Aaron Rai makes history as the first English winner since 1919
In short: In a tournament defined by brutal winds and punishing hole locations, Aaron Rai secured his first major title at Aronimink Golf Club. His victory marks a century-long drought for English golfers in this specific championship, while also establishing him as one of the few to win with lower scores in every single round.
The 108th PGA Championship was characterized by extreme scoring difficulty. During the opening round, strong wind gusts and demanding hole locations resulted in an average score of 72.26, with only 63.2% of players hitting greens in regulation—a significant drop from the 77.4% seen during the 2018 BMW Championship at the same venue. Following the initial round, a seven-way lead occurred, representing the highest number of joint leaders at a PGA Championship since 1969.
The leaderboard remained congested throughout the week. By the end of the third round, 22 players finished within four shots of the lead, the most such congestion at a major since the 2001 Open Championship. Notable figures faced significant hurdles: world number one Scottie Scheffler struggled with his greens game, and Masters champion Rory McIlroy endured an opening-round collapse before finding his rhythm. Meanwhile, Jon Rahm faced scrutiny after striking the turf in anger on the seventh hole, hitting a nearby volunteer in the face.
Aaron Rai's path to victory was defined by precision and late-round poise. Only eight golfers throughout history have secured a major title while recording decreasing scores across every round. His final charge included a 68-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th hole to effectively secure the title. Rai finished at 9-under par, three strokes ahead of Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley. Joining Vijay Singh, he is now just the second individual with Indian roots to claim a men's major victory.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: 2026 PGA Championship
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