-stroke penalty for an unplayable lie, Rahm made a bogey 5, dropping him to 1 under. He posted a 3-under 68 and finished at 1-under 283.

England's Daniel Brown, who grew up on a pig and cow farm and nearly gave up golf four years ago, carded four bogeys in his first six holes to fall back to even, five strokes behind the early leaders.

It was the end of one of the more remarkable stories in recent Open history. Brown made the field by draining a 20-foot putt in final qualifying. After missing the cut in six of his previous eight starts on the DP World Tour, he started the day only one shot behind Horschel. Brown was attempting to become only the fourth golfer since 1900 to win a major championship in his debut.

Brown was 3-over 74 in the final 18 holes, finishing at even-par 284, which tied him for 10th.

"Poor front nine, that's basically it," Brown said. "I struggled on the front nine, really. I don't think I scored as well as the guys around me on the front nine. The right-to-left wind, I couldn't really get to grips with that, but then felt a lot more comfortable when the wind was off the left on the back nine. A little bit to work on with a strong right-to-left breeze."

Two-time major champion Justin Thomas, who started the final round four strokes behind Horschel, took himself out of the hunt when he hit a wild tee shot and had to re-tee on the opening hole, resulting in a triple-bogey 7. Thomas tied for 31st at 6 over after posting a 6-over 77 in the final round.

Scotland's Calum Scott, an All-Big 12 selection last season at Texas Tech, won the Silver Medal as the low amateur. He carded a 5-over 76 on Sunday to finish at 8-over 292.

- Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Writer

TIGER WOODS 14 OVER AT OPEN, MISSES ANOTHER MAJOR CUT

 TROON, Scotland -- Tiger Woods' major championship season ended with another missed cut in the 152nd Open Championship on Friday, and golf fans won't see him again on the PGA Tour this season.

Woods carded a 6-over 77 in the second round at Royal Troon Golf Club, leaving him with a 36-hole total of 14-over 156. The cut line was 6 over.

Woods has now missed the cut or withdrawn in six of his past seven majors.

It was Woods' worst score to par after the first two rounds in 23 starts at The Open; his previous worst was 9 over after 36 holes at St. Andrews in Scotland in 2022.

It was his second-worst score to par after 36 holes in a major -- he was 16 over in two rounds at the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington, during the only other stretch in his career when he has missed the cut in three straight majors.

The fifteen-time major champion was tied for 149th when he walked off the course, ahead of only four of the 153 other golfers competing in the last major of the season.

"Well, it wasn't very good," Woods said. "I made a double there at 2 right out of the hopper when I needed to go the other way. Just was fighting it pretty much all day. I never really hit it close enough to make birdies and consequently made a lot of bogeys."

Woods, 48, said he won't compete again until the Hero World Challenge, an unofficial event he hosts in the Bahamas, Dec. 5-8. He also plans to compete in the PNC Championship -- another unofficial event -- in Orlando, Florida, with his son, Charlie, Dec. 19-22. Woods was able to compete in each of the four majors this season but didn't get the results he was hoping for. After setting a Masters record with his 24th consecutive made cut and finishing 60th at Augusta National Golf Club in April, he missed the cut at the PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open.

"I loved it," Woods said. "I've always loved playing major championships. I just wish I was more physically sharp coming into the majors. Obviously, it tests you mentally, physically, emotionally, and I just wasn't as sharp as I needed to be. I was hoping that I would find it somehow, just never did."

Woods competed in just one other PGA Tour event this season, the Genesis Invitational outside Los Angeles in February, and he had to withdraw in the second round there because of illness.

"I'd like to have played more, but I just wanted to make sure that I was able to play the major championships this year," Woods said. "I got a lot of time off to get better, to be better physically, which has been the case all year.

"I've gotten better, even though my results really haven't shown it, but physically I've gotten better, which is great. I just need to keep progressing like that and then eventually start playing more competitively and start getting into kind of the competitive flow again."

After posting an 8-over 79 in the first round, Woods wasn't much better Friday. He made a double bogey on the par-4 second after missing a 4-foot bogey putt. After draining a 22-foot birdie on No. 6, Woods picked up another bogey when he missed a 5-footer on No. 9.

After making the turn at 3-over 39, Woods made three more bogeys on Nos. 12, 14 and 17. He missed a 3½-foot par putt on the par-3 14th.

Over two rounds, Woods was 7 over on the par-3s, which ranked next-to-last in the field. He lost 3.77 strokes to the field in putting and 4.19 on approach.

"Yeah, anytime being out with Tiger is great," said Patrick Cantlay, who played with Woods and PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele in the first two rounds. "He's a great competitor and fun to be with. We had a great pairing, especially having my buddy Xander in the group. The three of us had fun."

Cantlay, who was 1 under after carding a 3-under 68 on Friday, was asked whether he had any sympathy for Woods' plight since returning to competition after serious injuries he suffered in a car wreck in February 2021.

"I wasn't out on tour [in the] early 2000s," Cantlay said. "I'm sure those guys don't have any sympathy after going through what they went through. I'm always pulling for him, as I think the rest of the world of golf is."

- Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Writer

CHARGES AGAINST WORLD'S TOP GOLFER SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER DROPPED AFTER ARREST OUTSIDE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

AP Photo 

 LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Criminal charges against Scottie Scheffler have been dismissed, ending a legal saga that began with images of the world’s top golfer being arrested and handcuffed in Louisville during the PGA Championship.

Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell asked a judge Wednesday afternoon to drop the four charges against Scheffler, who was not required to be in the courtroom. The prosecutor said Scheffler's explanation that he had a misunderstanding with police directing traffic was "corroborated by the evidence.”

“Based upon the totality of the evidence, my office cannot move forward in the prosecution of the charges filed against Mr. Scheffler," O'Connell said during the short hearing.

Scheffler said in an Instagram post Wednesday that his May 17 arrest and jailing was an “unfortunate misunderstanding” during a “chaotic situation.”

“I wish to put this incident behind me, and I hope (the officer) will do the same. Police officers have a difficult job and I hold them in high regard,” Scheffler said.

Scheffler had been charged with a felony for assaulting a police officer with his vehicle, along with three misdemeanors. The arresting officer, Detective Bryan Gillis, was outside the gate of Valhalla Golf Course directing traffic after a pedestrian death when he encountered Scheffler.

Video of Scheffler in handcuffs being escorted by officers quickly spread on the internet, followed by a mug shot of Scheffler in an orange jumpsuit from Louisville's jail.

O’Connell said Wednesday that his office thoroughly reviewed evidence in the case before deciding to dismiss charges.

“The evidence we reviewed supports the conclusion that Detective Gillis was concerned for public safety at the scene when he initiated contact with Mr. Scheffler,” O’Connell said. “However, Mr. Scheffler’s actions and the evidence surrounding their exchange during this misunderstanding do not satisfy the elements of any criminal offenses.”

Scheffler was not aware there had been a pedestrian death, and several PGA-marked vehicles like Scheffler's were able to enter the course without a problem, O'Connell said. But a passenger bus attempting to enter was halted and told to turn around. Gillis was on the scene stopping vehicles so the bus would have room to pivot, and Scheffler's car was among the first to reach the point where Gillis was stopping traffic, O'Connell said.

Gillis said in a police report that Scheffler then “refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging” Gillis to the ground. Gillis said his uniform pants were damaged in the fall and he was taken to the hospital for his injuries.

A surveillance video released by Louisville police last week showed Gillis pursuing Scheffler’s vehicle on foot and stopping him from entering the course. Scheffler is later pulled from the car and cuffed. But the video did not show Gillis’ first contact with Scheffler, authorities said.

Gillis has been disciplined for not activating his body-worn camera during the arrest. In a report on that failure, Gillis wrote that Scheffler had “demanded to be let in” the golf course.

The famous golfer spent a brief stint in a jail cell, then returned to the course for the second round. He finished the tournament tied for eighth place.

Scheffler’s attorney, Steve Romines, said eyewitness accounts confirmed that the officer was not dragged by his client's car.

“The more evidence that comes out, the more it shows that Scottie was a victim here. And I think everybody sees something like this happen and realizes they’re one wrong turn ... from going to jail themselves,” he said after the hearing.

Romines also said there were grounds for a civil lawsuit against Louisville police but Scheffler is not interested in pursuing litigation.

“Scottie Scheffler doesn’t want the taxpayers of Louisville to have to pay him a dime,” he said.

O'Connell and Romines also addressed the death of the pedestrian, a 69-year-old tournament volunteer named John Mills.

“The events that led us here today began with a tragedy ... and my hope is more attention will soon be paid to Mr. Mills and his life," O'Connell said.

Romines said he has spoken to Mills' family to extend condolences from Scheffler.

“These kind of tournaments can't go on without people like John Mills working out there,” Romines said.

- DYLAN LOVAN

OFFICER WHO ARRESTED SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER DISCIPLINED FOR NOT HAVING BODY CAM ACTIVATED

Louisville Metropolitan Police Department via AP

 LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky police officer who arrested top-ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler outside the PGA Championship is receiving “corrective action” for not having his body-worn camera activated when he approached the golfer's vehicle — an interaction that allegedly resulted in the officer being dragged to the ground, authorities said Thursday.

Louisville officials said during a news conference that they are not aware of any video footage of the initial interaction last Friday between Scheffler and Louisville Detective Bryan Gillis outside the gates of Valhalla Golf Club on a dark and rainy morning. But Gillis wrote in a report on his failure to turn on the camera that Scheffler “demanded to be let in and proceeded forward ... I was dragged/knocked down by the driver."

Police did release video Thursday from a street pole camera that appears to show Scheffler's SUV turning into the golf club entrance, prompting an officer to run toward the vehicle and seemingly strike it as it comes to a stop. The camera is too far away to capture the full details of the encounter.

Another video released by authorities comes from a police vehicle dashcam and shows Scheffler in handcuffs as he is escorted by officers.

The local prosecutor handling the case has requested that any additional video or evidence related to the case not be released “until the conclusion of the legal process,” the mayor said.

Scheffler was arrested on charges that he injured Gillis and disobeyed commands, but the golfer said “he never intended to disregard any of the instructions,” and that the incident was caused by a misunderstanding.

After the news conference, Scheffler's attorney Steve Romines said his client was not at fault.

“Our position is the same as it was last Friday, Scottie Scheffler didn’t do anything wrong, we’re not interested in settling the case," Romines said. "We’ll either try it or it will be dismissed.”

The city's police chief noted that the department's officers are expected to maintain their body-worn cameras in a “constant state of operational readiness.”

“Detective Gillis should have turned on his body-worn camera but did not," Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel said. "His failure to do so is a violation of LMPD policy on uniforms and equipment.”

The report on the internal investigation said Gillis should have at least had his camera on in standby mode while directing traffic before the incident with Scheffler.

Gwinn-Villaroel said Gillis "received corrective action" for the violation. The document released Thursday said Gillis completed a "failure to record" form as required by policy, was “counseled by a member of his command” and that a “performance observation” was completed.

Gillis wrote in the document that he was requested to respond to a fatal accident at Valhalla when he saw Scheffler's vehicle "traveling in the opposing lanes coming at me."

Scheffler was driving before dawn to Valhalla Golf Club to play in the second round of the tournament when he encountered Gillis.

Gillis, who approached Scheffler’s car on foot, wrote in an arrest report that Scheffler “refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging” Gillis to the ground. Gillis said his uniform pants were damaged in the fall and he was taken to the hospital for his injuries.

A few hours later, after a trip to jail, Scheffler returned to the golf course in time for his 10:08 a.m. tee time. He finished the tournament Sunday tied for eighth place, enough for a tournament payout of about $520,000.

He is scheduled to return to Louisville on June 3 to be arraigned on four charges, including second-degree felony assault of a police officer.

Louisville police’s current body camera policy was enacted amid controversy in 2020 after officers shot Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman who was killed during a botched drug raid. At the time, the plain-clothes officers who served the warrant and fired at Taylor were not required to wear body cameras.

The new policy required all officers to turn on the camera “prior to engaging in all law enforcement activities and encounters.”

The police chief at the time of Taylor’s death was later fired when officers at the scene of another fatal shooting failed to turn on their body-worn cameras.

- DYLAN LOVAN

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER DETAILED AFTER AN INCIDENT BEFORE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP START

WORLD NO. 1 SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER'S STATEMENT AFTER BEING ARRESTED AND CHARGED

 

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER ARRESTED AT PGA CHAMPIONSHIP FIR TRAFFIC VIOLATION, RETURNS IN TIME TO TEE OFF

 LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was arrested Friday morning on his way to the PGA Championship, with stunning images showing him handcuffed as he was taken to jail for not following police orders during a pedestrian fatality investigation.

In a span of four hours, the top-ranked golfer in the world was arrested wearing gym shorts and a tee shirt, dressed in an orange jail shirt for his mug shot, returned to Valhalla Golf Club in golf clothes and made his 10:08 a.m. second-round tee time.

“This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers,” he said in a statement released as he was warming up on the range. "It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do.

“I never intended to disregard any of the instructions,” he said. “I'm hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today. Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective.”

His attorney, Steve Romines in Louisville, also described it as a misunderstanding and told The Associated Press, “We will litigate the case as it goes.”

Traffic was backed up for about a mile in both directions on the only road that leads to Valhalla in the morning darkness with light rain, with dozens of police vehicles flashing red-and-blue lights near the entrance.

Police said a pedestrian had been struck by a bus while crossing the road in a lane that was dedicated to tournament traffic and was pronounced dead at the scene about 5:09 a.m. The PGA of America identified the man as an employee of one of its vendors.

“This is heartbreaking to all of us involved with the PGA Championship. We extend our sincere condolences to their family and loved ones,” the PGA said in a statement.

ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington said Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world who was to start the second round at 8:48 a.m., drove past a police officer a little after 6 a.m. in his SUV with markings on the door indicating it was a PGA Championship vehicle.

The officer screamed at him to stop and then grabbed onto the car until Scheffler stopped about 10 yards later.

Scheffler was booked at 7:28 a.m. — about 2 1/2 hours before he was scheduled to start his second round. Police said he was booked for second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.

“The main thing is he was proceeding exactly as he was directed in a marked vehicle with credentials," Romines said. “He didn’t do anything intentionally wrong.”

Louisville Metro police spokesman Dwight Mitchell did not immediately return a call seeking comment and information.

Darlington watched it unfold. He said police pulled Scheffler out of the car, pushed him up against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs.

“Scheffler was then walked over to the police car, placed in the back, in handcuffs, very stunned about what was happening, looked toward me as he was in those handcuffs and said, ‘Please help me,’" Darlington said. “He very clearly did not know what was happening in the situation. It moved very quickly, very rapidly, very aggressively.”

Mitchell told Louisville radio station WHAS the man was crossing Shelbyville Road about 5 a.m. and the bus didn't see him. Mitchell said the man was pronounced dead on the scene.

The PGA Championship posted a notice that play would be delayed because of the accident. The second round was to start 1 hour, 20 minutes later than scheduled tee times, meaning Scheffler was not due to start until 10:08 a.m.

Scheffler was released by police and returned to the course at 9:12 a.m. He made his way to the practice area around 9:30 a.m. and was welcomed by fans — one shouted “free Scottie!”

With cars backed up in the morning darkness, other PGA-marked vehicles tried to move slowly toward the entrance. Traffic finally began to move gradually a little before 7 a.m.

It was a surreal start to what already has been a wild week of weather — the Masters champion and top-ranked player in the world, dressed in workout clothes with his hands in cuffs behind his back amid flashing flights.

Darlington said police were not sure who Scheffler was. He said an officer asked him to leave and when he identified himself being with the media, he was told, “There's nothing you can do. He's going to jail.”

Darlington said another police officer later approached with a notepad and asked if he knew the name of the person they put in handcuffs.

Scheffler is coming off four victories in his last five tournaments, including his second Masters title. He was home in Dallas the last three weeks waiting on the birth of his first child, a son that was born May 8.

Scheffler opened with a 4-under 67 and was five shots out of the lead as he tries to become only the fifth player since 1960 to win the first two majors of the year.

___

Associated Press writer Dylan Lovan contributed.

- DOUG FERGUSON

SIZZLING SCHAUFFELE GRABS FIRST ROUND LEAD AT PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

USA TODAY Sports 

 A rampaging Xander Schauffele powered to the top of the PGA Championship leaderboard on Thursday, firing a record-equaling opening round nine-under 62 at Valhalla Golf Club, as the Olympic champion looked to atone for a shock loss at the .

Out with the early starters Schauffele set the target that no one in the 156-player field could match. Tony Finau and Sahith Theegala came the closest, returning six-under 65s to sit three back.

Not even the two hottest golfers on the planet, world number one Scottie Scheffler and number two Rory McIlroy, could muster a challenge on a day of ideal scoring conditions at the defenseless Valhalla Golf Club.

McIlroy, coming off back-to-back PGA Tour wins, turned in a scrappy five-under 66 to settle in four off the pace. New dad Scheffler, with four victories in his last five starts including a second Masters Green Jacket, lurks one further adrift after returning a 67.

Schauffele, who held a final round two-stroke lead at Quail Hollow on Sunday before losing by five shots to McIlroy, was a man on a mission in Louisville, matching the men's major championship low score for a second time.

Despite an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo and a proven ability to go low, the 30-year-old American has yet to win a major and is without a win since the 2022 Scottish Open.

While there is a lot of golf to be played, the world number three signaled he plans to end both droughts with a brilliant error-free opening round that matched his first round effort at last year's U.S. Open.

Only two other men have returned 62s at a major, Rickie Fowler, also in the first round at the 2023 U.S. Open, and Branden Grace, in the third round at the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

"I'll take a 62 in any major any day," said Schauffele. "Not winning makes you want to win more, as weird as that is.

"The top feels far away, and I feel like I have a lot of work to do."

Coming off titles at the Zurich Open and Wells Fargo, McIlroy carried that momentum onto the first tee. He rolled in a six-footer for a birdie on his opening hole, the par five 10th, then picked up a second at the 13th to briefly join a crowd at the top of the leaderboard.

But the Northern Irishman, who announced on Monday that he had filed for divorce, stalled after the early burst. He took a bogey at the 17th before hitting his stride again after the turn by carding four birdies, including three straight from the fifth.

"Not a pretty 66," summed up McIlroy, who won the last of his four majors in 2014 on the same Valhalla layout. "I sort of felt like it was pretty scrappy for the most part.

"I thought I got a lot out of my game today.

"Not really happy with how I played but at least happy with the score."

After taking three weeks off to be with his wife, who was about to give birth, there were worries Scheffler would need time to shake off some competitive rust before returning to his dominating ways.

He wasted no time dispelling those concerns, holing out from 167-yards on the par four first for an eagle and adding a birdie at the fourth to get to three-under.

But the 27-year-old American could not sustain that level, mixing three birdies with a pair of bogeys over the next 14 holes.

Defending champion and LIV Golf standard-bearer Brooks Koepka, bidding to become the tournament's first repeat winner since he retained the title in 2019, looked a threat to add a fourth Wanamaker trophy to his collection after returning a 67 highlighted by an eagle, birdie and par finish to join Scheffler in a group at four-under.

Tiger Woods, who collected one of his 15 major titles at Valhalla in 2000 with a playoff win over Bob May, opened with a one-over 72 but lamented a sloppy bogey, bogey finish to his day.

This is Woods' first event since the Masters. Last month the injury-ravaged golfer had earned a tournament-record 24th consecutive made cut at Augusta National, although finishing last among those who played the weekend.

"It's just that I just don't play a whole lot of competitive rounds," said Woods. "I haven't played since the Masters.

"So it's a little bit different than being at home and playing a flat Florida course."

TAYLOR PENDRITH GETS FIRST PGA TOUR WIN AT BYRON NELSON AFTER FINAL HALL COLLAPSE FROM BEN KHOLS

AP Photo 

 McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — Taylor Pendrith tried his best to ignore Ben Kohles’ final-hole meltdown, focusing on the eagle putt that the Canadian thought he might have to make even to force a playoff as he walked toward the 18th green.

Several stunning minutes later, a 3-footer for birdie gave Pendrith his first PGA Tour victory.

Kohles overtook Pendrith with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 for a one-shot lead, then bogeyed the 18th after hitting his second shot into greenside rough. Already in shock following two chips from the rough — the second with his feet in a bunker — Kohles missed a 6-foot putt that would have forced a playoff.

“Wasn’t really trying to pay attention to what they were doing, although it really mattered, obviously,” Pendrith said. “I feel for Ben. He played really, really good today, especially down the stretch. I’ve been on the other side of it a couple times, and it sucks. But it’s golf. It’s a hard game.”

Pendrith shot 4-under 67 for a 23-under 261 total at the TPC Craig Ranch. The 32-year-old won in his 74th career PGA Tour start.

Playing just north of his birthplace of Dallas, Kohles shot 66 to finish a stroke back. The 34-year-old who plays out of North Carolina is winless in 68 starts.

“Honestly, hadn’t seen any rough like that all week,” said Kohles, who moved to North Carolina when he was 10. “Just needed a little bit more umph on it. Did so many good things this week, and I’m just going to keep reminding myself of that and try to get myself back in this position.”

AP Photo 

Alex Noren, a Swedish player also seeking a first PGA Tour victory, was another stroke back. He wowed the crowd on the stadium hole at the par-3 17th with a tee shot to 2 1/2 feet, but followed that birdie with a par knowing he probably needed an eagle on 18. Noren shot 65 and was alone in third at 21 under.

Aaron Rai and first-round leader Matt Wallace of England were at 20 under along with the South Korean pair of S.H. Kim and Byeong Hun An. Rai and Kim shot 64, An 65 and Wallace 68.

Pendrith, the third-round leader, and Kohles were separated by just one shot or tied most of the day. After Kohles made a 20-footer to take the lead on 17, Pendrith's par putt rolled all the way around the cup and went in.

“It just curled in, that putt on the last second there, which was unreal just to give me a chance,” said Pendrith, who set it up with a chip from an awkward stance with his heels hanging over the lip of a bunker, after saving par with another testy putt at the par-4 16th.

The victory qualified Pendrith for the PGA Championship in two weeks and next year's Masters. He's also in the next three $20 million signature events, starting next week with the Wells Fargo championship. Kohles and Noren also played their way into Wells Fargo with their Nelson showings.

With Wells Fargo and the PGA coming in the next two weeks, just three of the top 30 in the world ranking were in the field.

Jordan Spieth, the highest at No. 20, missed the cut for just the second time in 12 appearances at his hometown event. Defending champion Jason Day (22nd) and Tom Kim (23rd) didn’t contend, with Day finishing one shot behind Kim at 9 under.

Jake Knapp, the second-round leader who three years ago was working as a security guard in his home state of California, shot 70 to finish at 19 under. Knapp and Wallace were the only players in the top eight with a previous PGA Tour win.

The start of the final round was pushed back 2 1/2 hours because of overnight rain, and pairings turned into threesomes going off both tees with the players allowed to lift, clean and place shots in the fairway.

Wallace appeared to start a charge by chipping in for birdie at 12, the toughest hole of the week, and getting another birdie at the par-4 13th. A three-putt bogey on the par-3 15th stalled him out.

Rafael Campos, a 13-year journeyman from Puerto Rico who has spent most of his career on satellite tours, birdied five of the first six holes starting on the back nine to make the turn at 29.

The 36-year-old cooled off on his second nine before making a 48-foot putt from off the green for eagle on the par-5 ninth for a 63 that put him at 18 under.

Taiga Semikawa, a 23-year-old from Japan playing on a sponsor exemption, also finished at 18 after a 64.

Kris Kim, a 16-year old amateur making his PGA Tour debut, had a rough finish as the youngest to play a final round on tour in 10 years.

Playing his final nine on the front, the son of South Korean-born former LPGA Tour player Ji-Hyun Suh had four bogeys and shot 73 to finish 6 under.

Kim, who is from England, played on a sponsor exemption from the South Korean company and tournament title sponsor CJ Group.

- SCHUYLER DIXON

LPGA TOUR HIGHLIGHTS | KPMG PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

CHINA'S YIN RUONING COLLECTS MAIDEN MAJOR TITLE AT WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

USA TODAY Sports 

China's Yin Ruoning produced a flawless final round with four birdies to win the Women's PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club on Sunday and claim her first major title.

Having started the day three strokes back from the lead, Yin pumped her fist as she drained a birdie putt on the par-five 18th, carding a four-under par 67, before waiting for her competitors to finish in Springfield, New Jersey.

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