Aaron Rai has etched his name in golf history by becoming the first player born in England to claim the PGA Championship in more than 100 years. The 31-year-old golfer, who once aspired to race in Formula 1 before pursuing golf, staged a remarkable comeback at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.
Trailing by three strokes as he made the turn, Rai delivered a championship-caliber performance that included sinking a spectacular 40-foot eagle on the ninth hole during an incredible stretch where he needed just one putt on seven consecutive greens. His defining moment came with a stunning 70-foot birdie putt across the 17th green that secured his victory. Rai finished with a final-round 65, five under par.
The victory makes Rai the first golfer of Indian heritage to capture a major championship. His journey from watching Tiger Woods on VHS tapes as a youngster in England to seeing his own name engraved on the Wanamaker Trophy represents a remarkable achievement built on humility and dedication.
Rai’s performance over the final 10 holes was historic, playing them at 6 under par. Only Jack Nicklaus during his legendary 1986 Masters triumph posted better numbers over a similar stretch to win a major championship. The Englishman surged past several of golf’s elite players to claim his first major title.
While Rai celebrated, other contenders struggled in the final round. Rory McIlroy’s bid for a comeback victory unraveled with frustration, including an angry confrontation with a spectator who shouted “U-S-A!” after McIlroy’s errant shot from thick rough at the 16th hole. The two-time PGA Championship winner appeared to use profanity while telling the fan to “shut up.” Other top players including Jon Rahm, Cam Smith, and Xander Schauffele also failed to mount successful challenges against Rai’s surge.
In NBA action, the Cleveland Cavaliers advanced to the Eastern Conference finals with a commanding 125-94 Game 7 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 26 points, while Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill each contributed 23 points. Evan Mobley added 21 points and 12 rebounds as the fourth-seeded Cavaliers eliminated the East’s top seed. Cleveland will face the New York Knicks in the conference finals, with Game 1 scheduled for Tuesday in New York. This marks the Cavaliers’ first conference finals appearance since 2018.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder captured his second consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player award, becoming the 14th player in league history to win back-to-back MVP honors and the 18th to claim at least two MVP trophies. The Thunder, who won 64 games this season as defending champions, are preparing for an epic Western Conference finals matchup against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, who won 62 games. The Spurs notably defeated the Thunder in all four of their regular season meetings. Game 1 of the series begins Monday in Oklahoma City.
At Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Alex Palou secured his second career Indianapolis 500 pole position with a qualifying speed average of 232.248 mph. The defending champion becomes the first title holder to earn the pole since 2010 and is the only driver in this year’s 33-car field to exceed 232 mph in qualifying. Alexander Rossi will start second at 231.990 mph, followed by David Malukas at 231.877 mph on the front row. Felix Rosenqvist, who led qualifying through the first two rounds, settled for fourth place at 231.375 mph.
Two American drivers faced disappointing qualifying results. Josef Newgarden will start 24th, while Kyle Kirkwood qualified 26th on a challenging day marked by high temperatures, hot track conditions, and strong winds. Kirkwood’s team failed to advance to the 12-car pole shootout, making it more difficult for him to close Alex Palou’s 27-point championship lead in next Sunday’s race.
In Major League Baseball, the Kansas City Royals continue to struggle despite outstanding individual performance from Bobby Witt Jr. The star player has been exceptional, hitting .395 with four home runs over his last 10 games, yet Kansas City lost seven of those contests. The Royals, who made the playoffs as a wild card team a couple of years ago and won 82 games in 2025, are currently tied with Detroit for last place in the AL Central division.
Meanwhile, the Chicago White Sox have found success with Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami, who wasn’t initially expected to join the organization. Murakami leads the American League with 17 home runs and tops his team with 32 RBIs through Sunday’s games. The White Sox rank second in Major League Baseball with 66 total home runs. Murakami signed a $34 million, two-year contract in December after entering MLB’s posting system in November to a lighter market than anticipated.
