Golf & PGA Tour — 2026-05-19
Aaron Rai claimed his first career major at the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club, emerging from a crowded leaderboard in a dramatic final round. The Englishman's breakthrough victory came as LIV Golf faces mounting uncertainty, with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund set to pull funding at the end of the 2026 season. The golf world now watches closely to see how LIV players — and the broader tour landscape — will be reshaped.
Golf & PGA Tour — 2026-05-19
Tournament Recap
2026 PGA Championship — Aronimink Golf Club, Newton Square, PA
Aaron Rai, a 31-year-old Englishman with only one previous PGA Tour win to his credit, outdueled a cluster of stars on Sunday to claim the Wanamaker Trophy and his first career major championship.
The final leaderboard showed Rai finishing at -15, edging out a tight chase pack. Alex Smalley, the little-known American who had grabbed the 54-hole lead after Round 3, slipped to finish tied for second alongside Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas (both -5), and Ludvig Åberg (-5).
Round 3 drama: Saturday was "Moving Day" at Aronimink, with Smalley holding the lead, but Rahm, Aaron Rai, Nick Taylor, Matti Schmid, and Åberg all charged up the leaderboard. Rory McIlroy also made a charge but couldn't sustain it into Sunday.
LIV Golf players at the PGA Championship: All 11 LIV Golf entrants competed at Aronimink this week. Rahm's -6 finish in a tie for second was the standout performance among the LIV contingent, demonstrating that the breakaway league's players can still contend at the highest level of major championship golf.
ESPN's coverage hub tracked the full week's storylines from Aronimink.
Business of Golf
Saudi Arabia to pull LIV Golf funding after 2026 season
The golf world's most consequential off-course story continued to develop this week. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has informed LIV Golf it is withdrawing its financial backing at the conclusion of the 2026 season, a bombshell that was communicated to players and staff in late April. With contracts expiring for key stars like Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka at the end of 2026, questions mount about LIV's path forward.
Golf.com reported that President Trump was asked in an Oval Office press conference about LIV's future following the Saudi announcement, with the question of whether PGA Tour would welcome LIV players back now firmly in play.
Multiple industry observers have described the PGA Tour-LIV partnership framework — first announced in June 2023 — as effectively dead, with no unified deal materializing despite years of negotiation. MyGolfSpy noted that the PIF's withdrawal makes any formal merger increasingly unlikely, leaving LIV players in limbo as their contracts approach expiration.
Meanwhile, the PGA Tour has continued to strengthen its financial position, reportedly signing $400 million in new sponsorship deals, providing additional leverage as both sides assess their next moves.
Coming Up
With the 2026 PGA Championship in the books, the golf calendar turns toward the summer stretch. Aaron Rai's breakthrough at Aronimink makes him one of the hottest players in the world heading into the remaining major season. Key storylines to watch:
- LIV Golf's future: With the Saudi funding clock ticking down to the end of 2026, the next few months will be critical for players like Rahm, DeChambeau, and Koepka in deciding whether to seek a return to the PGA Tour.
- Rory McIlroy's pursuit: McIlroy made a third-round charge at Aronimink but could not close. The world's most prominent player continues seeking major number five.
- Aaron Rai's follow-through: Can the new major champion build on this breakthrough in the weeks ahead?
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