Aaron Rai WINS PGA Championship to become the first Englishman to do so in 107 years

Aaron Rai has become the first Englishman in over a century to win the PGA Championship after Sunday’s victory at the Aronimink Golf Club.

Rai finished nine-under-par for the tournament, three shots ahead of Spaniard Jon Rahm and American Alex Smalley – the latter who was the overnight leader.

The triumph is Rai’s first major title of his career and he is the first Englishman to win the Wanamaker Trophy since Jim Barnes achieved the feat in 1919.

The 31-year-old, who wears golf gloves on both hands, produced a moment of magic on the 17th green to all-but-clinch the title when he drained a 69ft putt – the second longest of the whole week.

It helped Rai, who had never finished in the top 10 at a major, card a magnificent five-under-par 65 to finish nine under overall.

‘It is very surreal,’ said Wolverhampton’s Rai, who has struggled to practise at times this year because of a neck injury.

‘It has been a frustrating season, so being stood here is outside of my wildest imagination.’

And of his 69ft-putt? ‘I definitely wasn’t trying to hole that putt. The shadow of the pin gave a really nice line for the last 10 feet so that helped with the visual.

‘It just tracked really well – it was amazing to see it go in.’

Rai is only the eighth Englishman to win a major since World War Two, joining Henry Cotton, Max Faulkner, Tony Jacklin, Nick Faldo, Justin Rose, Danny Willett and Matt Fitzpatrick.

It also means UK golfers have won the first two of the year’s four annual majors for the first time, after Rory McIlroy defended his Masters title in April.