Newtown Square, 18 May (H.S.): England’s Aaron Rai created history by winning the PGA Championship 2026 title, capturing his maiden major championship at the age of 31. With the victory, Rai became the first English golfer since 1919 to win the prestigious PGA Championship.

In the final round played on Sunday at Aronimink Golf Club, Aaron Rai delivered an outstanding performance, carding a superb 5-under 65. He finished the tournament with an overall score of 9-under 271, securing a three-shot victory over Spain’s Jon Rahm and American golfer Alex Smalley.

Despite experiencing some fluctuations on the front nine, Rai produced a remarkable comeback performance. A turning point came on the par-5 ninth hole, where he drained an eagle putt from nearly 40 feet, dramatically shifting the momentum of the contest.

He then strengthened his lead on the back nine with four birdies. On the par-3 17th hole, Rai virtually sealed the championship by sinking a spectacular 68.5-foot birdie putt.

Aaron Rai also became the first English golfer to win a major championship since Matt Fitzpatrick claimed the U.S. Open title in 2022. Prior to Rai’s triumph, American golfers had won the PGA Championship for 10 consecutive years.

Rai secured straightforward birdies on the first and 11th holes through excellent approach shots. However, he suffered bogeys on the third and sixth holes after missing the greens. Following his remarkable eagle on the ninth hole, however, he never looked back.

Germany’s Matti Schmid and Alex Smalley also remained in contention for the title but struggled to handle the pressure in the closing stages. Smalley damaged his chances with a double bogey on the sixth hole, while Schmid’s bogey on the 10th worked in Rai’s favor.

Northern Ireland star Rory McIlroy carded a final-round 69 to finish the tournament at 4-under overall. Meanwhile, defending champion and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler ended seven shots behind Rai at 2-under par.

Ranked 44th in the world before the tournament, Aaron Rai previously had one PGA Tour title and three victories on the DP World Tour. Prior to this breakthrough triumph, his best finish in a major championship was a tie for 19th place.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar