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With 22 players within four shots of the lead heading into the final round of the 108th PGA Championship at Aronimink, England’s Aaron Rai went out and shocked everyone winning his first Wanamaker Trophy.
The 31-year-old entered Sunday two strokes off the pace and was actually one-over through eight holes before everything clicked on the par-5 ninth, where he drained a 40-foot eagle putt to shift the momentum entirely.
From there, he was unstoppable, drilling a 68-foot putt on 17 to build an insurmountable three-shot cushion and closing with a five-under 65.
Before the historic win, Rai had only won once on the PGA Tour, the 2024 Wyndham Championship, and across 122 career events had only cracked the top five nine times.
He ended a streak of 10 consecutive American winners at the PGA Championship and became only the second player from England to win it since Jim Barnes in 1919.
Now, golf‘s newest star is officially headed to Muirfield Village Golf Club for the 2026 Memorial Tournament.
The event is slated for June 1–7 in Dublin, Ohio, and Rai is now confirmed in the field.
More news: Surprising Jordan Spieth News Emerges Amid CJ Cup Byron Nelson Surge
NEWTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA – MAY 17: Aaron Rai of England acknowledges the crowd on the 14th green during the final round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club on May 17, 2026 in Newtown, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
More news: Justin Thomas Makes Feelings Clear After Aaron Rai’s PGA Championship Win
Rai earned $3.69 million for the PGA Championship win, along with a lifetime exemption into the event and five-year exemptions into all four majors and the Players Championship.
The fact that he’s jumping straight into one of the most prestigious events on the PGA Tour calendar says everything about his mindset heading into this new chapter.
Hosted by golf legend Jack Nicklaus at his own internationally acclaimed Muirfield Village Golf Club, the Memorial Tournament is an invitational event that consistently attracts one of the strongest fields in the world.
The 2026 edition also marks the tournament’s 50th anniversary, having debuted in 1976.
Half a century of prestige, and this year’s field is stacking up to match it, with names like Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, and Jordan Spieth already slated to compete.
The purse stands at $20 million, and with 700 FedExCup points on the line, it’s a Signature Event in every sense of the word.
Scheffler, the world No. 1, has won the Memorial in back-to-back years, joining Tiger Woods as the only players ever to do so.
Woods, for his part, holds the all-time record with five Memorial titles.
It’s an iconic event, and Rai just signed up fresh off the biggest win of his life.
More news: Garrick Higgo’s PGA Championship Drama Takes Another Turn as Backlash Grows
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The 31-year-old entered Sunday two strokes off the pace and was actually one-over through eight holes before everything clicked on the par-5 ninth, where he drained a 40-foot eagle putt to shift the momentum entirely.
From there, he was unstoppable, drilling a 68-foot putt on 17 to build an insurmountable three-shot cushion and closing with a five-under 65.
Before the historic win, Rai had only won once on the PGA Tour, the 2024 Wyndham Championship, and across 122 career events had only cracked the top five nine times.
He ended a streak of 10 consecutive American winners at the PGA Championship and became only the second player from England to win it since Jim Barnes in 1919.
Now, golf‘s newest star is officially headed to Muirfield Village Golf Club for the 2026 Memorial Tournament.
The event is slated for June 1–7 in Dublin, Ohio, and Rai is now confirmed in the field.
More news: Surprising Jordan Spieth News Emerges Amid CJ Cup Byron Nelson Surge
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NEWTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA – MAY 17: Aaron Rai of England acknowledges the crowd on the 14th green during the final round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club on May 17, 2026 in Newtown, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
More news: Justin Thomas Makes Feelings Clear After Aaron Rai’s PGA Championship Win
Rai earned $3.69 million for the PGA Championship win, along with a lifetime exemption into the event and five-year exemptions into all four majors and the Players Championship.
The fact that he’s jumping straight into one of the most prestigious events on the PGA Tour calendar says everything about his mindset heading into this new chapter.
Hosted by golf legend Jack Nicklaus at his own internationally acclaimed Muirfield Village Golf Club, the Memorial Tournament is an invitational event that consistently attracts one of the strongest fields in the world.
The 2026 edition also marks the tournament’s 50th anniversary, having debuted in 1976.
Half a century of prestige, and this year’s field is stacking up to match it, with names like Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, and Jordan Spieth already slated to compete.
The purse stands at $20 million, and with 700 FedExCup points on the line, it’s a Signature Event in every sense of the word.
Scheffler, the world No. 1, has won the Memorial in back-to-back years, joining Tiger Woods as the only players ever to do so.
Woods, for his part, holds the all-time record with five Memorial titles.
It’s an iconic event, and Rai just signed up fresh off the biggest win of his life.
More news: Garrick Higgo’s PGA Championship Drama Takes Another Turn as Backlash Grows
Related Articles
- Scottie Scheffler Has Warning for Si Woo Kim Before Final Round
- Jordan Spieth Made Surprise Admission After 62 at CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Brooks Koepka Finds Form in Opening Round at CJ Cup Byron Nelson
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