Rory McIlroy Makes Classy Statement as Aaron Rai Wins 2026 PGA Championship

Aaron Rai won the 108th PGA Championship with a score of 9-under par and finished 3 strokes ahead of runners-up, Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley.

Rory McIlroy Makes Classy Statement as Aaron Rai Wins 2026 PGA Championship

Rory McIlroy and Aaron Rai (Image via Bleacher Report/X/@NUCLRGOLF)

Aaron Rai etched his name in golf folklore with his maiden major triumph at the PGA Championship on Sunday. As he won the second major of the year, Rory McIlroy made a classy statement regarding him.

Rai, the 31-year-old golfer, had previously never finished inside the top-15 of a major, with his best finish being T19 at the 2021 Open Championship and the 2024 U.S. Open. He, though, found himself in contention on the moving day with a 3-under par score.

The PGA Championship this week had a bunched leaderboard with several golfers in the mix. A total of 22 golfers were 4 shots off the lead after the end of play on Saturday. This was the most in any PGA Championship.

Rai had a mixed start to the front nine with a birdie on the first hole and a bogey on the 3rd hole. Though he made a birdie on the 4th, bogeys on the 6th and 8th holes saw him go 1-over par for the round. At that moment, he needed a huge response.

On the 9th hole, the Englishman carded an eagle. He was able to drain a 40-foot putt on his hole and found himself 1 shot off the lead after this.

On the back nine, Rai remained composed. Birdies on the 11th, 13th, and 16th holes saw him drift closer to victory. At the par-3 17th hole, he made a massive 70-foot birdie putt. Fans at the Aronimink Golf Club went into a frenzy as he opened up a 3-shot lead with one hole to play.

In the end, Rai finished with a 9-under par score for the tournament and captured his first major title with a 3-shot victory. Runners-up Alex Smalley and Jon Rahm finished 6-under par. He also became the first English golfer since Jim Barnes in 1919, 107 years ago, to win the PGA Championship.

As Rai was strolling to victory, McIlroy was done with his round. The reigning Masters Champion was among those who were chasing the win. A couple of missed birdie putts saw him finish with a score of 69 and settle for a T7 finish.

As he spoke about his round, he made a quick comment regarding Rai and expressed that there was not a single person on the property who was not happy for him.

Aaron is getting away from the field a little bit and looks like he’s going to win, which is great. You won’t find one person on property who’s not happy for him.

Rory McIlroy told the reporters at PGA Championship regarding Aaron Rai

Before this event, Rai’s best finish this year came last week at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, where he finished 5th. At the Masters Tournament last month, he finished 48th in the standings.

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Xander Schauffele admits being “super pumped” for Aaron Rai with PGA Championship victory

Aaron Rai was probably not everyone’s pick to be the winner at the 2026 PGA Championship. The golfer broke through the chasing pack on Sunday and fired a low score of 65, which helped him win the major title. Xander Schauffele was one of them who was “super pumped” for him.

Xander Schauffele and Aaron Rai
Xander Schauffele and Aaron Rai (Image via PGA Tour)

Schauffele, the 2024 PGA Championship winner, was also in the chasing pack on Sunday. With 3 birdies and 2 bogeys, the American international finished T7 alongside Rory McIlroy and Cameron Smith.

In his conversation with the reporters, he revealed a story regarding Rai at the Scottish Open and how he kept on preparing for the tournament late in the day.

At the Scottish, I’m staying right on site there. I thought it was fun for Austin (Schauffele’s caddie) and I to go putt. Aaron is finishing up his little putting session at 9:00 p.m. and going to the gym at 9:45 This was three years ago. I think that’s what it’s about to be a major champion. You puts the work in when nobody’s looking. Super pumped for him and his team.

Xander Schauffele said regarding Aaron Rai

The victory sees Rai earn a lifetime exemption at the PGA Championship. Apart from this, he also earned a 5-year exemption on the PGA Tour, the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship.

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Aaron Rai climbs career high in OWGR following PGA Championship win

Aaron Rai stole the show on Sunday at the Aronimink Golf Club with an impressive performance at the PGA Championship. The golfer climbed to a career high in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) with this win.

Aaron Rai
Aaron Rai (Image via PGA Tour)

Before the PGA Championship, Rai was ranked 44th in the world. The victory earned him 100.00000 points, which saw him jump from 44th to 15th in the rankings. This is the highest he has been ranked ever in the OWGR, with his previous best being 20th.

He made a big leap in the FedEx Cup standings as well. With 750 FedEx Cup points, he went from 107th to 24th in the standings in a flash. On top of the win, he also earned a whopping winning cheque of $3.69 million from the $20.5 million purse.

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