In one of the most emotionally charged victories of the 2025 PGA Tour season, Adam Schenk claimed his first career title at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship — in his 243rd Tour start — surviving brutal winds and a nail-biting finish at Port Royal Golf Course to win by a single shot.
Tournament Overview
The 2025 Butterfield Bermuda Championship, played November 13-16 at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda, delivered the kind of story that makes professional golf worth following. Adam Schenk, ranked 134th in the FedExCup standings and two tournaments away from returning to qualifying school, came to Bermuda with his Tour card on the line. He left with a winner's trophy, a two-year exemption, and a moment he called surreal.
Port Royal, a public course perched along the Atlantic coastline, is known for its dramatic seaside holes and the unpredictable winds that sweep off the ocean. Sunday delivered those conditions in full — gusts topping 30 mph turned the final round into a test of survival as much as skill.
Final Leaderboard
| Pos | Player | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adam Schenk | 69 | 65 | 67 | 71 | -12 (272) |
| 2 | Chandler Phillips | — | — | — | 71 | -11 (273) |
| T3 | Alex Smalley | — | — | — | — | -10 (274) |
| T3 | Vince Whaley | — | — | — | — | -10 (274) |
| T3 | Frankie Capan III | — | — | — | — | -10 (274) |
| T3 | Takumi Kanaya | — | — | — | — | -10 (274) |
| T3 | Max McGreevy | — | — | — | — | -10 (274) |
How It Unfolded
Schenk built his position over three solid rounds — a 69 to open, followed by a 65 that moved him into contention, and a 67 on Saturday to put himself near the top of the leaderboard heading into the final day. He wasn't the flashiest name on the board, but he was consistent, and in Bermuda's conditions, consistency is everything.
Sunday was a different kind of test. The wind arrived early and didn't let up, with gusts cresting 30 mph and turning Port Royal into one of the toughest tracks on Tour. Schenk played a steady, grinding round — one birdie, four crucial par saves, and a final-hole moment that will stay with him forever.
Standing on the 18th green, clinging to a one-shot lead, Schenk's approach ran just over the green. He reached for his putter to play through roughly six feet of fringe. The wind pushed his ball up short of the hole, leaving him a five-footer for par. He stepped up and rolled it in. Victory in his 243rd start on Tour.
Key Storylines
A Long Road to the Winner's Circle
The most compelling part of Schenk's win wasn't the golf — it was the journey. The Indiana native had been a fixture on Tour for years without a breakthrough. He had come close twice in 2023, finishing runner-up on two occasions, and even reached the Tour Championship that year. But the win never came.
This season had been particularly rough. Schenk missed six consecutive cuts during the summer, and his FedExCup standing fell to 134th — right on the edge of losing his Tour card. He made changes to his game and, notably, switched to a one-handed putting grip to address what he identified as his biggest weakness. When asked about the win afterward, he described it simply as a surreal moment.
Chandler Phillips Falls One Short
Chandler Phillips played a strong final round of his own, also carding a 71 in the difficult conditions, but it wasn't quite enough. He finished at 11-under, one stroke back, watching Schenk hold on from the final green. Phillips' runner-up was a solid result that continued to show his development as a Tour-level player.
Port Royal's Wind Levels the Field
The five players tied for third at 10-under — Smalley, Whaley, Capan, Kanaya, and McGreevy — all illustrated how brutally the wind affected scoring on Sunday. A four-round total that might not win in calmer conditions proved more than competitive at Port Royal. The course's Atlantic exposure and the seasonal conditions made scoring a premium all week, and Sunday's wind made even par feel like an accomplishment.
Final Thoughts
Adam Schenk's victory at the 2025 Butterfield Bermuda Championship is one of those wins that reminds you why professional golf is worth watching. A player on the edge of losing everything, making a one-handed par putt in 30 mph wind to secure his first Tour title in his 243rd attempt — it doesn't get more human than that. Schenk earned every bit of it, and Port Royal gave him exactly the kind of stage a story like his deserved.