Aaron Rai shot a five-under 65 on Sunday to finish nine-under overall and beat a star-studded leaderboard to the Wanamaker Trophy by three shots
Aaron Rai and Matti Schmid talk after the final round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club(Image: (Jamie Squire/Getty Images))
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp has been called out by CBS Sports announcer Johnson Wagner after Aaron Rai clinched his first major title. The 31-year-old emerged from a chasing pack littered with major champions at Aronimink Golf Club to become the first English winner of the event in over a century.
Rai carded a 65 and finished the PGA Championship nine under par. The highlight of his stunning last round was a 70-foot putt on the 17th hole, which all but confirmed his victory, reports Mirror US.
Several players were struggling with their drives at Aronimink Golf Club, most notably Rory McIlroy on the final day. He is known for having one of the longest drives on the PGA Tour, but he consistently dragged it left or right and battled through the rough.
Rai wasn’t affected by the course and triumphed despite his previous best at a major being tied for 19th. Wagner was delighted that Rai won over some of the tournament favourites and believes it supports his campaign to expand the field at signature events and major competitions.
“Well, he’s one of the hardest workers in professional golf,” Wagner said of Rai on CBS. “He’s won three times in Europe, obviously, the Wyndham Championship. And this golf course, when you look at Aromorink specifically, it was built for a guy like Aaron Rai.
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“It’s refreshing to have a major championship that actually matters to hit the ball straight. Rory McIlroy had 50 less yards than Aaron Rai did on the 15th. And that’s what he gave up all week long.
“I’m absolutely astounded by the way [Aaron Rai] goes about his business. This golf course, the setup, was built for a guy like that.
“The signature event model stinks. Aaron Rai played in Myrtle Beach last week and was in the final group both Saturday and Sunday. Played good, just not good enough to win.
“He comes to the PGA Championship… I’m not going to call this a runaway, but if you’re good enough to win the PGA Championship, and we’re playing for $20 million, there’s only 72 guys, and he’s not in it. I really hope Brian Rolapp, I’m talking to you now.
Aaron Rai is presented with The Wanamaker Trophy by PGA of America Vice President Nathan Charnes(Image: (Andrew Redington/Getty Images))
“Make the fields in these PGA Tour events, if you want to shrink them down to 120 from 156, I’m fine with it. But they’ve got to be 120-man fields.”
PGA Tour fields vary depending on the level of competition. Full-field open tournaments typically feature 156 players, while that’s not the case for signature events and majors.
Limited-field signature events are restricted to the top 50 FedExCup point earners and top PGA Tour winners. Major championships field a mixture of exemptions and qualifiers.
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