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Heading into Sunday’s final round of the 2026 PGA Championship, it seemed like it was anyone’s game, because it pretty much was. An unprecedented 21 players came within four shots of 54-hole leader Alex Smalley, but it was England’s Aaron Rai who managed to separate himself from the pack at Aronimink and never look back on the road to becoming a major champion.
Rai, who entered the week ranked No. 44 in the world, came out firing on Sunday, but after making a four-foot birdie putt on the opening hole, he quickly fell into the inevitable situation that every player faced during the final round of having to be patient and accept what the golf course was giving him.
Aaron Rai of England tees off on the second hole during the final round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club on May 17, 2026 in Newtown, Pennsylvania. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images) (David Cannon/Getty Images)
After a poor tee shot on the difficult par-3 8th hole and then blowing up the green with his bunker shot, disaster quickly entered the equation, but the 31-year-old managed to convert a four-foot putt into bogey. It was one of those momentum-saving bogeys, and the momentum was used on the next hole.
Rai reached the par-5 ninth hole in two and sank a 40-footer for eagle. It was a nice advantage heading into the back nine, which played like the tougher team all week, but Rai didn’t subscribe to that narrative on Sunday.
When the entire course and golf tournament fell into neutral for what seemed like several hours with the last groups turning around, Rai hit the gas.
Aaron Rai of England hits his second shot on the 16th hole during the final round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club on May 17, 2026 in Newtown, Pennsylvania. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images) (David Cannon/Getty Images)
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After making another birdie on the par-4 11th, it was his birdie on the 299-yard par-4 13th that he can remember as he moment.
With a very risky bunker shot from 40 yards, Rai had the option to play relatively safe and leave himself about 20 feet up the hill for birdie. Or you could fly the golf ball to the hole and bring a slope away from the hole just beyond the flag. He didn’t hesitate and left the green with another birdie and two strokes ahead.
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Even though the 13th hole was passable by all players on the course, Rai’s birdie put him one shot ahead of many of the contenders on Sunday. Nick Taylor, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele bogeyed the hole, while Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed and Smalley also failed to take advantage of the short hole.
Rai officially put a hand on the door to slam it shut by reaching the par-5 16th hole in two for one of the most comfortable birdies you’ll ever see, and he officially slammed it shut with a 68-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th.
Rai played his last 10 holes with a six-under par and without a single blemish on the scorecard before signing for a three-stroke 65 victory with a total of nine under par.
The five-under round marked his lowest score in a major championship by two. An important championship Sunday for the round of your life is something special.
Rai, who is the last man among players like Ludvig Aberg, McIlroy, Rahm, Reed and Schauffele, who started the day three shots off the lead, has a sense of randomness, which was the theme of the week at Aronimink.
Aaron Rai of England acknowledges the crowd on the 18th green during the final round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club on May 17, 2026 in Newtown, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Coming into the week, the most common prediction was that players would be able to take down the Donald Ross-designed golf course. The lack of trees and water hazards gave way to a pump-and-dig approach. Or so we thought.
Rai began the week ranked 160th on the PGA Tour in average driving distance and finished the week ranked 66th in driving distance among the 82 players who made the cut.
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While Rai is known for being among the shortest hitters on the PGA Tour, he also has a habit of being an incredibly fast putter. The flat club is often a villain for Rai, but it was his best companion all week as he finished fourth in strokes gained on the greens.
With his victory, Rai became the first non-American to hoist the Wanamaker Trophy since Australian Jason Day in 2015, and the first European to find the winner’s circle at the PGA since Rory McIlroy in 2014.
