Aaron Rai defeated Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley by three strokes to win the 2026 PGA Championship. This is Rai’s first career major championship victory in his 13th start at a major. And what a major it was – no one knew who was going to step up today to win the Wanamaker Trophy.
Rai started the final round in the group of five players tied for second, two shots behind the leader. His front nine was very rocky with three bogeys and two birdies through his first eight holes. His round – and the PGA Championship – changed when he rolled in his 39-foot eagle putt on the ninth hole.
Rai’s four birdies on the back nine led him to play his final 10 holes at 6-under par. His birdie on the 13th hole gave him the lead at 7-under, and he never lost it. He made back-to-back birdies on the 16th and 17th holes, highlighted by his 68-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole.
With the win, Rai became the first international player since Jason Day in 2015 to win the PGA Championship. He is also the first Englishman to win the PGA Championship since Jim Barnes in 1919. In his 13th major start, his best finish before this win was T19 in three different majors.
54-hole leader Smalley shot a final round of even par 70 (E) to finish T2. Rahm shot a final round 68 (-2) for his second career runner-up finish in a major.
Two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas shot a final round 65 (-5) to set the early clubhouse lead. Matti Schmid, who played with Smalley in the final pairing, shot a final round 69 (-1) for a T4 finish and the best major finish of his career. Rounding out the T4 crowd was Ludvig Åberg, who birdied the final hole today to get back under par for the day.
Cameron Young, the one everyone was looking for this week, placed T26 after shooting even for the week.
Rai had one PGA Tour victory and three DP World Tour wins before this victory. This particular win, however, earned him $3.69 million, a lifetime exemption into the PGA Championship, a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour and five-year exemptions into the other three majors and the Players Championship.
After his life-changing win, Rai was asked what the game of golf has given to him. “Golf is an amazing game. It teaches you so many things, and it teaches you so much humility and discipline and absolute hard work because nothing is ever given in this game no matter what level you’re playing, no matter what course you’re playing on,” he said.
The PGA Tour heads to Texas for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson next week. The 2025 winner, Scottie Scheffler, will look to defend his title against a field that includes Si Woo Kim, Jordan Spieth and Aaron Rai.
