Brooks Koepka joins Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as a three-time winner of the PGA Championship; Scottie Scheffler moves back to world No 1 with runner-up finish; Rory McIlroy ends tied-seventh; club pro Michael Block finishes in share of 15th after amazing hole-in-one on final day
Monday 22 May 2023 12:44, UK
Brooks Koepka came through a final-round tussle with Viktor Hovland and survived a late charge from Scottie Scheffler to claim a thrilling victory and fifth major title at the PGA Championship.
The former world No 1 held a 54-hole lead for the second successive major but avoided a repeat of his final-round disappointment at The Masters, with Koepka never relinquishing top spot during a thrilling Sunday at Oak Hill.
Koepka mixed seven birdies with four bogeys to post a three-under 67 and finish on nine under, enough for a two-shot victory over Scheffler and Hovland, seeing him join Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as a three-time winner of the PGA Championship.
Scheffler moves back to world No 1 for his tied-second finish and Hovland narrowly missed out on victory after a costly double-bogey on the par-four 16th, while Bryson DeChambeau finished in a share of fourth and Rory McIlroy ended in tied-seventh after a third consecutive 69.
Koepka missed a 15-foot opportunity at the first but made a four-foot birdie at the next, where Hovland failed to convert from six feet, with the overnight leader then firing a brilliant tee shot into the par-three third to set up another birdie and move three clear.
Both players took advantage of the par-five next to pull further ahead of the field, while Hovland made a 20-foot birdie at the fifth and moved within one of his playing partner when he got up and down from the sand to save par at the sixth.
Koepka made bogey after finding water off the sixth tee and fell back to seven under with a dropped shot at the next, where Hovland had to settle for a bogey-five after pitching out of thick rough, allowing Scheffler and DeChambeau to close within three of the lead.
Hovland showcased impressive short-game to scramble pars over this next two holes to reach the turn one behind Koepka, who started his back nine with an eight-foot birdie to double his advantage.
Koepka immediately bogeyed the par-three next after finding the greenside bunker off the tee but capitalised on a fortunate break off the 12th tee to hole a 10-foot birdie from the fringe, which restored his two-shot cushion when Hovland missed from a similar distance.
Scheffler took advantage of the par-five 13th and almost holed his bunker shot at the next as he closed within two, while Hovland also birdied the 13th and left Koepka needing to convert from 10 feet to save par and stay just one ahead.
Koepka two-putted from the fringe for birdie after driving the 14th and Hovland holed from eight feet to avoid falling further behind, although the Norweigan's hopes ended when his approach from the sand at the par-four 16th plugged in the face of the bunker.
The incident matched what Corey Conners experienced a day earlier while leading and saw Hovland make a double-bogey, which left him four behind when Koepka produced a brilliant approach to set up a five-foot birdie.
Koepka bogeyed the 17th after a poor tee shot and saw his lead reduced to two when Scheffler birdied the last to close a brilliant final-round 65, but two-putted the last for a par to become the first player to win a major since joining LIV and claim a fifth major in six years.
Hovland also birdied the 18th to close a two-under 68 and join Scheffler on seven under, while Cam Davis and Kurt Kitayama both carded final-round 65s to join Bryson DeChambeau in tied-fourth.
McIlroy briefly flirted with contending before ending the week seven behind, his 18th major top-10 since his 2014 PGA Championship victory, while his playing partner Michael Block - a club professional - produced a moment of magic with an incredible hole-in-one at the par-three 15th.
The PGA Tour heads to Texas for the Charles Schwab Challenge and the DP World Tour action comes from the KLM Open in the Netherlands, with both events live from Thursday on Sky Sports Golf.
The men's major season continues next month at the US Open, where Matt Fitzpatrick returns as defending champion and Los Angeles Country Club hosts for the first time, with extended coverage live from June 15-18 on Sky Sports.
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