Rai Rules Aronimink - May 18th, 2026

On May 18th, 2026, Aaron Rai shot a brilliant final-round 65 at Aronimink to win the PGA Championship by three strokes over Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley.THE CHAMPION: AARON RAIAaron Rai delivered a flawless final-round 65 at Aronimink to finish at nine-under, securing a three-stroke major victory. His momentum shifted with a 40-foot eagle on the 9th and a miraculous 68-foot birdie on the 17th's infinity green.Trevor Immelman praised Rai's "calmness" and "coolness" after a disciplined 3-wood on 15, while Rai humbly credited his 68-foot bomb to simple "speed control."Rai celebrated with his LET pro wife Gaurika Bishnoi, validating a unique journey that includes wearing two MacWet gloves and using iron covers—mandated by his father Amrik to protect his childhood Titleist 690 MBs.THE CHASERS & THE CRITICSJon Rahm and Alex Smalley settled for T2, with Smalley derailed by a devastating double bogey on the 6th. Off the course, Johnson Wagner delivered a fiery rant criticizing the PGA Tour's Signature Event model since Rai missed Wells Fargo.Rahm shot a 68 but expressed deep frustration with the green speeds, lamenting his regret over "not getting putts to the hole."While Rai gave an emotional interview to Amanda Balionis about golf teaching "humility and discipline," Shane Lowry complained about Kerry Haigh's course setup and was ruthlessly roasted by fans as an "entitled millionaire."SUNDAY SURGES & STRUGGLESKurt Kitayama made history with a major-record-tying, bogey-free 63, while Justin Thomas surged to a T4 finish with a 65. Conversely, the highly anticipated Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele pairing fell flat with disappointing 69s.Justin Thomas was so locked in for a potential playoff that he was quoted hoping the course "plays tough" down the stretch.Scottie Scheffler endured what Shane Ryan described as "agonizing" putting woes, a stark contrast to Rai, who grew up idolizing Tiger Woods via VHS tapes and mastered the greens when it mattered most.Quick HitsMatti Schmid's brief lead and T4 finish • Scottie Scheffler's poor putting stats • The flat McIlroy/Schauffele Sunday pairing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.