The PGA Championship had one of the most crowded fields in major history until Aaron Rye won, but LIV Golf’s two biggest names experienced very different weeks at Aronimink Golf Club.
Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, both pre-tournament favorites to win the Wanamaker Trophy, both have two wins apiece at LIV Golf this season and competed against each other at last year’s PGA Championship.
While Rahm was able to secure a tied-for-second place finish, matching his best finish in a major since winning the Masters in 2023, DeChambeau missed the weekend and finished tied for last among the 11 LIV golfers in attendance.
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Aaron Rye spoke to Sky Sports about his emotional PGA Championship win at Aronimink Golf Club.
Rahm finished outside the top 30 at the British Open and Masters, leading to a perceived drop in performance and questions about whether LIV Golf was not providing the best preparation for the majors, but Rahm was able to silence many doubters with his performance.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s been a great week to be back with the team and do well and perform as well as I did this weekend,” Rahm said. “I can’t ask more of myself.”
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Jon Rahm birdies the first two holes of the final round of the PGA Championship, briefly taking the lead.
The former world No. 1 had been chasing the third round of a career Grand Slam and was aiming to become the first Spaniard to win the PGA Championship, but it was his first major victory since settling a long-standing fine on the DP World Tour and sealing his Ryder Cup future.
“He’s stopped competing on the DP World Tour and seems to be in a happy situation. I think that’s given him the mental foundation to continue to have great performances,” former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley told Golf Channel.
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Earlier this month, Jon Rahm explained that he had reached an agreement with the DP World Tour regarding his return from LIV Golf.
“I have to say he went through a lean period in the majors. He may have backdoored some inside the top 10 in the majors and he entered contention here last year, but he wasn’t a factor.”
“He was a top player in the game when he went to LIV, but he hasn’t been a top player in the last few years (in the majors). We saw glimpses of that last year (tied for eighth), but this year he roared back into contention. He was a thoroughbred there and didn’t back down at any stage.”
“If his putter was a little hotter, he could have been a champion and he played well enough to do that. Let’s not underestimate him going forward. He seems to be back to his best.”
Final leaderboard for PGA Championship won by Aaron Rye
Positive for LIV Golf despite DeChambeau’s big struggles
Rahm was one of four LIV golfers to finish in the top 20, with 2022 British Open champion Cameron Smith (tied for 7th) ending his six-year streak of missing a major cut, David Puig (tied for 18th) breaking into the world’s top 60 and qualifying for the US Open, and Joaquin Niemann (tied for 18th) impressing.
This performance marks an improvement for LIV Golf at the Masters, where Tyrrell Hatton was the only player to finish within the top 30, and provides a boost for LIV Golf on the course at a time when Saudi Arabia’s PIF has withdrawn funding and its future beyond this season is uncertain.
DeChambeau had five top-six finishes in six majors in 2024 and 2025, but has since struggled to translate his LIV form into the big event, missing the cut for the third time in four majors with an early exit in Pennsylvania.
DeChambeau, a two-time U.S. Open champion, missed the cut by three strokes despite finishing the second round with a 71 with three consecutive birdies. DeChambeau’s future is uncertain as his contract with LIV Golf expires at the end of this season and there is currently no immediate path to return to the PGA Tour.
Bryson DeChambeau missed the cut in back-to-back majors for the first time since 2017.
“It wasn’t vintage Bryson at all,” McGinley added. “He played well in the majors last year, finishing in the top 10 in three of the four majors, but he wasn’t doing well from day one.
“In my opinion, I think he dabbled too much with LIV Golf. He was red in the face with the money he was looking for there, and now that Saudi Arabia is gone, he’s in danger of dabbling too much on the PGA Tour. That doesn’t help in a good mindset.”
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Bryson DeChambeau made double bogey on the penultimate hole of the day at the PGA Championship, opening the day with a 76.
“His agent has told him not to talk to the media. All these things mean that the player is not in a good frame of mind to play great golf. Things off the course are affecting him and he is not adjusting. That is the bottom line.”
The big names lack the elements that Rai’s victory lacks.
Rye had an eagle and four birdies (including one from 70 feet) over the final 10 holes, becoming the first British player to win the PGA Championship in 107 years and ending a 10-year winning streak by Americans at the tournament.
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Aaron Rye makes a huge 70-foot birdie putt on the 17th green to take a three-shot lead heading into the final hole at the PGA Championship.
Alex Smalley (World No. 78) and Matty Schmidt (World No. 97) were also surprise names at the front at various points on Sunday, when gusty winds and tough pins in the first three days left 30 competitors starting in the top five.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler missed six putts from inside five feet as he finished tied for 14th place, admitting his putting performance was a “bitter pill to swallow,” while Rory McIlroy finished the final round with a 69, five strokes behind Rye, but was left disappointed after three holes.
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Rory McIlroy lost his cool after being heckled and made only two birdies in the final round of the PGA Championship, finishing five seconds short of winner Aaron Rye.
“On a day when it seemed like everyone in the top 20 had a chance to win, he (Rye) ended up wearing everyone out,” Brandel Chamblee told Golf Channel. “If you look at the top 10 players in the world, they all seemed to have some kind of problem.
“Rory (McIlroy) couldn’t find the fairway. Scottie Scheffler couldn’t make the putt. Xander Schauffele was struggling with his irons. Cameron Young was struggling with his scrambles. Ludwig Oberg was missing four-footers from there.”
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Rory McIlroy couldn’t translate his fast start at the PGA Championship into the final round despite driving 379 yards to the par-5 ninth
“To get to the top of the leaderboard, the top 10 players in the world have to have some sort of problem. Part of the reason is that they’re used to having things always go their way, not just off the golf course, but on the golf course as well.”
“When you have thick rough like this, you’re going to be held accountable for your mistakes. You often see guys like Aaron Rye, J.J. Spaun, Brian Herman coming up[to win majors]and it’s good for golf to see that every once in a while.”
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Aaron Rye shot a 5-under 65 to win the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club. This round saw some great shot making and putting.
Spieth extends Grand Slam waiting period
Jordan Spieth gave fans early hope with an encouraging start this week, but he once again fell short of his goal of winning a major to complete a career Grand Slam.
Spieth’s bid for a fourth major title always seemed unlikely given that he hasn’t finished in the world’s top 10 since last June and last won on the PGA Tour in April 2022, but that changed after he briefly took a share of the lead in the opening round.
Jordan Spieth (right) played alongside Jon Rahm (left) and Rory McIlroy in the first two rounds.
Two bogeys in the closing stages dropped him to two spots behind leader Logjam Share, and Spieth shot a 72 in the second round to make just one birdie, but his hopes were dashed by scores of 70 and 68 over the weekend.
Spieth showed plenty of signs of encouragement from the tee and showed off some impressive touch around the greens, suggesting a return to the winner’s circle could be on the horizon despite finishing outside the top 15 at the PGA Championship for the seventh consecutive year.
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Following the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open, winning the PGA Championship would complete a career Grand Slam for Jordan Spieth.
Khan hailed as Club Pro King
The bottom 14 spots on this week’s leaderboard were taken by a team of just over 20 club professionals in the field, but Ben Khan became a social media sensation after securing his spot for the weekend.
Khan, who is the general manager of Hickory Hills Golf Club in Ohio and aims to play one round a week, had the best performance of his life Friday with a second-round 67 and six birdies.
While the annual question remains whether including 20 club pros in a 156-man major field is excessive, Khan surpassed a personal goal by scoring a final round of 72 to earn him a weekend tee time, including a pair with Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald.
Success stories involving club pros are rare, with Michael Brock achieving cult status in 2023 with a hole-in-one and a tied-for-15th finish, but Khan’s performance validated his place in the field and allowed him to celebrate a “special week” at golf’s top table.
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Relive when Michael Brock made a hole-in-one in front of Rory McIlroy during the 2023 PGA Championship.
What’s next?
The PGA Tour heads to the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch in Texas, where Scheffler returns as the defending champion. Early coverage starts at 12.45pm on Thursday on Sky Sports+ and 5pm on Sky Sports Golf.
McIlroy will take two weeks off and return at the Memorial Tournament from June 4-7, but his next men’s major will be the US Open at Sinek Hills from June 18-21, both broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf. Get and stream Sky Sports without a contract.
