Aaron Rai was always the player who used iron headcovers and wore two gloves. Both were very good and humble reasons, which perfectly fit his personality, but now he is a Major champion.
At just 31 and in just his 13th Major Rai landed the PGA Championship at Aronimink with a brilliant closing round of 65. In the end it was a three-shot win. He was one over for his first eight holes but then he produced some sensational golf, making an eagle at the 9th and coming home in 31.
A chasing pack that included the likes of Rory McIlory, Jon Rahm, Ludvig Aberg and the long-time clubhouse threat in two-time champion Justin Thomas couldn’t stick with him.
The supposed bomber’s paradise
Coming into the week all we heard about was that it would suit the big hitters. Rai was ranked as the 66th longest hitter this week and he sits in 160th spot for driving distance on the PGA Tour. At the 72nd hole, pumped up like never before, Rai launched one 330 yards down the middle.
Playing from the short stuff
While others were gouging irons from the thickish and unpredictable rough Rai was generally playing from the fairway. He was ranked as the 6th straightest player off the tee and that was crucial as he shaped various drives into the ideal position to get at the tricky pins. On Sunday he missed just four fairways which is a hell of an achievement the way the fairways sat and sloped. And his approach play was actually the best bit. Only Jhonattan Vegas was better than Rai for approach play.
That putt
Rai, like JJ Spaun last year, holed an absolute monster putt just when he needed it. Having rolled in an eagle and five birdies already he then drained a 68-foot putt across the 17th green when two putts would have been great in the situation. It was the second longest putt holed all week and he was the fifth best player on the greens over the course of the week.
His playing partner
For some it might not matter who you’re paired with but Rai certainly got lucky going out with Ludvig Aberg. Rai was out in the third last group, just ahead of Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffle and just behind Jon Rahm. Aberg’s little smirk and fist pump on 17 was one of the great moments.
The ultimate nice guy
Rai, ever since he graduated from the lower tiers, has been a breath of fresh air in terms of being normal and respectful. A former colleague, while putting together his dissertation, contacted Rai for a possible chat and he replied and then gave him over an hour of his time. There’s not an ounce of ego about him, he plays the game his own way and he’s going to make a hell of a foursomes partner at next year’s Ryder Cup, which you can bet on with new betting sites available on MBS.
This was no fluke
There has been plenty of talk about the lack of an English winner in this Championship. Nick Faldo never managed it and only Jim Barnes picked up this trophy. But Rai has won on the PGA Tour before at the 2024 Wyndham Championship and he has twice beaten Tommy Fleetwood in play-offs on the DP World Tour. He came into the week as the 44th best player in the world, having made his last eight cuts in the Majors, and he’ll leave Philadelphia as the World No. 15.
His demeanour
Aside from his spectacular manners and unstinting politeness, the way he kept himself in check after making the eagle on 9 and then the five birdies, including that putt on 17, coming him was incredible. No fist pumps, barely even a smile but, with every passing hole, you sensed that he had the temperament to win his first Major.
“I think firstly the golf course really demands it. It was a true Major championship setup in terms of how difficult it was, how penalizing it was, but it also rewarded you for good play. So I think the nature of the course and the nature of the shots that are required over the last few holes just require a lot of attention and a lot of focus.”
His work ethic
Rai is a known grafter and quite often he’ll be the last one on the range. This week he was seen as the last player around the chipping green, working on his shots from some thick rough. It’s already paid off, now it’s come off at the highest level.
“A lot of that has come from upbringing, my mom, my dad, my siblings. Golf was always a very big part of my life from a very young age, but my mom and my siblings were very fast to continue to reinforce the importance of just being a good person and trying to do the right things away from golf.
“And that was consistent from a very young age, from the age of 5, 6 years old. I think as I’ve continued to develop as a junior, as an amateur, as a professional, golf in itself is an extremely humbling game. There’s so much hard work and discipline that goes into acquiring the skills to become better but you also realize that nothing is ever given in this game at any point, whether it’s a tournament, whether it’s a practice round, whether it’s even away from a tournament week. All of these things have to be done diligently and require focus.”
In a really good and positive way, Rai really is one of a kind.
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