The PGA of America hosted an incredible test of major championship golf all week, and the result was a Sunday slugfest featuring a fringe star and a four-time major champion, as well as a late push from the world No. 2.
Brooks Koepka entered the final round of the 2023 PGA Championship with a one-shot lead over Viktor Hovland and finished with a two-shot victory for his fifth major title. The 33-year-old who has taken his talents to LIV Golf shot a 3-under 67 in the final round for his second win of the year after he claimed the Saudi Arabia-backed circuit’s event in Orlando earlier this year, a week before his T-2 finish at the Masters.
Scottie Scheffler fired a 5-under 65 to climb into a tie for second at 7 under with Hovland (69) who stumbled down the stretch.
A two-time PGA winner in 2018 and 2019, Koepka started off hot with three birdies over his first four holes to take a brief four-shot lead early in the round. Consecutive birdies from Hovland on Nos. 4 and 5 and a pair of bogeys on Nos. 6 and 7 for Koepka brought the lead down to just one at the turn.
Koepka proceeded to birdie three of his first five holes on the back nine, but Hovland didn’t back down and added two circles to his scorecard once again on consecutive holes, this time Nos. 13 and 14. A costly double bogey from Hovland on No. 16 led to a three-shot swing that virtually handed Koepka the trophy after he made birdie.