Aaron Rai reveals why he still hasn’t received Wanamaker Trophy after historic PGA win

Aaron Rai has revealed he is still waiting to receive the Wanamaker Trophy after damage was discovered on the famous prize following his historic PGA Championship victory.

The 31-year-old produced the round of his life at Aronimink on Sunday, carding a brilliant final-round 65 to finish on nine-under par and claim a three-shot victory over Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley.

Rai sealed the biggest win of his career in unforgettable fashion when he drained a stunning 70-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th before calmly parring the final hole to become the first Englishman since Jim Barnes in 1919 to win the PGA Championship.

In total, Rai holed 182 feet of putts during his sensational closing round, which also marked the lowest score of his major championship career.

But despite posing with the iconic Wanamaker Trophy after victory, Rai admitted he has not yet been able to take the famous prize home.

"We actually haven't received it yet," Rai said during a call with UK media on Thursday evening.

"I think there was an issue with a bit of damage on the trophy, so they said they will send it in the coming days.

"I'm not sure what exactly happened. But there was just a little bit of damage towards the top of the trophy, which they wanted to fix before it went anywhere."

Rai, who resides in Florida, will keep the original Wanamaker Trophy until next year's PGA Championship at PGA Frisco before receiving a replica to retain permanently.

The win marked the second PGA Tour title of Rai's career, having won his first at the 2024 Wyndham Championship. 

Rai had also won in Hong Kong, Scotland and Abu Dhabi on the DP World Tour prior to landing his first major title at Aronimink. 

Rory McIlroy was among the first players to praise Rai following his shock victory. 

McIlroy, who finished tied seventh at Aronimink, said he was delighted to see Rai capture his first major title.

“You won't find one person on property who won't be happy for him,” McIlroy said after Sunday's final round.

The Wolverhampton-born star’s triumph completed a remarkable rise for one of the PGA Tour’s most respected hard workers, with his previous best finish in a major coming when he tied for 19th.

Rai was a huge 150/1 shot heading into the 2026 PGA Championship, making him the biggest pre-tournament outsider to win a major since Trevor Immelman at the same odds at the 2008 Masters.