World number one Scottie Scheffler and fellow U.S. Open runner-up Will Zalatoris paid respect to winner Matt Fitzpatrick after a thrilling final round at The Country Club.
Scheffler started his round with four birdies on his first six holes, going on to shoot a 67 and finish five under for the tournament, one behind Fitzpatrick.
Zalatoris also finished at five under, and had a chance to force a playoff by making a birdie putt on the 18th hole, only for it to narrowly miss wide.
It was a remarkable result for England's Fitzpatrick, who became the first player since fellow Englishman Danny Willett in 2016 to mark his first career PGA Tour win with a major victory.
Scheffler told the media after his round that he was happy with his performance, and highlighted the massive improvements he has seen from Fitzpatrick this season.
"My game is still in a good spot," he said. "I gave myself a chance to win the U.S. Open.
"Performed really well today under a lot of pressure – I made some key putts there in the beginning to kind of get today going. I just played some quality golf.
"It just so happened the putts [later in the round] were going around the edge instead of in. That's kind of what it felt like was happening most of the week… a few breaks here or there, and I would be the one holding the trophy.
"Tip of the hat to 'Fitzy'. He's been playing really good golf, and he definitely deserved to win this event. I don't know if you guys noticed, but I feel like he has made some extreme improvements off the tee in a matter of months.
"I played with him in Austin this year, and he was not hitting it nearly as far as he is now. I don't know what he was doing. Maybe he was on the Bryson program or something.
"He's hitting the ball really well and has been knocking on the door for a long time. He definitely deserves this win."
Zalatoris said he thought his playoff-forcing putt was dropping as he watched it travel, and gave respect to Fitzpatrick for what will go down as a legendary bunker save on the 18th hole.
"I did [think my putt was going in] – with about six feet to go, I thought I had it," he said.
"When he pulled it off [out of the bunker] – tip your cap, well done. Now I have to make birdie and hope he misses.
"I painted that shot right over the flagstick and just hit it a little deep. [Fitzpatrick's] golf shot was one-in-20, at best. To pull it off in that situation is incredible.
"He had to cut it around kind of an island of rough in the middle of that bunker. Probably – I don't know how far he had – I'd say roughly around 160, 170 [yards to the pin].
"So he's probably hitting a seven or a six-iron and opening it up, carving it off probably left edge of the green. And to get it to be just past pin-high, like I said, the fact he had a look was just awesome.
"When they show the highlights at future U.S. Opens, that's one that's going to be shown, because that was just incredible."
Woods targets second Valhalla success at PGA Championship
Tiger Woods will hope to roll back the clock as the four-time PGA Championship winner aims to repeat the trick at Valhalla Golf Club.
The former world number one has won four of his 15 major titles at this event, including triumphing in the 2000 edition at Valhalla.
Woods managed to make a record-breaking 24th consecutive cut at The Masters last month, though tailed off in the last two rounds to finish 60th – finishing last of players to reach the weekend.
Despite those latter-round struggles, the 48-year-old believes the potential is still there for a 16th major title, with his last coming at Augusta back in 2019.
"I still feel that I can win golf tournaments," Woods said at Tuesday's press conference. "I still feel I can hit the shots and still feel like I still have my hand around the greens and I can putt.
"I just need to do it for all four days, not like I did at Augusta for only two.
"It's getting around that is more of the difficulty that I face day-to-day and the recovery of pushing myself either in practice or in competition days.
"You saw it at Augusta – I was there after two days and didn't do very well on the weekend."
The 2024 Masters was just the fourth time since November 2020 that Woods has completed all four rounds of a tournament, owing to repeated injury struggles.
He remains confident his body will hold up this time around, though, as Woods attempts to recreate his Valhalla-winning heroics from 2000.
"My body's okay," said Woods, who joins Adam Scott and Keegan Bradley for the first round at the PGA Championship on Thursday. "It is what it is. I wish my game was a little bit sharper.
"Again, I don't have a lot of competitive reps, so I am having to rely on my practice sessions and getting stuff done either at home or here on-site.
"At the end of the day, I need to be ready mentally and physically come Thursday.
"One of the reasons I came up here on Sunday was to knock off some of the work that I have to do in charting greens, get all that stuff done early, so I can focus on literally playing and plotting my way around.
"I wouldn't say the walk is that difficult. I know it's a long walk, it's a big piece of property. This is a big golf course and if you get in the rough here, things could get a little bit sore, but if I drive it well and do the things I need to do – what I did 24 years ago – hopefully it works."
Aside from his major plans, speculation continues over Woods captaining Team USA for the 2025 Ryder Cup in New York.
The 15-time major champion says his focus remains on personal performance, with time limited to also fulfil that role.
"We're still talking," Woods added. "There's nothing that has been confirmed yet. We're still working on what that might look like. Also whether or not I have the time to do it."
'Stars aligning' for in-form McIlroy ahead of PGA Championship
Rory McIlroy believes "the stars are aligning" for him as he approaches this week's PGA Championship on the back of a fourth triumph at the Wells Fargo Championship.
McIlroy hauled in leader Xander Schauffele to win in Charlotte with a fine finish to his final round, surging clear with a run of four birdies and two eagles within eight holes.
That saw the Northern Irishman – who also won the Wells Fargo Championship in 2010, 2015 and 2021 – card a six-under 65 as he won by five shots.
Max Homa, in 2019 and 2022, is the only other player to have won the Wells Fargo Championship more than once.
McIlroy has now claimed back-to-back PGA Tour titles, having won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside Shane Lowry last month.
With the PGA Championship beginning at Valhalla Golf Club on Thursday, the course where McIlroy captured his last major crown in 2014, he feels he is building up a head of steam.
"I really got some confidence winning in New Orleans with Shane," McIlroy said after his final round.
"Coming into this week, at a golf course I am comfortable with, my golf swing feels more comfortable than it has done.
"Going to a venue next week where I have won, it feels like the stars are aligning a little bit. But I have a lot of golf to play and a lot of great players to try to beat.
"I am going into the next major of the year feeling really good about myself."
Even with a double bogey on the 18th hole, McIlroy played the final 11 holes at six under, leaving Schauffele with no way to respond.
"He's Rory McIlroy, you know?" Schauffele said. "He hits it 350 yards in the air downwind and he has shorter clubs into firm greens than anyone else.
"When he's on, he's on. Hats off to him for winning. He played unbelievably well."
Former US Open champion Thiem to retire from tennis this year
Former US Open champion Dominic Thiem has announced he will retire from tennis at the end of the 2024 season.
Thiem memorably fought back from two sets down to beat Alexander Zverev in the final of the 2020 tournament at Flushing Meadows, also reaching three other grand slam finals during his career.
Having reached a career-high ranking of third in the world in the aftermath of that US Open success, Thiem has since struggled with wrist and knee injuries, failing to progress beyond the second round of a major since the 2021 Australian Open.
The Austrian failed to reach the recent Madrid Open, going down to Thanasi Kokkinakis in qualifying on the clay, which he had previously regarded as his strongest surface.
In a video posted to Instagram on Friday, the 30-year-old said: "I have to tell you a very important, and very sad but very beautiful message. The 2024 season will be my last one, I'm going to finish my career at the end of the season.
"There are reasons behind it; first of all, my wrist is not exactly the way it should be, and the second reason is my inner feeling.
"I was thinking about this decision for a very long time, thinking about my whole journey as a tennis player, which was incredible.
"I've had success and won trophies I would never have dreamed of. It was an incredible journey that I am so thankful for, but in the end I came to the conclusion that this decision is the only right one."
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