Aaron Rai became the first Englishman to collect the famous Wanamaker trophy in 107 years thanks to storming to a brilliant three-shot victory at an enthralling PGA Championship.
The 31-year-old came into the final round at Aronimink Golf Club two shots adrift of American overnight leader Alex Smalley but right in the race for the title amongst several high-profile names including the likes of two-time major winner Jon Rahm and six-time major winner Rory McIlroy. The bunched leaderboard saw 30 players within five of the lead setting up a thrilling Sunday.
It was Spain’s Rahm who was on the front foot from the get-go with consecutive birdies to start off his round and pull himself level with Smalley. Rai also birdied the first however failed to find consistency throughout the rest of the front nine as he seemed to be slipping out of contention, finding himself at 1 over following three bogeys in his next seven holes. Rahm himself slipped back with a bogey soon after his quick start while Smalley, who found himself with a three-shot gap at the top, saw that advantage vanish due to a costly double bogey which Germany’s Matthias Schmid capitalized on to sit at the summit.
Meanwhile, Rai’s stunning 40-foot eagle putt at the 9th saw him reignite his challenge and drag himself right back into contention only to sit a shot adrift of Schmid. Rai rode the wave from his eagle with a birdie at the 11th to find himself alongside Schmid but a bogey from the German at the 10th saw Rai the outright leader for the first time in the contest.
His advantage then stretched with another birdie at the 13th as he looked to pull away from the chasing pack. However, Schmid wasn’t going away as he birdied the same hole to sit only a shot behind. Back-to-back pars at the 14th and 15th meant Rai’s advantage remained narrow but a crucial birdie putt at the 16th meant he had a two-shot lead with only two to play. With Schmid and Rahm still breathing down the Englishman’s neck, the pressure was on at the final two holes but in stunning fashion, Rai sunk a 70-foot birdie at the 17th, his longest putt of the week and the second-longest of the tournament, to move further clear and close in on claiming the title. Rai strolled to the 18th with his sights set on the Wanamaker trophy, something only a monumental collapse would deny him from claiming. But victory never looked in doubt as Rai calmly finished with a par to post a sublime 5-under 65 to end on 9 under, setting the new clubhouse target. The remaining golfers on the course failed to catch the Englishman as he sealed an impressive first major title and make history at the PGA Championship.
“It [winning] is very surreal,” Rai said. “It has been a bit of a frustrating season so to be stood here is definitely outside of my wildest imagination. I think it is really good consistency over the last few weeks with practice. My body feels great and I have really enjoyed the course this week.”
In addition to becoming the first English player since Jim Barnes in 1919 to take home the PGA Championship title, Rai also becomes only the fifth European winner and the win marks the end of the decade-long American dominance of the tournament.
When told about his achievements, Rai added: “Extremely, extremely proud. There’s a lot of incredible and historic English players over those hundred years who have gone on to achieve incredible things and had phenomenal careers.
“But to win this event and then to be the person that’s the first one to have won it in a long time from England is an amazing thing and something to be extremely proud of.”
Smalley and Rahm concluded the event in a tie for second on 6 under while there was a three-way tie for fourth between Schmid, America’s Justin Thomas, and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg. McIlroy, who was in the mix during the final round and was seeking yet another major triumph, drifted away as he closed with a 1-under 69 to finish 5 shots adrift in T7.
When asked about what prevented him from being closer to Rai at the summit, the Northern Irishman said: “I think not birdieing the two par-fives and making the bogey at the drivable par-four 13th.
“To me I felt like I played the golf I needed to play the rest of the way. If I birdied the two par-fives and turned that five into a three on 13, the day looks very different.
“Looking back on today’s round, I would say those three holes [cost me].”
It was a similar story for World no. 1 Scottie Scheffler who also rued missed opportunities to finish T14 on 2 under.
“I’m pleased with how I battled,” Scheffler said speaking to Sky Sports. “I battled really hard all week, I just couldn’t get anything going on the greens. I feel like I gave myself a good amount of opportunities.
“Today was the day I hit a lot of greens, I just couldn’t hole anything. That was the story of the week for me – it was just a matter of not holing putts.
“When I look back on a week like this, I feel I’ve had a really good year on the greens and to have a disappointing week on the greens at a major is a tough pill to swallow.”
What is the next event?
The next event on the PGA TOUR is THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson taking place between 21-24 May at TPC Craig Ranch in Texas.