Aaron Rai wins US PGA Championship, first English winner since 1919

Aaron Rai of Wolverhampton captured the US PGA Championship on Sunday at Aronimink Golf Club, becoming the first Englishman to win the event since Jim Barnes in 1919. The 31-year-old world No. 44 shot a final-round 65, birdieing three of his last six holes to finish at 11-under par, three strokes ahead of Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley.

Entering the final day, 21 players were within four shots of the lead, including eight major champions. Among them were Rory McIlroy, Cameron Smith, Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm, each believing they could claim the Wanamaker Trophy.

Rai, who had never finished better than 20th in a major, ended a 107-year drought for English golfers. The last English winner was Barnes in 1919, when the championship was still match play. Rai described the victory as “surreal” after a week of high-wire golf at a demanding Aronimink layout.

The course set up was so tough that Friday saw McIlroy and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler publicly complain about the difficulty. McIlroy later said the challenge made for a “helluva entertaining” final day.

That sentiment proved accurate as Kurt Kitayama, starting the day tied for 64th, shot a 63 to jump into the top 10, signaling that opportunities existed for anyone good enough to seize them. The leaderboard remained congested, with little margin for error.

Rahm, Smalley and Matti Schmid each held the lead at different points Sunday but fell back after costly bogeys. A single dropped shot often meant dropping multiple positions on the crowded leaderboard.

Rai’s round began quietly, with several minor errors through the first eight holes. But he turned his fortunes with a stunning eagle on the par-5 ninth, holing a 40-foot left-to-right putt that curled like a clock hand. The putt pulled him to one-under and reignited his chances.

He seized the lead with a birdie at the par-4 11th, hitting his approach to five feet and converting. At the 13th, he splashed from a greenside bunker to set up another five-foot birdie, reaching seven-under — one better than anyone else had managed all week — and opening a two-shot lead.

As McIlroy and Rahm chased aggressively, Rai maintained icy accuracy. He added a birdie at the par-5 16th, then delivered the decisive blow with a 68-foot birdie putt on the 17th that sent the crowd into a roar that seemed to carry across the city.

With a three-shot advantage, Rai walked the 18th fairway knowing he would become a major champion. His final-round 65 included three bogeys, six birdies and one eagle, covering the brutal back nine in just 31 shots.

He finished three ahead of Rahm and Smalley (both six-under), four clear of Justin Thomas, and five ahead of McIlroy, Smith and Xander Schauffele. Rai had bested the strongest field in golf to etch his name into history.