England’s Aaron Rai secured his first PGA Tour victory after shooting an 18-under-par total to win the Wyndham Championship.
The 29-year-old from Wolverhampton closed with a 6-under 64 in the FedExCup Regular Season finale held at Sedgefield Country Club in North Carolina to win by two shots from Max Greyserman.
“It truly is a dream come true,” said Rai, who is a two-time winner on the DP World Tour. ”So many people have played a huge role in me being at this point.”
In addition to his brilliant play, Rai’s path victory was dealt a huge boost when long-time leader Greyserman threw away a four-shot lead in a single disastrous hole on the back nine on Sunday.
QUADTRUPLE BOGEY
The 29-year-old American, playing in his first season on the PGA Tour, racked up a costly quadruple-bogey eight at the par-four 14th hole after his tee shot hit a cart path and bounced out of bounds. He then found a bunker with his approach to the green with his second ball.
After losing his lead, Greyserman, who shot 60 in the second round – four-putted the par-3 16th from 40 feet to hand the advantage to Rai. The American eventually closed with a 69 for outright second on 16 under.
“If that [tee shot on 14] does not hit the cart path, we’re probably in a different situation,” Greyserman said later. “That doesn’t mean that that one bounce is the reason that I didn’t win. I played good enough to kind of run away with it, but obviously stuff happens in golf and sometimes it’s not meant to be.”
TWO ROUNDS IN A DAY
Sunday proved a gruellingly long day, with the entire field having to play 36 holes after play was washed out by rain on Thursday and delayed on Friday and Saturday.
Rai said he didn’t look at the leaderboards all day and didn’t know his standing in the tournament, even when playing the last hole, where he secured a birdie.
“I didn’t really look and didn’t ask to know that information,” Rai said. “I think that was probably a good thing that helped me just to focus on the golf. I was playing well and I knew that if I finished off well, then you never know what can happen.”
OVERDUE VICTORY
Rai’s first PGA Tour success has been a long-time coming, despite being a relative newcomer on the US circuit, having joined it full-time in 2021.
The 29-year-old had enjoyed six top-10 finishes this season coming into the Wyndham Championship, with four coming in his last five starts, highlighting a man in form.
This year he ranks fourth in Strokes Gained: Total, eighth in Approach, 10th in Tee to Green and third in Driving Accuracy. He has also made 17 cuts from 21 events.
The win moved Rai up to 53rd in the PGA Tour point list, qualifying him for the first event of the FedExCup, which begins at the FedEx St Jude Championship on Thursday (August 15).
For all the scores from the Wyndham Championship, click here.
AARON RAI WITB
Driver: TaylorMade M6 (9°)
Fairway woods: TaylorMade Qi10 (3 (15°), 5, (18°))
Hybrid: Titleist TSR2 (24°)
Irons: TaylorMade P7TW (5-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (46, 48, 54, 60)
Putter: TaylorMade TP Dupage
Ball: Titleist Pro V1