NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pennsylvania, May 17 —
- Historic Victory: Aaron Rai became the first Englishman to win the PGA Championship since 1919, ending a 106-year drought.
- Winning Score: Rai finished at 9-under-par, winning by 3 shots after a final-round 65.
- Signature Moment: Rai drained a dramatic 68-foot birdie putt at the par-three 17th hole.
- European Success: Rai’s victory follows Rory McIlroy’s Masters triumph, marking back-to-back European winners at major championships.
- Record Round: Kurt Kitayama shot a stunning 7-under 63, tying the major championship record for the lowest final round.
- Defending Champion: Scottie Scheffler finished 7 shots behind, tied for 14th place.| Player | Final Score | Finish | |---|---|---| | Aaron Rai | -9 | Winner | | Jon Rahm | -6 | T-2 | | Alex Smalley | -6 | T-2 | | Justin Thomas | -5 | T-4 | | Ludvig Åberg | -5 | T-4 | | Matti Schmid | -5 | T-4 | | Rory McIlroy | -4 | 7th | | Scottie Scheffler | -2 | T-14 | | Kurt Kitayama | 63 (Final Round) | Record-Tying Round |
Rai Delivers Career-Defining Win
Aaron Rai completed an unlikely rise to golf’s biggest stage by winning the PGA Championship, becoming the first English player in more than a century to lift the Wanamaker Trophy.
Entering the week as a long shot, the Wolverhampton-born golfer emerged from a crowded leaderboard at Aronimink Golf Club outside Philadelphia to secure the biggest win of his career.
Rai closed with a 5-under-par 65, finishing the tournament at 9-under, three strokes ahead of Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley.
Late Birdie Surge Seals Victory
After starting the final round two shots behind overnight leader Smalley, Rai surged into contention with a 40-foot eagle putt at the ninth hole before taking command on the back nine.
He strengthened his position with key birdies at the 13th and 16th holes, but the defining moment came at the par-three 17th, where Rai sank a remarkable 68-foot birdie putt to effectively seal the title.
Rai later said he was not trying to hole the putt, adding that the pin’s shadow helped guide his read over the closing feet.
European Golf Continues Strong Major Run
Rai’s triumph follows Rory McIlroy’s Masters victory earlier this season, making it the first time in the era of golf’s four modern majors that Europeans have won the first two tournaments of the year.
Jon Rahm finished tied for second after struggling to capitalize on the back nine, while Smalley secured the best major finish of his career.
Former champion Justin Thomas made an early charge with a final-round 65, earning a share of fourth place alongside Ludvig Åberg and Matti Schmid.
Kitayama Matches Major Championship Record
Earlier in the day, Kurt Kitayama produced one of the standout rounds of the tournament with a blistering 7-under 63, tying the record for the lowest final-round score in a major championship.
Kitayama became only the second golfer to shoot 63 in the final round of a PGA Championship and the ninth player overall to achieve the mark in one of golf’s four majors.
