Jimmy Walker created history on Sunday as he added his name to just a handful of winners who have held the lead throughout all four rounds of the US PGA Championship.
Challenges come and fall
After thunderstorms affected play on Saturday, Walker was forced to hold off numerous challenges with two rounds of sublime golf to ensure the competition finished on time. Following a nervy start to his third round that encompassed three bogeys on the front nine, Walker settled down after the turn, carding four birdies to finish with a two-under par 68, as he set the standard and continued to lead going into the final round.
The challenges to Walker's lead continued to be mounted by the players before him. Martin Kaymer scored a four-under par 66, including an eagle on the final hole to leave him with a slight chance at eight-under par for the competition. Eventually it turned out that the German's second and third rounds that added to even par were to cost him a shot at the trophy.
Open champion Henrik Stenson was always on the peripheral and he was steady on the opening nine as he came to the turn one-under par for his round. Yet the 40-year-old failed to kick on as the birdies would not drop, before a double bogey at 15 ensured he would not be winning a second major of the year.
Brooks Koepka was another who was sitting menacingly on the shoulders of the leaders. Like Stenson, he produced a steady front nine, before two shots in the trees at hole eleven abruptly ended his hopes.
South African Branden Grace produced an excellent round of 67 to finish on nine-under par and remain in the running of the leaders slipped up. After almost missing the cut earlier in the competition, Grace claimed to play "some of the best golf he has played" although his earlier form eventually prevented him from threatening lifting the trophy.
Japan's Hideki Matsuyama finished level with Grace after a bogey-free two-under par. Earlier rounds were also to cause him the same problem as his South African counterpart.
Daniel Summerhays finished in third position after accelerating with six birdies in the final ten holes of his fourth round to enter the clubhouse at ten-under par. Yet there were two men who were a class above the rest as world number 45 Jimmy Walker and world number one Jason Day edged away from the rest of the pack.
Then there were two...
American Day did not get off to the best start as he made two bogeys in the opening three holes. Birdies on five, nine and eleven moved him back into the contest, before an excellent approach shot at eighteen was to conclude in an eagle to leave him thirteen-under par.
Yet Day's reaction on his way to the green on the final hole told the story of the competition. As he looked up to the big screen, once Jimmy Walker holed a birdie at 17 to solidify his lead and almost guarantee his maiden major win. Following a steady opening nine where he scored par on every hole, Walker chipped in from the bunker at ten, before sinking a mammoth putt at eleven, enough to eventually win him the trophy by one shot.