Aaron Rai Withdraws From CJ Cup Byron Nelson 24 Hours After 3-Shot PGA Championship Win
Updated
Updated · ESPN · May 18
Aaron Rai Withdraws From CJ Cup Byron Nelson 24 Hours After 3-Shot PGA Championship Win
13 articles · Updated · ESPN · May 18
Less than 24 hours after his PGA Championship breakthrough, Aaron Rai pulled out of this week's CJ Cup Byron Nelson and was replaced in the field by S.Y. Noh.
Rai, 31, won his first major Sunday with a 5-under 65 and a 3-shot victory at Aronimink, taking control with six birdies over the final 10 holes.
That closing stretch put him in rare company: the only other players to go 6 under or better over a major's last 10 holes were Cameron Smith in 2022 and Jack Nicklaus in 1986.
The Byron Nelson begins Thursday with defending champion Scottie Scheffler, Si Woo Kim, Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka and Wyndham Clark still in the field, while several others also withdrew after the PGA.
How did a little-known metric prove Rai’s final round was one of golf's most dominant performances ever?
Is the PGA Tour's schedule forcing new stars to choose between victory laps and their next tournament?
What does Aaron Rai's unconventional approach signal for his future after this historic major championship win?