Aaron Rai clinches 2026 PGA Championship with closing 65 at Aronimink

Aaron Rai won the 2026 PGA Championship on Sunday, May 17, with a closing 65 at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, securing the first major title of his career. The 31-year-old Englishman finished at 9-under 274 and beat Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley by three shots after starting the final round in a crowded chase pack. (pgachampionship.com) PGA Championship and Golf Channel reports said Rai became the first Englishman to win the event since Jim Barnes in 1919. Rai also earned $3.69 million and 750 FedExCup points for the victory. ### How did Rai take control on a Sunday when 22 players began within four shots? Aronimink produced a bunched leaderboard at the start of the final round, with 22 players within four shots of the lead, according to the PGA Championship’s recap. (pgatour.com) Rai was 1-over through eight holes before the round turned at the par-5 ninth, where he holed a 40-foot eagle putt after reaching from about 260 yards with a 5-wood. “That definitely helped and provided a bit of a boost to the round,” Rai said. The back nine separated him. Rai birdied the 11th from 4 feet, birdied the 13th from 7 feet and added another birdie at the par-5 16th. At the par-3 17th, he poured in a putt of nearly 70 feet to move three clear. “Definitely wasn't trying to hole that putt,” Rai said after the round. (pgachampionship.com) ### Who finished closest to him at Aronimink? Golf Channel’s final leaderboard showed Rahm and Smalley tied for second at 6-under 277. Justin Thomas, Ludvig Aberg and Matthias Schmid shared fourth at 5-under, while Cameron Smith, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele tied for seventh at 4-under. (pgachampionship.com) Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion, finished tied for 14th at 2-under. The final board also showed Kurt Kitayama, Chris Gotterup, Justin Rose and Patrick Reed tied for 10th at 3-under. ### Why is the result being treated as a historic one for England? Golf Channel reported that Rai is the first Englishman to win the Wanamaker Trophy since Jim Barnes in 1919. (pgachampionship.com) The PGA Championship’s own coverage identified Rai as an English winner at Aronimink, and multiple British outlets, including the BBC, framed the result as the end of a 107-year wait. Rai arrived at the week with one PGA Tour win, the 2024 Wyndham Championship, and was making only his 13th major start, according to the PGA Championship player page and tournament recap. (golfchannel.com) His PGA Championship profile also lists Wolverhampton, England, as his hometown and notes that he turned professional in 2012. ### What did he win, beyond the Wanamaker Trophy? The PGA Tour’s payouts report said Rai collected $3,690,000 and 750 FedExCup points for the victory. Golf.com reported that the total purse for the 2026 PGA Championship rose to a record $20.5 million. The PGA Tour leaderboard page also listed Rai’s earnings at $3.69 million beside his winning total of 70-69-67-65. (golfchannel.com) That gave him his second PGA Tour title and the largest paycheck of his career. ### What comes next after Aronimink? The 2026 PGA Championship ran from May 11-17 at Aronimink, according to the tournament’s official site. The next major on the men’s schedule is the U.S. (pgachampionship.com) Open in June, and the PGA Tour and Golf.com have published the final payouts from Aronimink for players and readers tracking the financial fallout from Sunday’s finish. (pgachampionship.com) (pgatour.com 1) (pgatour.com 2)