PGA Championship: Scottie Scheffler pulls away from tie with Jon Rahm on back nine to win

Scottie Scheffler issued a stern reminder of who the best player in the world is with a back nine rally at the PGA Championship.

Scheffler began the final round on May 18 with a three-shot lead over Alex Noren, extended it to five, then made two bogeys at Nos. 6 and 9 that allowed Jon Rahm to tie him while standing on the 10th tee at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C.

With barely a shrug, Scheffler birdied three of his next four holes, Rahm bogeyed No. 16 and doubled No. 17 and Scheffler coasted to his third major championship and 15th PGA Tour title with a final-round 71 and a 72-hole total of 11-under-par 273.

Scheffler won by five shots over Bryson DeChambeau (70), Harris English (65) and Davis Riley (72), who tied at 6-under. The world's No. 1-ranked player, Scheffler won his second title in 2025 and finally won a major other than the Masters, which he captured in 2022 and 2024.

Scheffler earned $3.42 million to move to second behind Rory McIlroy with $10,131,197 million (McIlroy entered the week with more than $13 million) but Scheffler overtook McIlroy for the lead on the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup points list with a fat chunk of 750 points.

DeChambeau, who got within two shots of the lead with birdies at Nos. 14 and 15, didn't make another and bogeyed the last. But since winning the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, DeChambeau has posted nine top-10 finishes in 19 major championship starts, and seven tip-fives. He has finished tied for fourth, solo second and tied for second in his last three PGA starts.

Jon Rahm briefly ties for lead at No. 11

Scheffler began the day five shots over Rahm, who was also chasing his third major title. After swapping an opening bogey with a 15-foot birdie putt at the second, Scheffler put his game in cruise control and made three pars in a row — the last on an 18-foot putt at No. 5 — and appeared on his way to a rout.

However, Rahm weathered a string of long two-putts and par saves over his first seven holes and birdied Nos. 8, 10 and 11, the latter tying him for the lead after Scheffler's bogeys.

Scottie Scheffler didn't stay tied for long

Scheffler then dropped a putt of less than 10 feet for birdie at No. 10, two-putted the next three holes for par, and took charge with a birdie putt of 7 feet, 3 inches at No. 14 and an up-and-down for birdie at the par-5 15th after slamming a 3-wood over the green.

Rahm found the left rough and right bunker at No. 16 and missed a 14-foot par-putt attempt, then belted his tee shot long and into the water at the par-3 17th, leading to a double bogey and erasing his final chance.

Scheffler was able to play Quail Hollow's "Green Mile," the fierce three closing holes, with no stress after Rahm's double. Scheffler parred Nos. 16 and 17 despite missing the green both times, then made a safe bogey at the 18th hole.

Rory McIlroy faded fast on the weekend

McIlroy closed 72-72 after a spirited rally to make the cut with a 69 in the second round, and tied for 47th in his bid to add the PGA to his Masters title.

Jhonattan Vegas (72), who held the 36-hole lead, finished at 5-under 279 and in a tie for fifth.

Noren shot 76 in his second start of the season and tied for 17th at 3-under.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: PGA Championship: Scottie Scheffler back-nine rally beats Jon Rahm