Rai won a tense back-nine shootout with a spectacular 68-foot birdie putt on the par-three 17th, firing his career low major round with a five-under-par 65 to finish 72 holes on nine-under 271 at formidable Aronimink.
The 31-year-old from Wombourne took home a US$3.69 million top prize from a record purse of US$20.5 million and the Wanamaker Trophy after a dramatic final day.
He defeated two-time major winner Jon Rahm of Spain and American Alex Smalley by three strokes with American Justin Thomas, Germany’s Matti Schmid and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg sharing fourth on 275.
“Very surreal,” Rai, the first player in PGA Championship history to lower his score in each round, said after being presented with the trophy on the 18th green. “It’s been a bit of a frustrating season so to be standing here is definitely outside of my wildest imagination.”
Rai became only the second English player to win the PGA after Jim Barnes captured the first two titles in 1916 and 1919.
Never better than 19th in 12 prior major starts, Rai won his third DP World Tour title last November in Abu Dhabi and his only PGA Tour title in 2024 at Greensboro. (AFP/ Reuters)