Aaron Rai said he owes a first major victory that was beyond his “wildest imagination” to his wife and parents as the Englishman stunned the field to win the US PGA Championship.
The 31-year-old from Wolverhampton, who is the first English winner of the event since 1919 and only the fifth European to win it, fought off a stellar field at Aronimink Golf Club with moments of pure brilliance to shoot a closing 65 and win by three shots.
A brilliant eagle at the ninth ignited a round which was highlighted by a majestic 69-foot birdie on 17 as Rai evoked Philadelphia’s Rocky-style underdog spirit.
“To be stood here is definitely outside of my wildest imagination,” Rai said.
Rai is known for wearing two gloves and using covers on his irons due to his respect for what he has – harking back to the Titleist clubs his father bought him as a child, which he used to clean with a pin and baby oil.
Born in Wolverhampton to working-class parents, he hailed the sacrifices they made to help his fledgling career.
“It’s probably hard for me to really express everything that I feel towards them,” Rai said.
“I think I’ll get way too emotional to speak. My dad was with me every day that I went to practice from the age of four, five years old. He actually quit his job and started to focus on my golf from a really young age.
“My mum has been absolutely incredible as well. She worked extremely long hours to just provide for the house really. I can’t put into words how much they’ve done in terms of the support, in terms of the care, in terms of love. I wouldn’t be here without them at all.”
Rai is married to Gaurika Bishnoi, herself a professional golfer on the Ladies European Tour, who sat at the front as he spoke to the media with the Wanamaker Trophy alongside him.
“I wouldn’t be here without her. Both as a companion, as a friend, as someone I’m sharing my life with, but also as a real support system for my game,” Rai added.
“Her mindset, her advice, her thoughts, whether it’s technique or the way I’m holding myself is absolutely invaluable.”
Rai went into the final round in a group on four under par, alongside the likes of Jon Rahm and Ludvig Aberg, two back from leader Alex Smalley.
With major champions Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele in a bunch just one behind and 21 players within four shots of the lead, it was a question of who could make their charge.
Justin Thomas shot 65 early on to set the clubhouse mark at five under as Smalley dropped back, but Rai was the man who found the answer, overcoming three early bogeys to pull clear and finish at nine under.
That left him three clear of Rahm and Smalley, while McIlroy was unable to find the final-round spark to carry him to back-to-back majors as he finished five adrift.
Rai is widely regarded as one of the nicest players in golf. Everyone who spoke in the wake of his victory pointed to his kindness and humility.
“I think a lot of that has come from my upbringing,” he said. “Golf was always a very big part of my life from a very young age, but my mum 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.”
Rai’s victory ended America’s 10-year grip on the event and he is the first English winner since the first champion, Jim Barnes.
“Extremely, extremely proud,” Rai said. “There’s a lot of incredible and historic English players over those hundred years who have gone on to achieve incredible things and had phenomenal careers.
“But to win this event and then to be the person that’s the first one to have won it in a long time from England is an amazing thing.”
