Aaron Rai delivered the surprise performance of the week at the PGA Championship, charging through a packed leaderboard on Sunday to secure the first major victory of his career at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.
The 31-year-old English golfer fired a brilliant 5-under 65 to finish at 9-under overall, holding off stars including Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, and Xander Schauffele. Rai became just the second English-born player to win the PGA Championship and the first since 1919. He also made history as the first major champion of Indian heritage.
Rai entered the final round several shots behind and struggled early with three bogeys across his opening eight holes. Everything changed at the par-5 ninth, where he buried a long eagle putt from nearly 40 feet to jump back into contention. From there, he caught fire, repeatedly sinking clutch putts while the rest of the field faltered.
The defining moment arrived on the 17th green. Protecting a two-shot advantage and needing only steady pars to finish, Rai instead drained a dramatic 68-foot birdie putt that effectively sealed the championship and brought the crowd to life.
Before this breakthrough, Rai’s lone PGA Tour win came at the 2024 Wyndham Championship, and he had never seriously contended at a major. Known to many fans for wearing two gloves during competition, Rai has said the habit began while playing in cold weather as a child in England and stuck after an unsuccessful attempt to switch back to one glove.
Meanwhile, the championship tournament drew attention for several storylines beyond Rai’s win. LIV Golf players remained in focus, with Rahm finishing runner-up and Cam Smith tying for fifth despite a smaller LIV presence in the field. Meanwhile, players such as Scottie Scheffler and McIlroy criticized the course setup, arguing the conditions kept the leaderboard unusually crowded throughout the week.
The victory earned Rai the Wanamaker Trophy along with a $3.69 million payday from the tournament’s record $20.5 million purse, pushing his career earnings past $16 million.
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