Aaron Rai won the Wanamaker trophy on Sunday but he’s still waiting to be reunited with his sterling silver hardware. He’s the first Englishman to win the trophy since Jim Barnes, who won the inaugural PGA in 1916 and again in 1919. “We actually haven’t received it yet,” Rai said of the trophy named for Rodman Wanamaker, who made his fortune in department stores and donated the seed money for the original trophy, which dates to 1916.
“I think there was an issue with a bit of damage on the trophy, so they said they will send it in the coming days,” Rai said during a call with British media on Thursday evening. “I’m not sure what exactly happened. But there was just a little bit of damage towards the top of the trophy, which they wanted to fix before it went anywhere. “It wouldn’t be the first time.
Walter Hagen famously lost the trophy. Rai receives custody of the trophy for one year. He then receives a 90 percent replica.
That went into effect in 2009, beginning with Y. E. Yang. Prior to that, champions had to buy a replica if they wanted one. The trophy weighs 27 pounds, is about 27 inches handle-to-handle, and stands 28 inches tall.
Efforts to reach the PGA of America for comment were not immediately answered. This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Aaron Rai’s Wanamaker Trophy damaged and delayed after PGA win
