Aaron Rai Makes the Putt of His Life to Wrap Up His Win at the PGA Championship

Andy Nesbitt

Aaron Rai won the 2026 PGA Championship in style. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Aaron Rai is the winner of the 2026 PGA Championship and he closed it out in style by making the putt of his life on the par-3 17th hole.

Rai’s conservative tee shot left him 68 feet to the hole and it looked like it might be a difficult two putt. Then he stepped up and drilled it for birdie, which gave him a commanding three-shot lead and had the crowd at Aronimink in hysterics.

Check this out:

AARON RAI FROM 68 FEET!! 🤯

He leads by 4 heading to his 72nd hole @PGAChampionship!pic.twitter.com/cX2htuthq5
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 17, 2026

Here’s another look at it:

A moment etched into PGA Championship history. pic.twitter.com/2IbdSwDlqY
— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) May 17, 2026

Rai had an incredible final round which saw him make six birdies and an eagle. This is his first major championship title. What a way to win it.

Jon Rahm battled all day and finished in a tie for second with Alex Smalley at 6-under. Rory McIlroy (-4) and Scottie Scheffler (-2) were unable to get anything going on Sunday.

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Andy Nesbitt

Andy Nesbitt is the assistant managing editor of audience engagement at Sports Illustrated. He works closely with the Breaking and Trending News team to shape SI’s daily coverage across all sports. A 20-year veteran of the sports media business, he has worked for Fox Sports, For the Win, The Boston Globe and NBC Sports, having joined SI in February 2023. Nesbitt is a golf fanatic who desperately wants to see the Super Bowl played on a Saturday night.