Forbes printed the purse breakdown for the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink. Aaron Rai's winning share was $3.69 million, of a record $20.5 million purse — a $1.5 million increase over 2025. [1] [2]

Rai's cheque is up from Scottie Scheffler's $3.42 million at Quail Hollow last year. He becomes the first Englishman to win the PGA Championship; his career earnings clear $16 million on a single Sunday. [2] [3]

The number matters because the paper's first-week postmortem treated Rai as a CBS recovery test — a foreign-born winner without American star wattage, a five-hour walking broadcast, and the second-largest purse in major golf. The cheque sets the floor; ratings and ad rates will set the ceiling. CBS has not published its Sunday number. [2]

Rai shot 65 in the final round to win by one. He earned 600 FedEx Cup points and lifetime PGA Tour exemptions. The next stop is the Memorial Tournament. [1] [3]

The cohort question — whether a foreign-born grinder who came up through the European Tour anchors a broadcast the way an American star does — is now a number waiting on a ratings card. [2]

-- CHARLES ASHFORD, London