PGA Championship 2026, Final round recap: Aaron Rai becomes first English winner since 1919

“A week like this and an achievement like this certainly makes it feel all very much worthwhile; it’s an absolute dream come true.”

“Golf is an amazing game. It teaches you so many things, and it teaches you so much humility and discipline and absolute hard work because nothing is ever given in this game no matter what level you’re playing, no matter what course you’re playing on. I think it just teaches so many amazing life skills.”

-Aaron Rai said after winning the PGA Championship 🏆🏌️‍♂️

To the 2026 PGA Championship winner, for Aaron Rai it’s been quite the journey:

“Extremely rewarding, extremely challenging...It is certainly a rollercoaster to get to these points...It’s an absolute dream come true.”

-Rai told Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis after winning his first major

Rai has also earned:

• Lifetime exemption into the PGA Championship;
• Five-year exemption into the Masters, U.S. Open, The Open and The Players;
• Five-year PGA Tour membership;
• Seven-year DP World Tour membership.

What does the PGA Championship winner receive? Money, exemptions and a massive trophy

Here are some of the things that Aaron Rai gets as part of winning the 108th PGA Championship at Aronimink.

• Golf Channel Staff,

• Golf Channel Staff,

Congratulations, Aaron Rai 👏👏👏

PGA Championship 2026 prize money: Full payout from record $20.5 million purse

Aaron Rai has done the unthinkable and seized the Wanamaker Trophy at Aronimink Golf Club. Here’s how much Rai nets from his first major victory.

• Golf Channel Staff,

• Golf Channel Staff,

Philly has always been a home for underdogs 🎉

Aaron Rai becomes the first Englishman since 1919 to win the PGA Championship 🏌️‍♂️⛳🥇

Aaron Rai shot his best round in a major ever: 5-UNDER 65 to win the first major of his career at the 2026 PGA Championship!

The leader sits three strokes ahead of Rahm, Smalley who are still on the course...so, so close to being official for Rai

Aaron Rai increased his lead to three going into the final hole after sinking a deep birdie putt on the 17th...WOW 🤯

Aaron Rai increases his lead to 2 strokes with 2 holes to play...Will it be Rai’s day?

He’s one stroke behind Rai with 5 holes to play...

Or maybe what he’s not doing? We’ve got you covered ⬇️

No post-round beers for clubhouse leader Justin Thomas at PGA Championship

Justin Thomas, who sat on the clubhouse lead at Aronimink for more than an hour on Sunday, told reporters he learned his lesson the hard way 10 years ago in Hartford where he found himself praying for anything but a playoff.

• Steve Coulter,

• Steve Coulter,

Rai increases his lead to 2, creating the first glimpses of separation on the leaderboard today

McIlroy hit a bounce-back birdie putt on No. 14 to let everyone watching know: He’s not done yet 🔥

And the timing isn’t great with only 5 holes to go...McIlroy drops to three back of the lead

The real question is...for how long??

Birdie on No. 11 gave Aaron the solo lead 🏌️‍♂️

Rai sits at six under with Thomas, Rahm, C. Smith and Schmid clawing to join him.

Time to brush up on his bio...

Eagle for Rai puts him just one back of the lead...

Justin Thomas did his part.

The two-time PGA Champion winner shot a 65 during Sunday’s final round and is in the clubhouse with the lead at 5 under on the tournament.

Now, it’s time to wait. And possibly create a wish list?

When asked whether five under would be enough, Thomas was blunt in his assessment.

“I definitely need some wind, I need a little bit of help,” he said.

In his post-round interview, Thomas said he was happy to just make pars this week — like he did on No. 18 to land complete his 65.

“It was nice to play some holes in not 25-mile-an-hour wind today, selfishly,” he said. “But it’s just weird, you have so many scoring clubs, like you really can make -- I feel like you can make a lot of birdies, you just have to hit a really, really good shot. And it’s very tough around the greens, and the greens are difficult to where, you know, you have to be putting it well.”

Can’t believe we’re already asking but it’s good to be prepared ...

What is the PGA Championship playoff format at Aronimink?

Each major uses a different format to determine a playoff winner. This is what the men’s PGA Championship employs.

• Golf Channel Staff,

• Golf Channel Staff,

Nick Taylor is one of six players tied at five under on the PGA Championship leaderboard.

Taylor would have had a share of the lead if his tee shot on the 5th hole went in.

Instead the Canadian fell just short of the ace, tapping in for birdie on the green.

Jordan Spieth is in the clubhouse at 279 for the week at Aronimink.

It was as strong of a finish as possible considering where he stood on the leaderboard. Spieth got a 40-foot putt to fall on the 72nd and final hole of his tournament.

At 1 under, he’s not going to complete the career Grand Slam this year.

Next year’s PGA Championship in Frisco will be a hometown event for Spieth, a native Texan who has won the Masters, the U.S. Open and the Open Championship.

Alex Smalley’s first three shots on the par-4 3rd hole at Aronimink were borderline nightmarish.

Nonetheless, the Duke alum walked off the green with his lead intact.

That’s because he sank a crucial, 26-foot putt for, displaying marvelous touch on the greens.

Harris English’s best golf is coming at the right time.

The 36-year-old English bogeyed on No. 10 to start his back nine but responded with a spree of birdies that catapulted him into T-7 with three others.

English is 4 under on the tournament. He has six birdies Sunday at Aronimink.

Cameron Smith continues to surge in what is arguably his best major performance in four years.

The Aussie completed a bogey-free front nine and sits at 3 under on the day, tied with four others in second.

At 5 under on the tournament, he’s a stroke off leader Alex Smalley who is in trouble on No. 3 currently.

That T-2 could become T-1 in a matter of moments.

CBS

Justin Thomas par putted at No. 18 from a distance and got a “sensational!” from Jim Nantz on the broadcast when the ball dropped into the cup.

That’s because JT’s putter was red hot on the back nine, and the two-time major winner enters the clubhouse as the leader at 5 under.

Thomas’ 65 ties the second lowest round of the tournament. Kurt Kitayama, who was the previous clubhouse leader, shot a 63 on Sunday to get to 3 under on the tournament.

Scottie Scheffler has moved into T-10 at Aronimink with a birdie putt on the par-4 13th hole.

The world’s top-ranked player opened his back nine with three consecutive pars after a birdie at No. 9 moved him to 2 under.

The ascent continues for Scheffler who is now tied with seven other players at 3 under.

Kurt Kitayama is the clubhouse leader with that exact score.

Jon Rahm has tied Alex Smally at six under at the PGA Championship.

The Spaniard has opened his final round at Aronimink with consecutive birdies to put pressure on Smalley.

A bogey at No. 18 on Saturday cost Rahm a shot at being solo second overnight. He’s made up for that error with a fiery start Sunday.

The final pairing is walking toward the green on No. 1.

Alex Smalley’s approach shot got him a decent look for birdie. Schmid’s also got a chance to get to 5 under.

He would be the fifth player to get to that number if he does convert for birdie at the first hole.

Ludvig Aberg is getting in on the trend: And the trend is players moving up to 5 under at Aronimink.

There are currently four players who share second place at the PGA Championship, creating some more congestion atop the leaderboard.

Aberg sits tied with Justin Thomas (two holes remaining), Aaron Rai (his playing partner) and Jon Rahm (who birdied No. 1).

Back to back birdies for Justin Thomas have put the two-time PGA Championship winner a shot behind Alex Smalley.

He sits T-2 with Jon Rahm and Aaron Rai who each birdied at No. 1 to start the final round.

Thomas has three birdies on his back nine with two holes remaining. He’s trending toward being the early clubhouse leader.

Jon Rahm played the first hole at Aronimink as well as he could have, and the setup paid off with a birdie putt.

The two-time major winner moves into a tie for second place with Aaron Rai, separating from a large group of players who are now T-3 at 4 under.

With a birdie to start his final round, 31-year-old Aaron Rai is already charging up the leaderboard at Aronimink.

Rai’s birdie on No. 1 moved him to 5 under on the tournament, one shot off Alex Smalley’s lead.

Rai was knotted with eight players at T-2 prior to converting the birdie opportunity.

Rory started Sunday the exact same way he ended Saturday: Scrambling to save par at Aronimink.

In search of his seventh career major, McIlroy is 3 under and three shots back of leader Alex Smalley.

He’s playing the final round with Xander Schauffele, who he also played a final round with at this same course in 2018 when it hosted the BMW Championship.

McIlroy could become just the fourth player in history to don a green jacket and hoist the Wanamaker Trophy in the same calendar year.

Justin Thomas has reached 4 under with a magnificent birdie putt on No. 15. He started the day six shots off the lead, and now is just two back of Alex Smalley’s lead.

Thomas, a two-time Wanamaker Trophy, has a par-5 coming up on the 16th hole and will look to take advantage.

What a week it has been for Justin Rose. A 73 on Friday had him jeopardy of missing the cut at Aronimink but he was able to make it to the weekend where he’s made the most of the extra 36 holes.

Rose shot a 65 on Moving Day to cross over to under par for the first time in the tournament.

The good play continued on the first hole Sunday with a birdie putt. At 3 under, he’s three shots off leader Alex Smalley.

The world is well represented on Aronimink’s leaderboard.

This year’s PGA Championship is the first time in the major’s history that six countries are represented among the top six players entering the final round.

It previously happened twice, both times at the U.S. Open.

Open Championship winner Cameron Smith has moved to 4 under at Aronimink.

After putting together a 69-71 to survive the 36-hole cut, Smith recorded a 68 on Moving Day — a performance that saw him birdie four out of five holes in the middle of his third round.

Smith started Sunday with birdies at No. 2 and No. 4 — two holes he had previously struggled on. Perhaps a sign of things to come.

This is anybody’s day...

4 birdies 🐦 so far today and now he sits 3 back from the lead ⛳

And what a finish the Englishman had...

Fitzpatrick had 5 birdies in the final round and shot a 5-under 65 on Sunday at Aronimink.

He currently sits T-18, 4 strokes back of Alex Smalley’s lead

After tying the low final round score in PGA Championship history...Kurt Kitayama explained how he did it:

A circle at the second gets him to 3 under for the championship and three of the lead.

One shot off the PGA Championship record of 63, fired by Xander Schauffele and Shane Lowry in the 2024 championship at Valhalla.

Kurt Kitayama fires early 63 Sunday in final round of PGA Championship

Until Kitayama’s 7-under final round Sunday at the PGA Championship, no player had carded 64 or better with six players, five on Saturday, shooting 65.

• Brentley Romine,
• +1 More

• Brentley Romine,
• Associated Press,

Kurt Kitayama birdied the first three holes Sunday and is 6 under par through 14. He’s jumped 53 spots into a tie for 11th.