English golfer Aaron Rai produced the finest moment of his career on Sunday by winning the PGA Championship with a three-shot victory over Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley. The Indian-origin golfer became the first Englishman in 107 years to win the event, ending a drought that stretched back to Jim Barnes’ triumph in 1919.
Rai finished the week at nine under par after a composed final-round 65. He pulled away from the field with four birdies on the back nine, including a remarkable 68-foot putt on the 17th hole that all but sealed the title.
The 31-year-old also became the first player in PGA Championship history to improve his score in every round of the tournament. Even after the winning putt dropped, Rai remained calm and measured in his celebrations.
“Extremely, extremely proud,” Rai said after the win. “There’s a lot of incredible and historic English players over those 100 years who have gone on to achieve incredible things and had phenomenal careers.”
Born in Wolverhampton and raised in nearby Wombourne, Rai took a very different route from many modern golfers. Instead of heading to the United States for college golf, he turned professional at the age of 17 after discussions with his family and mentors.
“I turned pro when I was 17,” Rai told Golf Digest. “We believed turning pro was the best way to learn, even though I probably wasn’t ready.”
Rai started out on the PGA EuroPro Tour in 2014 before gradually climbing through the professional ranks. He made his major debut at the 2017 US Open, though success at golf’s biggest events did not come immediately. Before this victory, his best major finishes were tied for 19th at the 2024 US Open and the 2025 PGA Championship.
The Wolverhampton-born golfer entered the final round two shots behind overnight leader Alex Smalley and was one over through eight holes after mixing three bogeys with two birdies. His challenge gathered momentum at the par-five ninth, where he drained a 40-foot eagle putt that changed the course of the round.
Rai continued to build pressure on the chasing pack with birdies at the 13th and 16th before producing the defining moment of the championship at the 17th. His long birdie putt sent the crowd into celebration and effectively secured the Wanamaker Trophy.
“Very surreal,” Rai said after the victory. “It’s been a bit of a frustrating season so to be standing here is definitely outside of my wildest imagination.”
WHO IS AARON RAI?
Rai was born on March 3, 1995, into a family with deep Indian roots. His father, Amrik Singh, was born in England to Indian immigrants, while his mother, Dalvir Shukla, moved to England from Kenya as a teenager.
His upbringing centred around discipline and hard work. His father combined community work with amateur tennis, while his mother worked several jobs over the years, including as a mental-health nurse and aerobics instructor. Rai grew up alongside his three older siblings and studied at Wolverhampton Grammar School.
Golf came into his life almost by accident. When he was four years old, he was struck by his brother’s hockey stick, leading his mother to look for a safer sport. She bought him a set of plastic golf clubs, beginning a journey that would eventually take him to the top of the sport.
As a child, Rai was fascinated by Formula 1 and often arrived at junior golf events dressed in Ferrari clothing before committing fully to golf. He trained at the Three Hammers Golf Complex and joined Patshull Park Golf Club at the age of five.
Rai is now regarded as one of the most accurate drivers on the PGA Tour. His calm temperament and disciplined style have earned him a reputation as one of the steadiest players in the game. He is also known for wearing two gloves and using iron covers during tournaments, both unusual sights in professional golf.
The iron covers, however, reflect his upbringing. Rai has often explained that as a youngster, golf equipment was expensive and difficult to replace, so protecting his clubs became a habit he never abandoned. Even after reaching the PGA Tour, he retained the routine as a reminder of his journey and his family’s sacrifices.
Away from golf, Rai is married to Indian golfer Gaurika Bishnoi, a multiple-time winner on the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour who also competes on the Ladies European Tour. Rai has occasionally caddied for her during tournaments.
Before his PGA Championship triumph, Rai’s biggest victory came at the 2024 Wyndham Championship. His breakthrough at one of golf’s biggest events now places him alongside some of the sport’s most celebrated names. From a small village in England to becoming the first Englishman in more than a century to win the PGA Championship, Aaron Rai has produced one of the most remarkable stories in modern golf.
– Ends
