SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda — Adam Schenk finally won when he least expected it, finishing with an even-par 71 in brutal winds Sunday to hold on for a one-shot victory at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in his 243rd appearance on the PGA Tour.
Schenk finished 134th in the FedEx Cup, two tournaments away from returning to Q-School. He coped with some of the toughest conditions he’s ever faced, with wind gusts exceeding 30 mph, making one birdie and four important par saves.
They were all equally difficult in the end. His approach to Port Royal’s par-4 18th went just over the green, and Schenk held on to a one-shot lead. He chose to roll his putter about 6 feet off the fringe because the lie was tight, but the wind pushed it about 5 feet short of the hole.
He made the winning putt with a light touch and was relieved when it landed in the center of the cup, keeping Chandler Phillip, who also shot a 71, at bay.
“I’ve putts in the barn many times to win on the PGA Tour,” said Schenk, an Indiana native. “I’ll never forget seeing one go in.”
Schenck, a two-time runner-up and winner who reached the Tour Championship for the first time in 2023, can receive two years of exemption at a time on the PGA Tour, where maintaining full status is important. In 2026, only the top 100 players in the FedEx Cup, down from 125, will earn full status in smaller arenas.
Japan’s Takumi Kanaya had a chance to catch up with Schenk by one stroke and play together in the final group. The wind was strong from the left, so my approach swelled and I fell into the deep bunker. He hit a nice 4-foot shot, but the wind affected his par putt.
Kanaya, 120th in the FedEx Cup, should have made par on the final hole to move up to 83rd place. The mistake only allowed him to move up to 99th place, and he will be under even more stress in next week’s final event.
Phillips finished 139th, but with the best runner-up finish of his PGA Tour career, he moved up to 92nd and should be guaranteed a card.
Schenck hit a low point this summer after missing six straight cuts. He made some adjustments to his game, deciding to putt with one hand to overcome his biggest weakness, and thought he was making some progress even though he didn’t see great results.
He now has a win on the PGA Tour and will compete in at least a $20 million signature event next year, along with the PGA Championship and The Players Championship.
In particular, the wind was so strong that it was not easy to postpone the tee time of the tournament to avoid the worst-case scenario.
Schenk held nervous putts from 6 feet to 8 feet on the 12th and 14th holes. He hit the par-3 16th into the side of the hill. This was the scariest par 3 in Port Royal, facing the wind-swept ocean. He lost his balance slightly on the chip, but then played beautifully to 3 feet to save again.
Then, he missed what he thought was a perfect putt and went for a 6-foot birdie on the 17th, but the wind spun him out of the cup. That would have given him some breathing room. Instead, Schenk had to grind out a final par.
“I knew I was going to win. I just had to execute each shot and deal with the situation I was in,” Schenk said. “I can’t believe it’s over. It feels like the longest day ever.”
