Aaron Rai secured his maiden major victory at the PGA Championship, demonstrating an exceptional turnaround in the final round. After a steady start, Rai ignited his game over the final ten holes, carding an impressive 6-under-par. This surge included an eagle on the par-5 ninth hole and four birdies, highlighted by a remarkable 70-foot putt on the 17th that sealed his win.
This victory marked Rai’s first major championship title. His final score of 9-under-par 271 at Aronimink Golf Club, just outside Philadelphia, put him three shots ahead of two-time major champion Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley. He finished four shots clear of Justin Thomas and five shots ahead of Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, and Cameron Smith.
The tournament saw a record 22 players within four shots of the lead entering the final round, underscoring the intense competition.
Rai acknowledged the close proximity of other contenders but emphasized the necessity of a strong performance. “I think regardless of how bunched that it was, it still required a really good, strong round of golf,” Rai stated. He added that the challenging course demanded focus and consistent execution throughout the round.
Rai’s Dominant Back Nine
Justin Thomas had held the clubhouse lead for a significant period after his final-round 65. However, Rai’s performance in the latter stages of the round proved superior.
On the ninth hole, a 589-yard par-5, Rai reached the green in two shots with a 5-wood from 260 yards, leaving him 40 feet from the pin. He sank the subsequent putt for an eagle, which he described as a crucial momentum builder. “I was just trying to focus on speed. Hit a great putt, great speed, and we were lucky it went in. That definitely helped to get things moving in a better direction,” Rai commented.
Rai continued his strong play, birdieing four of his last eight holes. He took the lead for good on the par-4 13th hole after driving into a greenside bunker, hitting a 40-yard approach shot to within seven feet, and converting the birdie putt.
At 31 years old, Aaron Rai became the first English-born player in over a century to win the prestigious Wanamaker Trophy, following Jim Barnes who won the PGA Championship in 1916 and 1919.
“I’m extremely, extremely proud,” Rai expressed. “There’s a lot of incredible and historic English players over those hundred years who have gone on to achieve incredible things and had phenomenal careers, but to win this event and then to be the person that’s the first one to have won it in a long time from England is an amazing thing and something to be extremely proud of.”
Strong Performances from Rahm and Smalley
Jon Rahm achieved his best major finish since joining LIV Golf, despite a round that included two bogeys on the front nine and a single birdie on the back nine, resulting in a 68.
Alex Smalley, who started the final day with a two-shot lead, faltered with a double bogey on the sixth hole. He fought back with an eagle on the 16th and a birdie on the 18th to finish the round at even par, securing a runner-up position that qualifies him for the next four majors, including The Masters.
Rory McIlroy, who closed with a 69, played the par-5s in even for the week and struggled with a bogey on the reachable par-4 13th.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler finished tied for 14th after a final round of 69. His round was marked by a missed 4-foot birdie putt on the third hole and two missed 3-foot par putts on the back nine, breaking his streak of top-10 finishes in majors since the 2024 U.S. Open.
Scheffler was scheduled to defend his title at The CJ CUP Byron Nelson in Dallas, Texas, a tournament he won wire-to-wire by eight shots the previous year.
English Translation:
Aaron Rai took charge to win the PGA Championship by 3 shots.
Aaron Rai was steadily progressing in the PGA Championship, playing 1-over-par through his first eight holes, but then he found his rhythm and dominated one of the most impressive and tightly contested leaderboards in a major championship.
Rai played his final 10 holes in 6 under par, including an eagle on the par-5 ninth hole and four birdies, one of which was an improbable 70-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole.
That putt served as the exclamation point on Rai’s first major title. It secured him a three-shot victory over two-time major champion Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley, and he finished four shots better than two-time PGA champion Justin Thomas and five shots ahead of seventh-place finishers Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, and Cameron Smith.
The 22 players who were within four shots of the lead heading into the final round set a PGA Championship record.
“Obviously, I knew there were a lot of people that were relatively close, but I think regardless of how bunched that it was, it still required a really good, strong round of golf,” said Rai, whose final-round 5-under-par 65 put him at 9-under 271 at Aronimink Golf Club outside Philadelphia, Pa.
“The course really demanded it this week, and it was very punishing. I think the focus was very much on the course, on the game, on continuing to run through some good processes and to just kind of see where that put me during the round.”
Rai Ignites Over the Last 10 Holes
Thomas was the clubhouse leader for nearly four hours after his round of 65, before the course became more challenging under a hot sun.
What followed was a masterclass from golf’s newest major champion.
After hitting a 5-wood second shot from 260 yards to 40 feet on the 589-yard ninth hole, Rai drained the putt for an eagle.
“It landed just short of the green, and came up very, very well,” Rai said, adding that on the putt, “I was just trying to focus on speed. Hit a great putt, great speed, and we were lucky it went in. That definitely helped to get things moving in a better direction.”
Rai birdied four of his last eight holes, taking the lead for good on the 299-yard par-4 13th after driving into a greenside bunker, hitting a 40-yard shot to seven feet, and making the birdie putt.
Rai, 31, became the first English-born player in over a century to win the Wanamaker Trophy. The last was Jim Barnes, who won the PGA in 1916 and 1919.
“I’m extremely, extremely proud,” Rai said. “There’s a lot of incredible and historic English players over those hundred years who have gone on to achieve incredible things and had phenomenal careers, but to win this event and then to be the person that’s the first one to have won it in a long time from England is an amazing thing and something to be extremely proud of.”
A Good Tournament for Rahm, Smalley
Rahm had his best major finish since joining LIV Golf at the end of 2023. He was slowed by a pair of bogeys on the front nine and managed only one birdie on the back nine for a 68.
Smalley began the final day with a two-shot lead but lost it with an ugly double bogey on the sixth hole. He rallied with an eagle at 16 and a birdie at 18 to finish the day at even par. The runner-up finish gets him into the next four majors, including the Masters.
McIlroy, who closed with a 69, played the par 5s in even for the week, and he chopped up the reachable par-4 13th for a bogey.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler missed a 4-foot birdie putt on the third hole and twice missed 3-foot par putts on the back nine in his closing round of 69 to tie for 14th, his first time out of the top 10 at a major since the 2024 U.S. Open.
Scheffler defends his title this week at The CJ CUP Byron Nelson outside Dallas, Texas. He went wire-to-wire last year to win by eight shots.
