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Xander Schauffele has perfected the art of getting hot in major championships. Now, he has to finish the job.
Schauffele shot a 62
in the first round of the PGA Championship on Thursday, matching a major record that he already held. It was far from his first dominant round in a major, but too often the 30-year-old has either hit his stride too late or not been able to sustain a strong start.
Such an excellent opening round in Louisville all but ensured Schauffele would remain in contention entering the weekend. What would a PGA Championship mean for the veteran golfer?
Here’s what you need to know about Schauffele’s majors history and best finishes.
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Has Xander Schauffele won the PGA Championship?
Schauffele has never won the PGA Championship, an event that has been won by Brooks Koepka in three of the last six years. He has produced some strong finishes, however.
Schauffele has finished in the top 20 in four of the last five PGA Championships, with the lone exception being when he missed the cut in 2021.
Piecing together stretches of dominance haven’t been a problem for Schauffele when the lights shine the brightest. Putting it all together for four rounds has proven much more challenging. While Schauffele might be poised for his best PGA Championship finish to date this weekend, he will need to put the past behind him to walk away a winner.
Has Xander Schauffele won a major?
Schauffele has never won a major, so a win at the PGA Championship would undoubtedly be the new pinnacle of his career. He’s had numerous close calls, though.
Schauffele has a whopping 12 top-10 finishes in major championships, including multiple top-10 finishes in five of the last six years. His closest calls came at the 2019 Masters, when he finished just one stroke behind winner Tiger Woods, and the 2018 Open Championship.
Two of 2023’s four majors were won by first-timers in Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman, a sign that it’s certainly not too late for Schauffele to get on the board with his first major victory.
Xander Schauffele PGA Championship history
| Year | Finish |
| 2017 | Cut |
| 2018 | T-35 |
| 2019 | T-16 |
| 2020 | T-10 |
| 2021 | Cut |
| 2022 | T-13 |
| 2023 | T-18 |
| 2024 | TBD |
Schauffele has finished top-20 at the PGA Championship in five of the last six years, with his highest finish (10th) coming in 2020. His strong start at Valhalla this year positioned him for perhaps his best PGA Championship finish to date, but winning the event for the first time would be transformative for Schauffele’s career.
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Xander Schauffele majors results
| Year | Masters | PGA Championship | U.S. Open | Open Championship |
| 2017 | Cut | T-5 | T-20 | |
| 2018 | T-50 | T-35 | T-6 | T-2 |
| 2019 | T-2 | T-16 | T-3 | T-41 |
| 2020 | T-17 | T-10 | 5 | |
| 2021 | T-3 | Cut | T-7 | T-26 |
| 2022 | Cut | T-13 | T-14 | T-15 |
| 2023 | T-10 | T-18 | T-10 | T-17 |
| 2024 | 8 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Schauffele has enjoyed 12 top-10 finishes in majors, including runner-up finishes at the 2018 Open Championship and 2019 Masters.
While Schauffele has performed well at the PGA Championship in recent years, he’s excelled at the U.S. Open without ever claiming the title. Schauffele has finished inside the top 15 in all seven U.S. Open appearances, starting his career with five consecutive top-seven finishes in the event.
Winning the PGA Championship would put all of those heartbreaking losses in the rearview mirror for Schauffele, but it won’t come easily with a crowded leaderboard charging toward him over the final two days of the tournament.