Aaron Rai captures the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink

Aaron Rai won the 2026 PGA Championship on Sunday, May 17, at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, closing with a 5-under-par 65 for a three-shot victory. The 31-year-old Englishman finished at 9-under 274 and secured his first major championship in just his 13th major start. Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley tied for second at 6 under, according to the PGA Championship and PGA Tour. The final round began with 22 players within four shots of the lead, and Rai was 1 over through eight holes before his round turned. He made a 40-foot eagle putt at the par-5 ninth, then added birdies at the 11th, 13th, 16th and 17th to separate from a leaderboard that included Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler. (pgachampionship.com) ### How did Rai take control after a shaky start? Rai was 1 over for the day through eight holes before the eagle at No. 9 changed the momentum. He said he hit 5-wood from about 260 yards on the approach and called the putt “definitely a bonus,” saying it “provided a bit of a boost to the round.” (pgachampionship.com) The back nine gave him the tournament. A 4-foot birdie at the 11th moved him alongside the leaders, a 7-foot birdie at the 13th gave him the outright lead, and a birdie at the par-5 16th stretched the margin to two strokes. ### Why was the 17th-hole putt the shot everyone remembered? (pgachampionship.com) The 17th hole produced Rai’s signature moment. PGA Tour’s live account said Rai holed a 68-foot putt for birdie at 6:17 p.m., moving to 9 under and effectively putting the tournament out of reach. The PGA Championship’s recap described it as a nearly 70-foot putt that sent spectators into a frenzy. (pgachampionship.com) Rai said afterward he was “definitely wasn't trying to hole that putt” and was focused on speed rather than making it. He said the shadow of the pin helped him with the line over the final stretch of the putt. ### Where does this win place Rai historically? The victory made Rai the first English winner of the PGA Championship since Jim Barnes in 1919, according to the PGA Tour. (pgatour.com) The tour also said he became the first non-American to win the event since Jason Day in 2015. (pgachampionship.com) Rai’s win was also only his second PGA Tour title after the 2024 Wyndham Championship, according to Golf Channel’s tournament recap. The PGA Championship called it his first major title and said he arrived at Aronimink making only his 13th start in a major. (pgatour.com) ### What happened with Alex Smalley at the finish? Alex Smalley closed with a birdie on the 18th to join Rahm in second place at 6 under. Golf.com reported that Smalley’s final birdie secured a tie for second, earned him $1.804 million and moved him into the 2027 Masters through the tournament’s top-four-and-ties exemption. (golfchannel.com) Golf Digest reported that Smalley’s birdie moved him from tied for third into a higher-paying finish, with an extra $822,600 tied to the change in position. The PGA Championship’s official recap, however, listed Smalley and Rahm as tied for second at 6 under. (golf.com) ### What comes next after Aronimink? The PGA Championship said Rai’s winning total was 9-under 274 and that the 108th edition of the tournament was played May 11-17 at Aronimink. The next men’s major on the calendar is the U.S. Open, where Rai will arrive as the reigning PGA champion after the biggest win of his career. (pgachampionship.com) (golfdigest.com)