Before winning PGA Championship, Aaron Rai won the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro in 2024

This story was originally published in August of 2024.

GREENSBORO - Aaron "Two Gloves" Rai didn't have a firm grip on the 85th Wyndham Championship until very late on Sunday night.

But not long after the sun officially set at Sedgefield Country Club did Rai have his first PGA Tour win, thanks in part to an epic meltdown on the back nine by former Duke golfer Max Greyserman, who at one point had a four-stroke lead with five holes to play.

Greyserman, a PGA Tour rookie making his 23rd career start at the age of 29, eagled the par-4 13th hole after holing out his approach to seemingly take control of the tournament. He was at 21 under for the tournament but had a disaster on 14 by blocking a ball right out of bounds on his drive that led to a quadruple eight.

Greyserman, who shot 60 in the second round on Friday, stood up to reporters' questions after the near miss.

"I had a four-shot lead with five holes to go," he said. "If you're doing that in a PGA Tour event, you're doing something exceptionally well, so that's what I'm going to walk away with."

Rai walked away with the title that brings him security on the PGA Tour and a spot in the 2025 Masters among other top tournaments he'll get to play over the next two years.

"It feels amazing, and it's a dream come true," said Rai, who is the 21st first-time PGA Tour winner in the history of the tournament and the 11th first-time winner this season.

The final regular-season tournament before the FedEx Cup playoffs begins in Memphis had one of the longest days in its history on the PGA Tour. Not only did 20 golfers have to finish their second rounds on Sunday morning starting at 6:45 a.m., the 67 golfers who made the cut had to play 36 holes before sunset.

Rai fired a 6-under 64 and a short birdie putt on the 18th hole secured the win as he finished 18 under. Greyserman, who also four-putted the 16th hole for a double bogey, finished two shots back at 16 under as he was also trying to win his first PGA Tour title.

Rai, a 29-year-old from England playing in his 89th PGA Tour tournament, started picking up the game seriously at age 12 and that's when he began wearing two gloves. He never changed as he got better and better on his way to becoming a pro golfer.

"It was by accident, really," Rai said about finding golf at a young age. "My dad used to play a lot of tennis, and I think he was trying to teach me how to play tennis, but my forehand looked more like a golf swing, so then he felt that I may have had something natural for golf."

He came into this week having made seven straight cuts and felt good about his game. Unfortunately, like the rest of the field, the tournament had a rare off day thanks to Tropical Storm Debby on Thursday, when the round was washed out.

Rai said he spent time talking with his family, and also went to the movies. He saw "Deadpool & Wolverine" and didn't feel guilty at all about having the day off after five inches of rain fell on the Donald Ross layout on Thursday.

"It was actually really nice to just chill out and have a day off," he said.

As for the long day on Sunday, Rai said having to go through U.S. Open qualifying with a 36-hole day earlier this summer helped.

"It's not really that we play two rounds in one day, but having that experience and just kind of managing energy and also managing my time on a Saturday night with recovery was key," he said.

Rai had a one-shot lead walking to the 18th tee with Greyserman one group behind him. Billy Horschel, who was in the same group with Rai, asked him on the 18th if Rai wanted to know where he stood.

Rai then asked his caddie, Jason Timmis, what the situation was.

"He knows me pretty well and I trust whatever he says, so he just said ‘focus on playing a good hole here,'" Rai said.

And Rai did just that by piping a drive down the middle, hitting a 6-iron to about 10 feet and making the birdie putt for the two-shot win.

Rai said Horschel was good to play with during the long day and they've played several practice rounds together at TPC Sawgrass in Jacksonville, Florida where they both live. Horschel was encouraging Rai late in the round, and that was something Rai appreciated.

"Obviously he's one of the best players in the world, and has had an amazing career," Rai said. "So, for him to share some of his knowledge with me has been incredible. It was great to share that with him today as well."

Rai said he was due to catch a 5:30 a.m. flight Monday morning so there would not be a lot of celebrating on Sunday night. He got done with his media obligations around 10 p.m. and was already starting to look ahead to the playoffs.

"I'm very proud and happy with the consistency more than anything else," he said about his turn around this season. "It's amazing to be here and to win this week, but I'm almost just as proud of how consistent the last couple of months have been."

The only golfer who didn't finish on Sunday night was Matt Kuchar, who had his streak snapped of reaching the FedEx Cup playoffs. He had the longest streak going, but will not be in Memphis this week. Kuchar, 46, is the only golfer to have participated in the playoffs every season since they began in 2007.

After hitting his tee shot on 18th playing in the final threesome of the day, he elected to come back on Monday morning to finish. It was his choice because play was officially called because of darkness but the other two golfers in his threesome-Greyserman and Chad Ramey-elected to finish their rounds.

Kuchar wound up finishing tied for 12th.

On Monday morning after he made his par on 18, Kuchar apologized to the media and tournament officials who had to come out and watch.

"Again, it stinks-nobody wants to be that guy that's showing up today, one person, one hole," Kuchar said. "Not even one hole, half a hole to putt. So, apologies to the tournament, to everybody that had to come out. I know it stinks; I know the ramifications, I know it stinks. Certainly, I apologize to force everybody to come out here."

Kuchar said he didn't jump on social media on Sunday night after deciding to quit but did get a call from his agent.

"I know the rules officials are trying to do," he said. "Everybody wants to get done, nobody wants to be that guy ... We all want to get done. So yeah, you hit the tee shot and kind of decide from there.

"And you guys saw the predicament I was in (left rough), it was a horrible place. Had it been a standard shot, I most likely would have proceeded."

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.