Aaron Rai Wins PGA Championship One Week After Fifth-Place Finish at Myrtle Beach

Aaron Rai won the 108th PGA Championship at Aronimink one week after finishing fifth at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic. @PGATOUR reported that the 31-year-old Englishman played in the final group on Sunday at Myrtle Beach after failing to qualify for the Truist Championship contested the same week.

com that the late-round experience at Myrtle Beach prepared him for the final day at the PGA Championship.

“Before that, it’d probably been six months since I had been in that situation,” he said. “A few things definitely came up in Myrtle Beach on that Sunday which were great to experience, which then definitely helped. ” The victory provides an immediate promotion path under the PGA TOUR’s planned 2028 two-series model.

@PGATOUR reported that at least the top 20 players on the PGA TOUR Challenger Series season-long points list will earn promotion to the PGA TOUR Championship Series, while a Challenger Series player can also earn immediate promotion by winning a major or multiple Challenger Series events in one season.

Rai said the depth across both series will remain high. “Honestly, I think there’s so much depth across the TOUR that the level of golf will be extremely strong, no matter whether you’re playing in the Championship Series or if you’re playing the Challenger Series,” he said.

He added that contending situations feel similar regardless of the tour level. Rai has three DP World Tour wins and reached the Korn Ferry Tour Finals in 2021. He said strong play is rewarded at every level and that the new structure will increase competitiveness.