Sports

Golf: Rai Becomes First Englishman to Win PGA Championship

Was Rai's win a triumph of hard work and heart or was it stained by an overly complicated course set-up?

Published MAY 18

Golf: Rai Becomes First Englishman to Win PGA Championship

Story

Above: Aaron Rai holds the PGA Championship's Wanamaker Trophy in Newtown, Pa., on May 17, 2026. Image credit: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

The Facts

Aaron Rai, a 31-year-old from Wolverhampton, England, won the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club on May 17, becoming the first Englishman to claim the title since Jim Barnes in 1919 — a gap of 107 years.
guardian
The Times (UK)
Rai finished at 9-under par, carding a final-round 65 to win by three strokes over Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley, earning a first-place prize of $3.69 million. Justin Thomas, Matti Schmid and Ludvig Aberg finished a further shot back.
The Times (UK)
New York Post
Rai's victory included a pivotal 68-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th hole and an eagle on the par-5 9th, as he played his final 10 holes in 6-under par without a bogey. He entered the week ranked 44th in the world.
guardian
FOX News
Sunday's final round featured an unprecedented 21 players within four shots of 54-hole leader Smalley, including six-time major champion Rory McIlroy and 2021 U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm. The course at Aronimink had drawn complaints from top players earlier in the week over difficult pin placements.
Yahoo Sports
FOX News
DraftKings Sportsbook listed Rai at 290-1 odds before the tournament began, making him the biggest long-shot major winner in at least 20 years, according to ESPN Research — surpassing Phil Mickelson at the 2021 PGA Championship and Louis Oosthuizen at the 2010 Open Championship, which were both at 200-1.
FOX News
ESPN
Rai is known for wearing two golf gloves and using iron covers, habits he traces to his father, who cleaned his irons with baby oil and a pin after practice sessions. As a teenager, Rai set a Guinness World Record by sinking 207 consecutive 10-foot putts.
The Times (UK)
GOLF.com

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Aaron Rai's PGA Championship win is the ultimate underdog story — a 290-1 long shot who outworked everyone and won on his own terms. Peers like Schauffele and McIlroy couldn't say enough good things about him, calling him the hardest worker on tour. Rai beat conformity, ego and expectation all at once. This is a momentous time for the sport of golf and for the U.K.

ESPN

GOLF.com

Narrative B

Rai's win came on a course the PGA of America essentially rigged with absurd pin placements that even Scottie Scheffler called the hardest he'd ever seen. Aronimink's setup turned a major into a stress test where the governing body could dictate the winning score almost at will. A championship decided more by setup than skill deserves serious scrutiny.