More than a century ago, Rodman Wanamaker changed American sports with a single meeting and a silver prize. Today, that same prize remains the dream for professional golfers all over the world.

The PGA of America highlighted a special visit by John Wanamaker during the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club near Philadelphia. This appearance happened 110 years after his great-grandfather donated the iconic trophy back in 1916.

Standing next to the sterling silver prize on its pedestal, the tribute was shared by official PGA channels just a day after the final round concluded. “I think my great-grandfather would love this. He would be proud to see it come as far as it did,” Wanamaker stated.

The history behind that moment goes back to early 1916, when professional golf in America lacked formal organization. Rodman Wanamaker hosted a special luncheon organized by the Taplow Club in New York City with 35 prominent figures from the sport.

This gathering led to the birth of the PGA of America, and he also invested his own $2,500 to fund a new national championship for professionals. The duplicate trophy was built in 1926 to travel to tournaments today, and the original 1916 piece is at the PGA Museum of Golf in Texas.

Hosting the 2026 event at Aronimink Golf Club also added emotional meaning to the anniversary. The course is outside Philadelphia, the city where the family retail business first became famous generations ago.

While the family honored the past, the field competed for their own place in the tournament's history.

Aaron Rai Adds His Name to the Wanamaker Trophy’s History

Aaron Rai won his first major title by winning the 108th PGA Championship. He finished the week at 9-under 271, clearing the rest of the field by three strokes.

Rai became the first English-born player to lift the trophy since Jim Barnes accomplished the feat all the way back in 1919. Additionally, he became just the second golfer of Indian heritage to win a major championship, after Vijay Singh.

After making an eagle on the par-5 ninth hole, he played his final ten holes in 6-under par without a single bogey. His biggest moment came on the par-3 17th hole, where he drained a 68-foot birdie putt to seal his lead.

After the victory, Rai admitted that standing there as a major champion still had not fully sunk in yet. He spoke about breaking England's long drought at the event and praised his wife, Gaurika Rai.

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Written by

Utsav Sinha

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav