Aaron Rai shocked the golf world by winning his first career major at the PGA Championship on Sunday, pulling off what ESPN Research confirms is the biggest long-shot victory in at least 20 years. DraftKings Sportsbook had Rai at 290-1 odds to win the Wanamaker Trophy on Thursday morning before the tournament at Aronimink Golf Club began. The Englishman's triumph exceeded even the most daring predictions in recent major championship history.

One fortunate bettor turned a modest $288 wager at 230-1 into a $66,240 payout, while Caesars Sportsbook reported a $190 bet at 200-1 that cashed for $38,000. Rai's odds fluctuated dramatically throughout the tournament—he opened at 18-1 on Sunday and stretched to 44-1 during the final round. This victory surpassed previous long-shot major winners Phil Mickelson at the 2021 PGA Championship and Louis Oosthuizen at the 2010 Open Championship, both at 200-1.

The betting public largely overlooked Rai, with just 0.1% of tickets backing him before the tournament and only 0.6% by the third round. Sportsbooks benefited significantly from this lack of confidence. Scottie Scheffler entered as the +385 favorite and finished tied for 14th, while Cameron Young (T-26), Matt Fitzpatrick (T-14), Jordan Spieth (T-18) and Rickie Fowler (T-60) were all liabilities for sportsbooks due to their popularity with bettors.