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400-yard drives?! Here’s why LIV Golf Mexico City will deliver huge distances

Will there be a 400-yard drive in the thin air this week at LIV Golf Mexico City? David Puig, one of the league’s longest hitters, didn’t take long to ponder the question. “I think so,” he said, “if the fairways get a little firmer and it’s downwind.” The young Fireballs GC star nearly did it […]

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400-yard drives?! Here’s why LIV Golf Mexico City will deliver huge distances

Will there be a 400-yard drive in the thin air this week at LIV Golf Mexico City? David Puig, one of the league’s longest hitters, didn’t take long to ponder the question.

“I think so,” he said, “if the fairways get a little firmer and it’s downwind.”

The young Fireballs GC star nearly did it early in the week on the practice range at Club de Golf Chapultepec, hitting one drive that his launch monitor recorded at 354 meters, which is just over 387 yards.

“I swung out of my shoes,” Puig acknowledged, “but maybe it’s possible.”

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Definitely possible. Perhaps probable. Even likely.

The last time Club de Golf Chapultepec — which sits 7,800-plus feet above sea level — hosted a World Golf Championships event was 2020. Justin Thomas hit a drive of 449 yards, the longest on the PGA Tour that season. The year before, Thomas hit a 457-yard drive, also the longest of that season.

Although the course has been tightened since then, with some fairways narrowed that might discourage a full let-it-rip approach, it remains a unique opportunity for the world’s top golfers to reach into the stratosphere.

Crushers GC Captain Bryson DeChambeau, the league’s driving distance leader last season and again this year, hit a 407-yard practice drive with a 15.1-degree launch angle. “Have to have the launch high enough, above 15 to work,” he said on the video of his swing.

Said an admiring Phil Mickelson: “That’s very sexy.”

Mickelson, a past WGC winner here, posted a video on his own social media channel in which he was practically giddy about the opportunity awaiting the 54 players off the tee.

“You can hit bombs, bombs up here,” the HyFlyers GC captain said. “It’s awesome.”

Then to provide proof, he “maxxed” out a drive that registered 362 yards carry.

“Get some,” Mickelson implored. “Get some of that!”

It’s no surprise that players are flying shots with regularity over the net that stands approximately 320 yards at the back of the range.

“It’s fun to be hitting it so far,” said Cleeks GC’s Adrian Meronk, who ranks 16th in driving average this season at 305.2 yards. He estimates the high elevation could result in as much of a 20% gain on distance, which would give him an extra 60 yards.

Club de Golf Chapultepec, hosting its first LIV Golf tournament this week, is the highest-elevated course in the league’s history, a span of 42 events since the inaugural 2022 season.

The official yardage book for LIV Golf Mexico City, for instance, references the 10% increase for the Mile High city of Denver, Colorado, which sits at 5,280 feet. Then it references 15% for Club de Golf Chapultepec’s nearly 7,900 feet. Not only does it increase shot yardages, it also increases the gaps between clubs, forcing players (and their caddies) to make tough choices on club selection.

This piece is courtesy of Mike McAllister in partnership with LIV Golf.

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2025 PGA Championship purse, prize money: Payouts and winnings

Another classic is complete at Quail Hollow Club, where the world’s best golfers competed not only for the prestigious Wanamaker Trophy but also for a massive payday. The 2025 PGA Championship features a $19 million purse, continuing the trend of record-setting prize funds at golf’s major championships. While Scottie Scheffler took away his winner’s share […]

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2025 PGA Championship purse, prize money: Payouts and winnings

Another classic is complete at Quail Hollow Club, where the world’s best golfers competed not only for the prestigious Wanamaker Trophy but also for a massive payday. The 2025 PGA Championship features a $19 million purse, continuing the trend of record-setting prize funds at golf’s major championships.

While Scottie Scheffler took away his winner’s share of over $3 million, even those who made the cut walked away with a significant check, reinforcing the tournament’s status as one of the most lucrative and competitive events in the sport.

Let’s take a look at the complete 2025 PGA Championship prize money breakdown, including the total purse and payouts for each position in the field.

PGA Championship Winner: PGA Tour Player or Liv Golfer?

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2025 PGA Championship prize money, purse, payouts

Total purse: $19 million

  • 1st: Scottie Scheffler ($3,420,000)
  • T2: Bryson DeChambeau ($1,418,666.67)
  • T2: Harris English ($1,418,666.67)
  • T2: Davis Riley ($1,418,666.67)
  • T5: Jhonattan Vegas ($617,036.66)
  • T5: Taylor Pendrith ($617,036.66)
  • T5: J.T. Poston ($617,036.66)
  • T8: Joaquín Niemann ($454,781.11)
  • T8: Ben Griffin ($454,781.11)
  • T8: Denny McCarthy ($454,781.11)
  • T8: Ryan Gerard ($454,781.11)
  • T8: Joe Highsmith ($454,781.11)
  • T8: Matt Fitzpatrick ($454,781.11)
  • T8: Keegan Bradley ($454,781.11)
  • T8: Jon Rahm ($454,781.11)
  • T8: Si Woo Kim ($454,781.11)
  • T17: Matt Wallace ($290,925.00)
  • T17: Alex Noren ($290,925.00)
  • T19: Sam Burns ($193,442.22)
  • T19: Corey Conners ($193,442.22)
  • T19: Beau Hossler ($193,442.22)
  • T19: Aaron Rai ($193,442.22)
  • T19: Harry Hall ($193,442.22)
  • T19: Taylor Moore ($193,442.22)
  • T19: Cam Davis ($193,442.22)
  • T19: Adam Scott ($193,442.22)
  • T19: Tony Finau ($193,442.22)
  • T28: Xander Schauffele ($115,820.00)
  • T28: Marco Penge ($115,820.00)
  • T28: Viktor Hovland ($115,820.00)
  • T28: Alex Smalley ($115,820.00)
  • T28: Ryan Fox ($115,820.00)
  • T33: Daniel Berger ($89,192.50)
  • T33: Thorbjørn Olesen ($89,192.50)
  • T33: Maverick McNealy ($89,192.50)
  • T33: Max Greyserman ($89,192.50)
  • T37: Richard Bland ($75,422.50)
  • T37: J.J. Spaun ($75,422.50)
  • T37: Ryo Hisatsune ($75,422.50)
  • T37: Lucas Glover ($75,422.50)
  • T41: Nicolai Højgaard ($60,676.66)
  • T41: Tommy Fleetwood ($60,676.66)
  • T41: Eric Cole ($60,676.66)
  • T41: Nico Echavarria ($60,676.66)
  • T41: Michael Thorbjornsen ($60,676.66)
  • T41: Matthieu Pavon ($60,676.66)
  • T47: Rory McIlroy ($49,190.00)
  • T47: Cameron Young ($49,190.00)
  • T47: Robert MacIntyre ($49,190.00)
  • T50: Kevin Yu ($40,674.00)
  • T50: Collin Morikawa ($40,674.00)
  • T50: Christiaan Bezuidenhout ($40,674.00)
  • T50: Tom McKibbin ($40,674.00)
  • T50: Wyndham Clark ($40,674.00)
  • T55: Chris Kirk ($32,138.00)
  • T55: Brian Campbell ($32,138.00)
  • T55: Michael Kim ($32,138.00)
  • T55: Rafael Campos ($32,138.00)
  • T55: Garrick Higgo ($32,138.00)
  • T60: Brian Harman ($27,014.25)
  • T60: Justin Lower ($27,014.25)
  • T60: Sam Stevens ($27,014.25)
  • T60: Luke Donald ($27,014.25)
  • T60: Max Homa ($27,014.25)
  • T60: Tyrrell Hatton ($27,014.25)
  • T60: David Puig ($27,014.25)
  • T67: Sergio Garcia ($24,926.66)
  • T67: Austin Eckroat ($24,926.66)
  • T67: Rasmus Højgaard ($24,926.66)
  • 70th: Stephan Jaeger ($24,240.00)
  • 71st: Tom Kim ($23,940.00)
  • T72: Bud Cauley ($23,655.00)
  • T72: Elvis Smylie ($23,655.00)
  • 74th: Byeong Hun An ($23,420.00)



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Scottie Scheffler pulls away from Jon Rahm on back 9 to win 2025 PGA Championship

Scottie Scheffler has claimed another major tournament championship, but his first outside of Augusta. Scheffler won the 2025 PGA Championship on Sunday, shooting par in the final round to finish the tournament 11 under at Quail Hollow. While Scheffler was able to ride his dominant Round 3 on Saturday into a victory, there was a […]

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Scottie Scheffler pulls away from Jon Rahm on back 9 to win 2025 PGA Championship

Scottie Scheffler has claimed another major tournament championship, but his first outside of Augusta. Scheffler won the 2025 PGA Championship on Sunday, shooting par in the final round to finish the tournament 11 under at Quail Hollow.

While Scheffler was able to ride his dominant Round 3 on Saturday into a victory, there was a brief moment of doubt surrounding his win in the final round. Jon Rahm quickly climbed the leaderboard, making up the five-stroke difference between him and Scheffler by the 11th hole. 

Two holes later, Rahm nearly shot a birdie that would’ve given him the lead. 

However, Scheffler was able to regain control on the back nine after recording three bogeys on the front nine. He birdied the 10th, 14th and 15th holes, en route to victory, practically mirroring the 4 under he shot on the back nine of Saturday’s Round 3. Rahm, meanwhile, shot 5 over in the final three holes to completely fall out of the picture. 

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For Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player, the PGA Championship title marks his third major tournament victory. The 28-year-old has been one of golf’s most dominant players over the last couple of years, winning eight tournaments since the start of the 2024 season. But, outside of his two wins at the Masters, in 2022 and 2024, he has struggled to get over the hump at the three other major tournament championships (PGA Championship, US Open, and British Open), recording 10 top-10 finishes at those three events since 2020.

Scheffler’s win also came a year after his arrest at the PGA Championship at Valhalla in Louisville. He was arrested for a traffic incident ahead of Round 2 of that tournament before finishing tied for eighth. 

While Scheffler’s main competition throughout Round 4 was Rahm, fellow LIV golfer Bryson DeChambeau hit 1 under on Sunday to salvage a second-place finish. DeChambeau put himself in a good position for the weekend after hitting 3 under on Friday, his best round of the tournament. In that stellar Round 2, he hit three birdies on the front nine, and avoided bogeying throughout the back nine. 

He took that momentum into Saturday, finding three more birdies on the front nine and then moving into the top spot after a birdie on the 15th hole.

His lead didn’t last long, though, as he bogeyed on 16 and double-bogeyed on 17. 

DeChambeau fell down to as low as sixth place, but a steady Sunday helped him climb back to second. He hit for birdie on the 15th hole for the third time in four tries to cap off a noteworthy PGA Tournament performance.

 Here’s a full look at how the top 10 shaped out.

Final round results

1. Scottie Scheffler -11
T2. Bryson DeChambeau -6
T2. Davis Riley -6
T2. Harris English -6
T5. J.T. Potson -5
T5. Taylor Pendrith -5
T5. Jhonattan Vegas -5
T8. Joaquin Niemann -4
T8. Ben Griffin -4
T8. Denny McCarthy -4
T8. Ryan Gerard -4
T8. Joe Highsmith -4
T8. Keegan Bradley -4
T8. Matt Fitzpatrick -4
T8. Jon Rahm -4
T8. Si Woo Kim -4

How LIV golfers performed at PGA Championship

While Rahm likely had the best shot to win the PGA Championship outside of Scheffler, DeChambeau had the best weekend among the LIV golfers in the tournament. He shot 6 under for the weekend, finishing 1 under in Sunday’s final round. It ties his best finish ever at a PGA Championship as he also finished second in last year’s tournament before winning the U.S. Open for the second time in his career.

Joaquin Niemann also had an impressive day Sunday, shooting 3 under to join the nine golfers who finished tied for eighth. David Puig, on the flip side, struggled. He shot 8 over to finish the tournament 6 over par. Tyrell Hatton also struggled in the fourth round, shooting 6 over to finish 6 over par. 

As for the other LIV golfers who made the cut, Richard Bland shot 1 under on Sunday to finish the tournament 1 over. Tom McKibbin shot 2 over on Sunday to finish the tournament 4 over. Sergio Garcia shot 2 under in the fourth round following his 8 over on Saturday to finish the tournament 7 over.

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Jon Rahm, back in mix, is ‘hungry’ for 1st major championship since joining LIV Golf

Jon Rahm is back in contention at a major championship. He joked that he would have had an even better chance to win the third of his career had the spectator he hit in the head with an errant approach shot at the PGA Championship on Saturday been a little better soccer player. Rahm shot […]

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Jon Rahm, back in mix, is ‘hungry’ for 1st major championship since joining LIV Golf

Jon Rahm is back in contention at a major championship. He joked that he would have had an even better chance to win the third of his career had the spectator he hit in the head with an errant approach shot at the PGA Championship on Saturday been a little better soccer player.

Rahm shot a 4-under 67 to get to 6-under-par 207 for the tournament, leaving him five shots behind leader Scottie Scheffler, who played the final five holes in 5 under to reach 11 under.

Rahm won the U.S. Open in 2021 and the Masters in 2023. But this is the first time he’s been anywhere near being in contention for a major championship on the final day since announcing he was joining LIV Golf in December of 2023.

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In the four majors since, he’s not finished within eight shots of the lead.

“I mean, it’s hard to express how hungry I may be for a major — about as hungry as anybody can be in this situation,” the Spanish star said. “Very happy to be in position again. Don’t know where I’ll be. … But that’s a great position. This golf course is tricky and one shot is nothing on 18 holes.”

One shot was something on No. 11.

Rahm’s approach shot on the par 4 sailed to the left and his ball hit a fan in the head, sending it careening across the green and into the rough on the other side. Rahm left his chip short and took two putts for one of his two bogeys on the day.

The fan was not injured.

As he approached the green, Rahm walked over to check on him anyway. They shared a few laughs, he signed a golf glove for him and they embraced before he went on with his round.

“I told him, if he was European and grew up playing soccer, and he just aimed a little bit better, maybe just get it closer to the hole,” Rahm said with a laugh.

Rahm knows it won’t be easy to catch Scheffler.

Still, he likes how he’s striking the ball.

“Very happy with the state of my game,” Rahm said. “I think today was the round that I knew I was capable of. Those first two rounds felt very confident, and just did everything a little bit better. So just very excited again to be in this position.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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