Scottie Scheffler delayed Spain's Jon Rahm's efforts to win five-shot PGA titles at Quail Hollow Club to win his third career title.
The highest-ranked Scheffler, who was three shots from Swede Alex Noren at the beginning of the day, struggled with the tee earlier on Sunday but promptly got the boat to catch the back nine, scoring his even number 71 times, keeping him 11 points in the week.
"I know it's going to be a challenging day, and it's always challenging to end the big championship," Scheffler said after the 18th Green after winning the Wanamaker Trophy.
"I don't have the best thing...but stepped up in the last nine."
Ryder Cup hopes Harris English starts his 11th shot, shooting 65, the low of the day and tied for second with fellow Americans Bryson DeChambeau (70) and Davis Riley (72).
Two-time Major Champion Rahm (73) gave Scheffler a panic in the last nine games but stood out in a stunning way, dropping five shots in his last three holes to return to eighth.
Rahm started the first five goals the next day and played two groups before Scheftler, which took him a while to get into the final round, but he caught his groove in time to open some of the back nine dramas on the Quail Hollow Club.
Espanyol joined Scheffler on the rankings when he finished third in the four-hole stretch of the fourth stroke, but Scheffler regained a straight lead with a 9-foot birdie after the 10th minute.
Ram almost answered, but his perfectly paced 19-foot birdie tried to go around the cup in the third 13 curl and then misread the birdie putt in the next two holes, followed by his brutal closing.
Scheffler added birdies at 14 and 15, and then saw his lead suddenly grow to 5 times on JT Poston as Rahm double cypress in the 17th of the 17th where he shot his T-shirt into the water.
"It's a tough pill to swallow now," Ram said.
"The wounds are fresh now. But there are a lot of benefits happening this week, and there are a lot of positive feelings for the rest of the year."
DeChambeau, who finished second in last year's PGA Championship, was kicking off and giving himself a chance, but struggling on the green.
"I feel like I have a game to win this week, the golf course is perfect for me, missing some putts, and some missed in this great golf game," DeChambeau said.
"It's a good fight, a good fight, and it's taken a lot of things from it. It's just a bigger fire burning in my belly."
Noren played with Scheffler, entering the next day alone, and he stayed in the game until his round radiated a trio early in the back nine.
Scheffler received a top prize of $3.42 million from a record $19 million wallet.
