Humble roots and hard work helped forge Rai into major champion

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pennsylvania — Aaron Rai stood straight with his arms behind his back, perfect posture, as he waited to be introduced as the latest — and among the most remarkable — winner of the PGA Championship.

Next to him on a small table was the Wanamaker Trophy, big and silver and shiny.

Rai couldn't resist a quick glance at the 12.2-kilogram trophy and all those names.

Jim Barnes won the first two PGA Championships in 1916 and 1919, and, since then, there had not been another winner from England until Rai won at Aronimink on Sunday.

And there was also Tiger Woods, once a mythical figure on VHS tapes to a young boy growing up in the Midlands town of Wolverhampton.

"We used to watch them a hell of a lot, probably two, three times a week, if not more," Rai said of the tapes of Woods winning US Amateurs and his early feats as a pro. "I just remember being in awe just watching all of the things that he could do.

"So, yeah, to have my name with him on this trophy is incredible, really."

Practically everything about Rai's victory Sunday was incredible.

He was among 22 players separated by four shots going into the final round, a logjam the likes of which the PGA Championship had never seen. He was just another name on the leaderboard midway through the final round, three shots behind and coming off two bogeys in three holes.

What followed was the stuff of major champions — seven consecutive one-putt greens, including a 40-foot eagle on the par-5 ninth that turned his fortunes.

He was six under over the last 10 holes. The last time anyone did better to win a major was Jack Nicklaus in the 1986 Masters.

Rai's first love as a boy was Formula One, and he dreamed of being a driver. He certainly drove like one on the back nine, zooming into the lead, leaving behind the likes of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele, Cameron Smith, Justin Rose and Justin Thomas.

Now he takes his place in golf history as a major champion, with a fifth career win worldwide that moves him to a career-best No 15 in the world.

"Everyone playing in the field this week has a great journey to be able to share," Rai said. "And I'm no exception to that."

His stands out.

He wears two gloves because that's what he did as a kid to fight off the cold English winter. Rai has a work ethic that rivals anyone, regardless of the temperature.

How many major champions — or any elite player — has plastic iron covers? For Rai, it's a reminder of his roots. He once said his father sacrificed to buy the nicest golf clubs he could and then would clean the grooves with baby oil after his son was done playing. Rai has left the iron covers on since then "to remember where I came from and to respect what I have".

He never got teased because he didn't spend much time around other junior golfers. Rai said it was only when he was about 12 did he graduate to starting the hole on the forward tee box instead of the fairway. That was the idea of his father to get him in a place where making par didn't feel so impossible.

"I didn't really mix with a lot of other junior golfers, which didn't give me a perspective of what was normal," he said.

"So, I think he kind of sheltered me to be able to develop in a way that made sense for me, in a way that, I guess, was a little bit unique with two gloves, with iron covers.

"By the time he probably allowed me to play more club golf ... I felt like I was strong enough in why I did certain things to be able to continue to move that forward. I know the reasons why I do them. I believe in the reasons why I do them."

It's all about respect, and the greatest respect he showed was to Aronimink.

Rai figured there were too many players — too many stars — on the leaderboard for him to worry about. And Aronimink, with its wildly contoured greens and tough pins, required so much focus that he didn't have energy to think about anything but the next shot.

The performance was worthy of a major champion.

Rahm couldn't make enough putts for birdie. McIlroy couldn't handle the par 5s (he played them even for the week). Alex Smalley and Matti Schmid couldn't avoid key mistakes. That left Rai to finish strong for a 65 to win by three over Rahm and Smalley.

There was a lot of disappointment to go around, but also joy for the winner. Rai is enormously popular with his peers, and it was evident.

"You won't find one person on property who's not happy for him," McIlroy said.

Schauffele referred to him as an "all-world gentleman".

But this isn't just about being a nice guy. Golf is loaded with those. Schauffele still remembers a late summer night in Scotland when he and his caddie went out for a putting contest. There was Rai at 9 pm, and when he finished, the Englishman was off to the gym.

"Rarely do you feel like people work way harder than you," Schauffele said. "That's what it is about to be a major champion. You put the work in when nobody's looking. Super pumped for him."