Tranlate this title New Major Champion: Aaron Rai’s masterpiece in spanish

English, who as a boy dreamed of becoming a Formula 1 driver before falling in love with golf. During the final round, the turning point began on the ninth hole: thanks to a 40-foot eagle putt on the par-5, followed by an impressive string of seven consecutive one-putts, Rai took the lead. On the final holes, when the field was waiting for him to make a mistake, he sealed the deal with a birdie from about 65 feet on the 17th hole. He finished the round with an excellent 65 (-5), a total of 271 strokes (-9).

Aaron Rai, statements

“Being here is beyond my wildest imagination,” said a visibly emotional Rai.

Behind him, three strokes behind, were 54-hole leader Alex Smalley and Jon Rahm, who achieved his best Major result since switching to LIV Golf. Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Cameron Smith, and Justin Rose, all Major winners, remained in contention until the midway point, but were hampered by crucial errors or missed opportunities. McIlroy finished with a 69, but struggled particularly on the par-5s and bogeyed the approachable par-4 13th.

Justin Thomas attempted to break through with a 65, closing within one shot of the leader while the final group was still in play, but Rai dashed his hopes as well.

With this victory, Rai ended a 107-year wait for English golf: the last British winner of the Wanamaker Trophy was Jim Barnes in 1919. He is also the second Major champion of Indian origin after Vijay Singh.

The par-70 Aronimink Golf Club proved to be a stern test: 22 players were within four shots of each other heading into the final round, a record for the PGA Championship. Rai emerged from that crowded group, having previously held only one victory on the PGA Tour (the 2024 Wyndham Championship), three on the DP World Tour, and no top 15 finishes in any Majors.

He’s already a star among his peers for his humility and personality. «You won’t find a single person here who isn’t happy for him,» said McIlroy. Schauffele called him «a world-class gentleman.»

Rai wears two gloves, a habit born from cold practice sessions in England as a boy. Even more unusual is his habit of leaving the covers on his irons. As a child, his father had made sacrifices to buy him nice clubs and cleaned them with baby oil after each use. Rai has kept them covered ever since «to remember where I come from and to respect what I have.»

Thanks to his victory, Rai earned a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour, lifetime entry to the PGA Championship, and guaranteed participation in the Masters, the U.S. Open, and The Open.

«Golf is an incredible game,» Rai concluded. «It teaches humility, discipline, and hard work, because nothing is handed to you. On Sunday, nothing was handed to me: I simply played better than the best field in the world.»

A well-deserved triumph for a quiet, determined champion with a profound respect for the game.