Who won 2026 PGA Championship? Aaron Rai claims first career major after emerging from pack

Aaron Rai might have won PGA Championship with epic putt

Mark Giannotto

Aaron Rai played it safe with his tee shot on No. 17. He had a two-shot lead at the PGA Championship. No need to risk. On the par-3 hole, he left himself a putt of more than 68 feet. The goal was to two-putt for par. Except nobody told Rai that.

His birdie putt had the gallery at Aronimink Golf Club going wild and even the stoic Rai dropped his arms to give a quick fist bump at what happened. The PGA Championship isn't over yet, but it'd take a remarkable turn of events for Rai not to list the Wanamaker Trophy.

Aaron Rai opens up 2-shot PGA Championship lead

Mark Giannotto

Aaron Rai has opened up a two-shot lead for the second time in the latter stages of the final round at the 2026 PGA Championship. His birdie at the par 5 16th moved him to 8-under for the tournament with just two holes to play. Matti Schmid is his next closest competitor, with Jon Rahm three shots back as he begins the 16th.

If Rai can't get into the clubhouse at 8-under, it'll be a tough score for anyone to beat at this point.

Rory McIlroy appears agitated by fan heckling

Mark Giannotto

Rory McIlroy's past few holes have featured a devastating bogey, a bounce-back birdie and then a flubbed chip shot from the rough that then led to an awkward interaction with the fans at Aronimink Golf Club. After McIlroy's shot landed in the bunker, he looked toward the gallery and appeared to mouth an expletive toward a fan. He then alerted security officials by pointing to someone off camera with his club.

Though there was an audible "U-S-A" shouted at McIlroy, it's unclear if that's what made him react. He wound up with a par on the hole and remains three shots back of leader Aaron Rai with two holes to play.

Warning: Video contains expletive language

Rory McIlroy's costly first bogey

Mark Giannotto

Rory McIlroy's adventures at Aronimink Golf Club had settled into something of a lull during this final round, with the two-time defending Masters champion logging an early birdie before a card full of pars. That changed at No. 13, where McIlroy's inconsistency off the tee hurt him again at the worst possible moment.

His errant first shot set him up for his first bogey of the day and severely damaged his chances of winning the PGA Championship. He's now three shots back of leader Aaron Rai with at least six other golfers ahead of him with five holes to play.

Aaron Rai surges to PGA Championship lead

Mark Giannotto

Aaron Rai's eagle on No. 9, followed by a birdie on No. 11, have pushed the Englishman to the top of the leaderboard at the 2026 PGA Championship. Matti Schmid dropped a shot back with a bogey at No. 10. Rai is coming off a fifth-place finish at the Myrtle Beach Classic, but has otherwise had an unremarkable season on the PGA Tour. He has never finished better than T-19 in eight career appearances at the majors. This would obviously be the biggest win of his career, and a huge upset given the golfers chasing him, if he were to hold on down the stretch. Stay tuned ...

LIV Golf stars Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith among group chasing Schmid

Mark Giannotto

Most of the leaders are on the back nine and it still doesn't feel like we're any closer to sorting out this leaderboard. Matti Schmid leads, but a bunch of golfers with major pedigree are chasing him from close behind.

Jon Rahm is among those one shot back after a birdie at No. 9. Cameron Smith, meanwhile, keeps saving par and remains one shot back as well. Smith is working with a new swing coach of late after a rough patch in the majors since switching from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf.

Aaron Rai's eagle at No. 9 also moved him to 5-under as the pressure really starts to ramp up at Aronimink Golf Club. The Wanamaker Trophy still seems to be up for grabs.

New leader after Alex Smalley falters

Mark Giannotto

Alex Smalley avoided dropping a shot early with a long par putt on No. 3, but he ran into trouble he couldn't get out of at the sixth hole. An errant tee shot and some tricky shots around the green led to a double bogey, right after Matti Schmid had moved to 6-under. Schmid, who has never won on the PGA Tour, is now atop this crowded leaderboard with 12 holes to play.

Justin Thomas finishes with a 65

Jon Hoefling

Thomas entered today at even par, with not much of a chance at the title. However, he carded a tremendous 5-under 65 to bring himself within one stroke of Smalley for the lead.

Thomas finished his round sinking a very long putt to maintain a par on 18. The crowd went nuts.

Rory McIlroy continues his hot streak

Jon Hoefling

After opening the PGA Championship with a 4-over 74, McIlroy has been immaculate since, carding a 67 and 66 in Rounds 2 and 3.

On Sunday, he started off hot again, scoring a birdie on two to bring him within two strokes of the lead.

Jon Rahm begins with two birdies

Jon Hoefling

When you're trailing by two strokes heading into the final round, the goal should be to close the gap as soon as possible. Rahm did so with utmost efficiency, tallying two birdies to start the final round, while Smalley tallied a par on his first hole.

Smalley may have a hole in hand but we've officially got two names at the top of the leaderboard.

Alex Smalley tees off at PGA Championship

The final group is underway at Aronimink Golf Club, as leader Alex Smalley has teed off. There are still 16 golfers within three shot of the lead.

Justin Thomas PGA Championship score

Justin Thomas has birdies on five of his past 11 holes to get to 4 under for the tournament, two shot behind leader Alex Smalley. Thomas came into the day at even-par after a disappointing 2-over 72 on Saturday.

Scottie Scheffler PGA Championship score

Scottie Scheffler, the 2025 PGA Championship winner, is onto the back nine during Sunday's final round. He's notched two birdies and a bogey to be 1 under for the day and 2 under for the tournament. That puts him in a tie for 18th place, four strokes off the lead.

Cameron Smith joins PGA Championship contenders

Cameron Smith has birdied two of his first four holes to run his overall score to 4-under par, which puts him in an eight-way tie for second place behind Alex Smalley.

Smith shot 69-71-68 in the first three rounds.

Matt Fitzpatrick goes 5-under

Jon Hoefling

It's been a solid day for a few golfers who started the day over par. Matt Fitzpatrick, a popular sleeper pick ahead of the tournament, entered Sunday at 3-over. He proceeded to shoot a 5-under 65 on Sunday to climb to 2-under and put himself in a tie for 14th.

For perspective, that 65 is two shots better than any round leader Alex Smalley has had through the weekend.

Fitzpatrick recorded zero bogeys on the day, needing just five birdies on 6, 7, 10, 13, and 16 in order to complete his round.

Kurt Kitayama incredible final round

Jon Hoefling

Kurt Kitayama entered Sunday's final round at the PGA Championship at 4-over par. No one really considered him a threat to join the leaders. However, Kitayama went absolutely bonkers in his final round, posting a 7-under 63 on Sunday, to climb to 3-under, tied for seventh when he finished his round.

Kitayama started his round off with three straight birdies and didn't record a single bogey all morning.

This is not the lowest score in PGA Championship history. That title belongs to both Xander Schauffele and Shane Lowry, who each shot 62's during the 2024 PGA Championship. However, prior to those rounds, 63 was the best-ever score, accomplished by 18 different golfers prior.

Alex Smalley championship odds

Jon Hoefling

Coming into this year's PGA Championship, American Alex Smalley was given +17500 odds to win, per Yahoo Sports.

He enters Sunday's final round with +480 odds.

Smalley currently leads the field at 6-under par, two shots ahead of the closest competitors. While this certainly isn't an insurmountable lead, it is sizable enough to start feeling confident in his chances. Smalley has never won a PGA Tour event before. In fact, the highest he's ever climbed in the Official Golf World Rankings is 63rd. Despite that lack of notoriety, Smalley has carved a path to his first win, and lo and behold, it's at a major tournament.

Kurt Kitayama shoots sizzling 63

Steve Gardner

Yes, low scores are indeed possible on Sunday.

Playing in the fourth group of the day, Kurt Kitayama capped a stellar final round at Aronimink with his seventh birdie for a tournament-best 63. That's one off the lowest round in major championship history.

Kitayama began Sunday at 4 over for the tournament, but his bogey-free round vaulted him to 3 under, and within three strokes of third-round leader Alex Smalley.

Can Scottie Scheffler make a final-round charge?

Steve Gardner

Defending PGA Champion Scottie Scheffler couldn't buy a putt on Saturday. And as a result, a second consecutive 1-over 71 has him five shots off the lead entering the final round.

Scheffler's been excellent in finding the fairway and hitting greens in regulation, but he ranks 66th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting (-0.394) on the week.

A hot putter could turn things around in a hurry.

Scheffler has teed off on No. 1 with a monster drive down the left side of the fairway.

Sunday pin placements

Steve Gardner

Some golfers were critical of the course setup at Aronimink earlier in the week, but it's made for a Sunday shootout to conclude the year's second major championship.

Here are the official pin placements the golfers were able to study overnight as they planned their strategy for the final round.

PGA Championship weather forecast for Sunday

Steve Gardner

It's a beautiful day for golf at Aronimink, with temperatures rising into the 80s and not a cloud in sight.

In Newtown Square, Pennsylvania − just west of Philadelphia − the weather forecast calls for sunny skies and a high of 88 degrees. Winds are blowing in a northwesterly direction early but will shift to west-southwest during the afternoon with gusts of 14-16 mph when the leaders are on the course.

Kurt Kitayama off to blazing start

Steve Gardner

Could the golfers go really low in Sunday's final round at Aronimink?

American Kurt Kitayama seems to be providing ample evidence in the affirmative. Teeing off in the fourth group of the day, Kitayama birdied four of his first six holes to move to even par for the tournament and jump 33 places in the standings.

He added another birdie on the ninth hole to go out in 5-under-par 30.

An astounding 30 players began the final round within five shots of the lead.

When is US Open 2026?

Golf's next major will be the 2026 U.S. Open, which will take place June 18-21 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. The defending champion is J.J. Spaun.

Who missed the cut at 2026 PGA Championship?

Mark Giannotto

The following golfers missed the cut at Aronimink Golf Club:

• Tommy Fleetwood: +5 (F)
• Michael Block: +5 (F)
• Robert MacIntyre: +5 (F)
• Sungjae Im: +5 (F)
• Akshay Bhatia: +5 (F)
• Russell Henley: +5 (F)
• Garrick Higgo: +5 (F*)
• Wyndham Clark: +5 (F)
• Tyrrell Hatton: +6 (F)
• Viktor Hovland: +6 (F)
• Stewart Cink: +6 (F)
• J.J. Spaun: +6 (F)
• Sepp Straka: +6 (F)
• Keegan Bradley: +6 (F)
• Gary Woodland: +6 (F)
• Brandt Snedeker: +6 (F)
• Bryson DeChambeau: +7 (F)
• Billy Horschel: +8 (F)
• Adam Scott: +8 (F)
• Lucas Glover: +9 (F*)
• Max Homa: +12 (F)

Xander Schauffele score at PGA Championship

Xander Schauffele comes into the final round in a four-way tie for seventh place at 3-under par, three shots behind leader Alex Smalley. Here are his scores, by round:

• Round 1: 68 (-2)
• Round 2: 73 (+3)
• Round 3: 66 (-4)

Scottie Scheffler score at PGA Championship

Scottie Scheffler comes into the final round in an eight-way tie for 23rd place at 1-under par, five shots behind leader Alex Smalley. Here are his scores, by round:

• Round 1: 67 (-3)
• Round 2: 71 (+1)
• Round 3: 71 (+1)

Rory McIlroy score at PGA Championship

Rory McIlroy comes into the final round in a four-way tie for seventh place at 3-under par, three shots behind leader Alex Smalley. Here are his scores, by round:

• Round 1: 74 (+4)
• Round 2: 67 (-3)
• Round 3: 66 (-4)

PGA Championship 2026 predictions

Jon Hoefling

Here's a look at who golf experts predicted would win heading into Thursday's first round:

Keith Stewart, Golf Digest: Cameron Young to win

Stewart writes, "In his last seven starts, Cameron Young has two wins (Players, Cadillac) and four additional top 10s. Young’s flat stick consistency is the engine behind his current success. Pair that with his ball-striking, and you have a championship-caliber player."

Neil Parker, Covers: Cameron Young, Russell Henley are values

In regards to Young, Parker writes, "The complete package has been on full display, and it’s clear stylistically and statistically with Young checking all the boxes and cashing in wins, so I expect him to contend again this week."

With Henley, Parker claims, "Few can match Henley’s elite tee-to-green precision and touch on and around the greens, so this number stands out for a proven winner who’s also popped in recent major championships."

Michael Leboff, New York Post: Collin Morikawa is a sleeper

Leboff writes, "There were a lot of concerns about Morikawa’s back ahead of Augusta, but he put those to bed with a T7 finish. The 2020 PGA Champion rolled that form into the next week, finishing T4 at the RBC Heritage. He came undone in his next start at the Blue Monster, but he’s still coming into the second major of the season with a win and five top-10 finishes in his last six outings."

Matt Barrie, ESPN: Cameron Young over Scheffler, McIlroy

PGA Championship 2026 odds: Favorites to win

Gabe Zaldivar

Odds as of 9:30 p.m. ET May 16, according to BetMGM.

Favorites

• Alex Smalley (+450)
• Jon Rahm (+500)
• Ludvig Aberg (+650)
• Rory McIlroy (+650)
• Xander Schauffele (+1200)
• Scottie Scheffler (+1600)

Where is 2026 PGA Championship?

Mark Giannotto

The 2026 PGA is being held at Aronimink Golf Course in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania outside Philadelphia.

How to watch 2026 PGA Championship

Elizabeth Flores

The 2026 PGA Championship will be broadcast on CBS and ESPN, with streaming available on ESPN+ and Paramount+. Viewers can also stream on Fubo, which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to new subscribers. Broadcast schedule according to pgachampionship.com:

• Early rounds streaming on ESPN+ starting at 8 a.m. ET
• Main broadcast on ESPN from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET
• Main broadcast moves to CBS from 1-7 p.m. ET

2026 PGA Championship tee times Sunday

Kristie Ackert

Here are the complete tee times and pairings Sunday for the 2026 PGA Championship, with all golfers starting on the No. 1 tee.

• 7:40 a.m. – Casey Jarvis, Brian Campbell
• 7:49 a.m. – Luke Donald, Ben Kern
• 7:58 a.m. – Collin Morikawa, Elvis Smylie
• 8:07 a.m. – Kurt Kitayama, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
• 8:16 a.m. – Ryan Gerard, Jason Day
• 8:25 a.m. – Alex Fitzpatrick, Matt Wallace
• 8:34 a.m. – Rasmus Højgaard, Sami Valimaki
• 8:43 a.m. – Shane Lowry, John Parry
• 8:52 a.m. – Christiaan Bezuidenhout, William Mouw
• 9:01 a.m. – Patrick Cantlay, Alex Noren
• 9:10 a.m. – Corey Conners, Ryo Hisatsune
• 9:19 a.m. – Matt Fitzpatrick, Sahith Theegala
• 9:28 a.m. – Keith Mitchell, Sam Stevens
• 9:37 a.m. – Daniel Berger, Daniel Brown
• 9:46 a.m. – Michael Brennan, Johnny Keefer
• 9:55 a.m. – Ryan Fox, Jhonattan Vegas
• 10:15 a.m. – Denny McCarthy, Chandler Blanchet
• 10:25 a.m. – Haotong Li, Kazuki Higa
• 10:35 a.m. – Jordan Spieth, Rico Hoey
• 10:45 a.m. – Stephan Jaeger, Taylor Pendrith
• 10:55 a.m. – Justin Thomas, Aldrich Potgieter
• 11:05 a.m. – Si Woo Kim, Cameron Young
• 11:15 a.m. – Andrew Putnam, Andrew Novak
• 11:25 a.m. – Dustin Johnson, Daniel Hillier
• 11:35 a.m. – Padraig Harrington, Tom Hoge
• 11:45 a.m. – Nicolai Højgaard, Michael Kim
• 12:05 p.m. – Scottie Scheffler, David Puig
• 12:15 p.m. – Rickie Fowler, Harris English
• 12:25 p.m. – Sam Burns, Brooks Koepka
• 12:35 p.m. – Brian Harman, Mikael Lindberg
• 12:45 p.m. – Hideki Matsuyama, Chris Gotterup
• 12:55 p.m. – Min Woo Lee, Max Greyserman
• 1:05 p.m. – Ben Griffin, Cameron Smith
• 1:15 p.m. – Martin Kaymer, Bud Cauley
• 1:25 p.m. – Justin Rose, Joaquin Niemann
• 1:35 p.m. – Kristoffer Reitan, Chris Kirk
• 1:55 p.m. – Patrick Reed, Maverick McNealy
• 2:05 p.m. – Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele
• 2:15 p.m. – Aaron Rai, Ludvig Aberg
• 2:25 p.m. – Nick Taylor, Jon Rahm
• 2:35 p.m. – Alex Smalley, Matti Schmid