Aaron Rai wins PGA Championship

Aaron Rai won the 108th PGA Championship on May 17 at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, 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 strokes ahead of Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley, according to the PGA Championship and Golf Channel. The victory added the Wanamaker Trophy to a resume that previously included one PGA Tour title, the 2024 Wyndham Championship, and it came in a final round that began with 22 players within four shots of the lead. CBS News said it was Rai’s second PGA Tour win, while Golf Digest described the PGA as only his 13th major start. (pgachampionship.com) ### How did Rai take control on Sunday? Aaron Rai played his final 10 holes in 6 under par, a stretch that separated him from a crowded leaderboard and turned a tightly packed championship into a three-shot win. Golf Channel reported that his closing 65 left him clear of Rahm and Smalley, both of whom finished at 6 under. (cbsnews.com) The PGA Championship’s official recap said Rai “went out and took” the title on a day when the trophy was available to a large group of contenders. A Columbus Dispatch report, citing tournament details, said Rai drilled a 68-foot putt on the 17th hole to move three clear late in the round. (golfchannel.com) ### What made the win notable beyond the trophy? Golfweek reported that Rai became the first Englishman to win the PGA Championship in the stroke-play era and ended a run of 10 consecutive American winners in the event. Rai’s four rounds were 70, 69, 67 and 65 for the week. (pgachampionship.com) Golf Digest said Rai entered the week ranked No. 44 in the world and with one PGA Tour victory to his name. After the round, Rai called the result “very surreal” and said, “It’s been a bit of a frustrating season,” according to Golf Digest. ### How big was the television audience? (golfweek.usatoday.com) CBS averaged 5.76 million viewers for the final round on Sunday, up 21% from Scottie Scheffler’s 2025 win at Quail Hollow, Yahoo Sports reported. Sports Media Watch said the telecast was the most-watched PGA Championship final round in five years and peaked at more than 8 million viewers. (golfdigest.com) Yahoo Sports attributed the increase in part to an unusually bunched leaderboard entering the final round. That left the network with a tighter finish than the previous year’s runaway result. ### What does the win change for Rai’s schedule? May 20 announcements from the Memorial Tournament and the Columbus Dispatch said Rai committed to the 2026 Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio. (sports.yahoo.com) The field also includes Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler. USA Today’s sports data page also said Rai withdrew from this week’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson after winning his first major. The Memorial is scheduled for June 1-7 at Muirfield Village Golf Club, according to tournament and local reports. ### Where does Rai go from here? The Memorial Tournament’s May 20 field update listed Rai among the newest additions to its 50th-anniversary field. (thememorialtournament.com) McIlroy, the reigning two-time Masters champion, and Scheffler are also committed for the event in Dublin, Ohio. (sportsdata.usatoday.com) June 1 is the start date for Memorial week at Muirfield Village, and Rai will arrive there as the newest major champion after his breakthrough at Aronimink. (10tv.com) (thememorialtournament.com)