Aaron Rai shares interesting reaction to legendary PGA Championship putt

Aaron Rai won the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club, his first major championship. The Englishman broke a 107-year drought for his country in this major. Rai slammed the door with a 68-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to take a three-shot lead. He spoke with CBS Sports’ Amanda Balionis about that putt and his mindset going into it.

"Definitely wasn't trying to hole that put…"

Aaron Rai talks through his epic moment on No. 17 with @Amanda_Balionis. pic.twitter.com/dsbG1TVUXy

— Golf on CBS (@GolfonCBS) May 17, 2026

“Definitely wasn’t trying to hole that putt,” Rai said. “The shadow of the pin gave a really nice line for the last ten feet, so that definitely helped with the visual of the putt. But it was so long that I was just trying to put good speed on it and make a good putt. And it just tracked extremely well in the last half. Yeah, amazing to see that one go in.”

WHAT. A. PUTT!

UNBELIEVABLE FROM AARON RAI! pic.twitter.com/JxGSchnie1

— Golf on CBS (@GolfonCBS) May 17, 2026

Rai was just trying to lag this one close and play it safe, already nursing a two-shot lead. Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley finished tied for second at six-under par, three shots behind Rai. So not only was this putt the icing on the cake, but he could have afforded a bogey here, too. But just like JJ Spaun at last year’s US Open, Rai slammed the door shut with a long putt.

The PGA Championship featured an incredibly bunched leaderboard until late in the day on Sunday. Rai made an eagle on the par-five ninth hole to pull away from the field. He then made birdies on 13 and 16 to put some distance between him and the chasers. And then the 68-footer on 17 slammed the door.

Last week, Rai was in the Myrtle Beach Classic, an alternate field event opposite the PGA Tour’s Signature Event in Charlotte. He was in the final group but could not close it out, losing to 45-year-old Brandt Snedeker. Now, he is a major champion.

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