Aaron Rye is delighted that his hard work has paid off as he follows in the footsteps of his ‘idol’ Tiger Woods to win the PGA Championship.
Rye’s three-stroke victory at Aronimink Golf Club made him the second British man to win the major title, and the first in more than a century since Jim Burns, who won in 1916 and 1919.
The 31-year-old is the first non-American to win the PGA Championship since Australia’s Jason Day in 2015 after a decade of domestic dominance and was a popular winner in Pennsylvania.
2024 PGA Champion Xander Schuffle praised his work ethic, and Jon Rahm, who finished with a share of second place at 6 under, said he had only heard “good and great things” about Rye.
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Rye shoots 5-under 65 in Pennsylvania, best Sunday to win PGA Championship Aaron Rye shot a 5-under 65 at Aronimink Golf Club to win the PGA Championship.
He is also overjoyed to be able to follow in the footsteps of Woods, who won the PGA Championship four times in 1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007, and Lai said he often watched footage of the 15-time major champion as a child.
“I don’t think I still have the tapes, but I used to watch them very often, maybe two or three times a week, maybe more,” Lai told reporters at a press conference.
“He’s obviously an icon in the game and a very big person. At that point, this was a superhuman person and someone I really looked up to.
“I remember being in awe of everything he could do. To have my name on this trophy with his is just incredible.”
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Watch as Rye holed a huge 70-foot birdie on the 17th.
“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my wife.”
Rye, who made a 70-foot birdie putt on No. 17 and a 40-foot eagle on No. 9 for a 5-under 65 in the final round, credited the education he received from his parents for his work ethic and character traits that were so highly regarded by his peers after his win at Aronimink.
He added: “Golf itself is a very humbling sport. It takes a lot of effort and discipline to develop the skills to get better.”
“You also see that in this game, nothing is given to you at any point, whether it’s a tournament, whether it’s a practice round, even if you’re away from tournament week, you have to work hard at all of these things and it takes focus.
“We have a lot of guys who work very hard. The level on the PGA Tour is very high, so that’s a prerequisite to compete here.”
“It’s very reassuring to know that what we’re doing is working and leading to continued development within the game. Hopefully I can continue to move along much the same path in the future.”
In a wide-ranging press conference, Rai also said that he could not have won his first major without the support of his wife Gaurika Bishnoi, who is also a professional golfer.
He said: “She was amazing and it’s safe to say I wouldn’t be here without her.
“Not only as a colleague, as a friend, as someone I share my life with, but also as a true support system for my game. Her perspective, advice and thoughts, whether it’s about technique or how I carry myself, have been absolutely invaluable.
“We talked for probably 30 minutes in the car just before we went back to the hotel yesterday. Some of the things she said really stuck with me today.”
Rye is not inspired by the possibility of competing in the Ryder Cup
Rye has high hopes of making his Ryder Cup debut at Adare Manor in 2027, but he is not obsessed with what lies ahead.
He added: “I consciously try not to think about it too much. Whether it’s the Ryder Cup, the next event, the next major, these things are always around me.”
“They can never be completely ignored, but I try not to focus on them as real motivation to move me forward.
“I’m hoping to continue pretty much the same way as this in terms of practice, training and application for games. We’ll see where it takes me.”
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Rye made a 40-foot eagle putt on the ninth and entered the fray on the turn.
In their words: “Rye was basically flawless.”
Sky Sports’ Wayne “Radar” Riley:
“If the course is solid and fast, he has a chance to play in the US Open and British Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
“A lot of players, if they have a little bit of luck, they’ll tone it down. But against a tactician who hits the ball in the fairway, never gets out of position, and holes a few putts, you’re going to get beat.”
“Rye really has no heart rate. He goes about his job and is a great player. He would be a great addition to our European Ryder Cup team.”
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Rai told Sky Sports that his victory over Aronimink was a “dream come true”.
David Howell of Sky Sports Golf:
“Aaron showed up to this great course and played to his strengths to keep it straight and tight.
“He ignored everyone else who was bombing with driver. They did it with power and distance. He did it with precision.
“His putting was great, his iron play was great. It was basically perfect.”
Jon Rahm finished in second place with six under par, three strokes behind Rye.
“I’ve only heard good and great things about Aaron Rye. He plays great golf.
“He’s a great golfer. He was able to perform really well. What he did today was nothing short of special.”
