‘Unbelievable’ Aaron Rai: Florida-based British-Indian Golfer Makes History with Stunning PGA Championship Victory

Aaron Rai delivered one of the most unexpected and remarkable performances in modern major championship golf, becoming the first English-born player in 107 years to win the PGA Championship with a stunning final-round surge at Aronimink Golf Club near Philadelphia, on May 17, 2026.

The 31-year-old from Wolverhampton, England, closed with a 5-under 65 to finish at 9-under par, defeating Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley by three strokes, according to CBS News. In doing so, Rai became the first player of Indian heritage to win a men’s major championship.

Rai was three shots behind and approaching the turn when he delivered a performance worthy of a major champion, according to CBS News. He made a 40-foot eagle putt on the par-5 ninth during a stretch when he one-putted seven straight greens to take the lead.

On the closing holes when the contenders needed him to stumble, Rai holed a birdie putt of some 70 feet across the 17th green for the clincher, according to multiple outlets. The PGA Championship’s official Twitter account called it “UNBELIEVABLE FROM AARON RAI,” adding that he “drains a 70-footer at the 17th to move to 9-under and open up a three-shot lead with one hole to play.”

“The shots Rai executed on Sunday afternoon are worthy of discussion. The bunker shot at the 13th that set up a birdie and a two-shot lead was exquisite,” according to the PGA Tour.

Rai played the last 10 holes in 6-under to separate from a tournament that was previously inseparable, according to the PGA Tour. The 22 players within four shots of the lead going into the final round was a PGA Championship record.

Indian Heritage

Rai’s family is of Indian heritage, according to NBC New York. His father, Amrik Singh, was born in England to immigrants from India. His mother, Dalvir Shukla, immigrated to England from Kenya as a teenager.

According to the DP World Tour, Rai’s 2017 victory at the Barclays Kenya Open had special significance as his Kenya-born mother saw him triumph in her first visit to her home country for 47 years.

Rai joins two-time PGA champion Vijay Singh as major champions of Indian heritage, according to the PGA Tour. He is married to Gaurika Bishnoi, a professional golfer from India who competes on the Ladies European Tour.

Despite not being well known among casual observers, Rai is a star in the eyes of his peers for his humility and gracious personality, according to the PGA Tour. “You won’t find one person on property who’s not happy for him,” McIlroy said.

After tapping in for par on the 72nd hole, Rai saluted the Aronimink crowd before embracing Bishnoi, according to Golfmagic.

Parade magazine reported that Bishnoi called him a “rockstar” after he signed a baby’s onesie following his victory. Rai credits Bishnoi’s support, saying, “I wouldn’t be here without her,” according to Parade.

Born on March 3, 1995, in Wombourne, England, located a few miles southwest of Wolverhampton, Rai turned professional in 2012. He now lives in Jacksonville, Florida, and practices at nearby TPC at Sawgrass.

“Rai, who dreamed of being a Formula 1 driver until he turned to golf as a boy, was three shots behind and approaching the turn at Aronimink Golf Club when he delivered a performance worthy of a major champion,” CBS News reported.

His path to major championship glory was far from conventional. After two years without a consistent tour to play on, Rai found a place on the now-defunct PGA EuroPro Tour, where Tommy Fleetwood was also a member at one point, according to the PGA Tour.

He won 886 pounds in his first year in 2014 — the same year Rory McIlroy won two majors — and struggled to acclimate to the competition, according to the PGA Tour. The carrot for Rai wasn’t money, but status on the HotelPlanner Tour (the DP World Tour’s version of the Korn Ferry Tour), given to the top finishers.

That came in 2016 after he finished No. 5 on the Order of Merit, according to the PGA Tour. He won an event in his second season on the HotelPlanner Tour, which earned him DP World Tour status. He remained in Europe full time until 2020, when he moved to the U.S. and earned his PGA Tour card through the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, according to Sky Sports.

Career Victories and Progression

Rai’s professional victories span development tours, European elite events, and now the biggest stage in major championship golf:

– 2017: Barclays Kenya Open on the Challenge Tour

– 2018: Honma Hong Kong Open on the European Tour (his maiden DP World Tour title, won wire-to-wire)

– 2020: Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open on the DP World Tour (defeating Tommy Fleetwood in a playoff)

– 2024: Wyndham Championship on the PGA Tour (his first PGA Tour victory)

– 2025: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on the DP World Tour (again defeating Fleetwood in a playoff)

– 2026: PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club

A successful 2024 season saw Rai claim his maiden victory on the PGA Tour at the Wyndham Championship, five other top-10 finishes, and 14 consecutive cuts made. He also qualified for the Tour Championship and was the only golfer in the 30-man field to do so without playing a single signature event.

In the third round of the 2023 Players Championship, Rai scored a hole-in-one on the signature 17th island green, according to Wikipedia.

His PGA Tour profile lists career earnings of $12,335,392 and shows 91 cuts made in 122 PGA Tour starts, according to a biographical profile.

Following his PGA Championship victory, Rai will move to a career-high 15th in the Official World Golf Rankings, according to Golfmagic.

 The Two-Glove Golfer

Rai is one of the few professional golfers to wear two gloves. He started wearing gloves as a kid in England to battle the cold winters when he was practicing — and he was always practicing, according to the PGA Tour.

Golf.com noted that “Saturday night, with dusk approaching, Rai was practicing alone in the short-game area here. No caddie, no bag, no entourage. Just one lone golfer wearing two gloves playing one pitch shot after another with one club.”

Parade magazine reported that Rai is also known for keeping the covers on his irons. “Reportedly, Rai started wearing gloves to keep his hands warm while practicing in the chilly winter weather, and continues to cover his clubs as a reminder of where he came from.”

Despite not being well known among casual observers, Rai is a star in the eyes of his peers for his humility and gracious personality, according to the PGA Tour.

“You won’t find one person on property who’s not happy for him,” McIlroy said, according to the PGA Tour.

“Super pumped for him and his team,” Xander Schauffele said. “All-world gentleman, no doubt.”