Aaron Rai captures first major, wins 108th PGA Championship

Aaron Rai won the 108th PGA Championship on Sunday at Aronimink Golf Club outside Philadelphia, giving the 31-year-old Englishman his first major title. Rai closed with a 5-under-par 65 and finished at 9-under 271, three shots clear of Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley, according to PGA Championship and Golfweek reports. The victory came in just Rai’s 13th major start and delivered the Wanamaker Trophy along with a winner’s check of $3.69 million from a record $20.5 million purse. Golfweek reported Rai became England’s first PGA champion in 107 years, while Golf Channel said he was the first English winner since Jim Barnes in 1919. Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion, finished tied for 14th at 2-under, according to the official leaderboard. ### How did Rai take control on Sunday? Aaron Rai began the final round with 22 players within four shots of the lead, according to the PGA Championship’s recap. The tournament said Rai was 1-over through eight holes before a 40-foot eagle putt at the par-5 ninth changed his round. The back nine decided it. Golfweek reported Rai capped a 31 coming home with a 68-foot birdie putt on the 17th and shot 65 on Sunday. Golf Channel said he played his final 10 holes in 6 under to pull away from the field. Rai described the shot sequence that started the turnaround in comments carried by the PGA Championship. “We hit 5-wood,” Rai said of the approach at No. 9, adding that the ball landed short of the green and “came up very, very well.” ### What did the win mean for Rai? The PGA Championship said Rai was making only his 13th major start this week. His player biography on the tournament site lists one previous PGA Tour win, the 2024 Wyndham Championship, along with two European Tour victories. Golfweek said the win also ended a run of 10 straight American PGA Championship winners. The official tournament site listed Rai as the champion at 9 under, ahead of Rahm and Smalley at 6 under. ### How much money was at stake? The PGA Championship’s official payout sheet listed a total purse of $20.5 million, the largest in tournament history. Rai’s first-place share was $3.69 million, with second place paying $2.214 million and third place $1.394 million. Golf Channel reported the purse rose by $1.5 million from the previous year. That made the 2026 edition one of the richest events in men’s golf, with the winner’s share released in the tournament’s payout breakdown. ### Where did the favorites finish? Scottie Scheffler ended his title defense tied for 14th at 2 under, according to the official leaderboard and Golfweek’s final-round coverage. The Associated Press reported Scheffler could not produce the late charge that had marked much of his 2026 season. Jon Rahm finished tied for second at 6 under, alongside Alex Smalley. The official leaderboard also showed Justin Thomas, Ludvig Aberg and Matti Schmid tied for fourth at 5 under, while Rory McIlroy shared seventh at 4 under. ### What comes next after the championship? Monday’s next step was administrative rather than competitive. The PGA Championship and Golf Channel both published the full purse and payout breakdown after the final round, confirming Rai’s $3.69 million share from the $20.5 million total. The official PGA Championship site continues to carry the final leaderboard, payouts and tournament recap from Aronimink, where Rai finished at 9 under and Scheffler closed his week in a tie for 14th.