England’s Aaron Rai produced the finest display of his career to capture his first major championship title with a remarkable victory at the PGA Championship held at Aronimink Golf Club. The English golfer entered the final round trailing by two shots but delivered a breathtaking closing performance to finish three strokes clear of the field.
The tournament remained wide open throughout Sunday, with more than 30 players beginning the day within touching distance of the lead. Early momentum belonged to Jon Rahm, who quickly climbed alongside overnight leader Alex Smalley after opening with consecutive birdies. However, the leaderboard constantly shifted as mistakes and pressure changed the complexion of the contest.
Rai stayed patient despite dropping shots at the sixth and eighth holes. His challenge truly came alive at the par five ninth, where he drained an incredible 40 foot eagle putt that completely changed the energy of his round. That moment sparked a brilliant stretch of golf from the world number 44.
The Wolverhampton born golfer added birdies at the 11th and 13th before taking firm control late in the round. A calm birdie at the 16th increased his advantage, but it was the stunning 70 foot putt on the par three 17th that effectively sealed the championship. The crowd erupted as the ball dropped, leaving Rai with a comfortable cushion heading to the closing hole.
A composed two putt par at the 18th completed a magnificent final round of 65 and secured victory at nine under par. The success also ended a run of 10 straight American winners at the PGA Championship and made Rai the first Englishman to win the event since Jim Barnes in 1919.
Rahm and Smalley eventually shared second place at six under, while Justin Thomas, Ludvig Åberg, and Matti Schmid finished tied for fourth.
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy could not sustain his charge for another major title and ended five shots behind the champion in a tie for seventh. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler also struggled to build momentum and closed the week at two under par.
For Rai, this triumph marks a career changing breakthrough and one of the most memorable finishes seen at a major championship in recent years.
