Aaron Rai secured victory at the 2026 PGA Championship held at Aronimink Golf Club with a final round score of 65, bringing his total to 9-under 271. He finished three strokes ahead of runners-up Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley on May 17, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4].
At 31 years old, Rai became the first English golfer to win the US PGA Championship since Jim Barnes in 1919, ending a recent decade-long American streak at the tournament. Rai is ranked No. 44 in the Official World Golf Ranking at the time of the event [1, 2, 5, 6].
Rai struggled through three bogeys on the front nine but rebounded with an eagle on the ninth hole and multiple birdies on the back nine. Most notably, he made a 68-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th hole in the final round, a key moment in securing his win [1, 7, 4, 6].
Rai’s playing style is characterized by strategic diligence and accuracy, focusing on fairways and managing the tough Aronimink course conditions, which challenged many top players with scarce scoring chances throughout the championship [1, 2, 3]. Rai admitted the season had been frustrating due to a neck injury but said, "It is very surreal. It has been a frustrating season so being stood here is outside of my wildest imagination" [1].
He wears two gloves during play, a habit inspired by his father who supported his golf development from an early age. Rai said, "My dad was with me every day that I went to practice from the age of four or five years old... He was very much an advocate to really just stay in your lane, focus on the things that you can do" [2].
Born to an Indian father and Kenyan mother, Rai was raised in the English Midlands near Wolverhampton. He said he is proud to represent all three heritages and described the journey to major success as a "roller coaster" of setbacks and hard work. Rai moved to Florida in 2024 and is married to Indian professional golfer Gaurika Bishnoi [2, 5, 8].
Rai entered the tournament as a 300-1 outsider and had never before finished in the top 10 of a major championship. After his win, fellow player Xander Schauffele praised him, saying, "He's such a good dude... He's always in the gym. He's always on the range. I think that's what it's about to be a major champion" [6].
The overall purse for the 2026 PGA Championship was $20.5 million, with Rai taking home $3.69 million as the winner [4].
Following his breakthrough major win, Rai will next compete on the PGA Tour schedule, working to build on his first major triumph in the months ahead.
