Aaron Rai is the sport’s newest major champion, with the Englishman claiming his first major title at the PGA Championship in 2026.
Born in March 1995 in Wolverhampton, England, Rai took up the game from a young age when his mother returned from the store with plastic golf clubs. He then spent his junior days at Patshull Park. He turned professional at the age of 17, and after a number of years on the PGA EuroPro Tour and the European Challenge Tour, he had his breakthrough year in 2017.
That year, Rai was a three-time winner on the European Challenge Tour, including an emotional win in Kenya, with his Kenyan-born mother alongside him all week. Those three wins granted him immediate exemption to the DP World Tour. He claimed his first victory on the tour in 2018, winning the Honma Hong Kong Open, before then taking the title at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open – one of the Rolex Series events on the tour – a couple of years later.
His debut year on the PGA Tour came in the 2022 season, but the Englishman would have to wait two years before he claimed his first victory. That came at the Wyndham Championship, and he would go on to qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship later that year as well. Rai’s biggest win to date came in November 2025, as he won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the first event of the DP World Tour’s Playoffs that season. To do so, he downed fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood in a play-off.
The biggest moment of Rai’s career so far came in May 2026, as the Englishman became a major champion for the first time. Prior to the 2026 PGA Championship, Rai was yet to break into the top ten of a major. That would soon change, and in emphatic fashion, as Rai cruised to victory at Aronimink thanks to a final round 65, becoming the first Englishman to win the tournament since 1919.
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Aaron Rai | Player Profile
Personal Information
Name: Aaron Rai
Born: March 3, 1995
Nationality: England
Residence: Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Career
Turned Pro: 2012
Professional Wins: 9
Highest World Ranking: 20 – September 22, 2024
Best Results In Majors
Best Finishes:
– Masters Tournament – T27 (2025)
– PGA Championship – WON (2026)
– US Open – T19 (2024)
– Open Championship – T19 (2021)
Professional Wins – 9
2015 (1) – Glenfarclas Open
2017 (3) – Barclays Kenya Open, Andalucía Costa del Sol Match Play 9, Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge
2018 (1) – Honma Hong Kong Open
2020 (1) – Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open
2024 (1) – Wyndham Championship
2025 (1) – Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
2026 (1) – PGA Championship
Aaron Rai | What’s In His Bag?
Unlike most, Rai does not use the newest clubs available. Instead, he opts for a TaylorMade M6 driver, along with SIM2 fairway woods and hybrids.
You can take a look at our full piece on what’s in Aaron Rai’s bag here.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Aaron Rai
When and where was Aaron Rai born?
Aaron Rai was born in Wolverhampton, England in March 1995. He fell into the game of golf, with his mother bringing home plastic clubs.
When did Aaron Rai turn professional?
Aaron Rai turned professional in 2012 and spent time on the PGA EuroPro Tour and European Challenge Tour before graduating to the DP World Tour for the 2017 season.
How many professional titles has Aaron Rai won?
As of May 2026, Rai is a nine-time winner as a professional. He has three DP World Tour wins – the Honma Hong Kong Open, the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open and the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The Englishman’s most recent win, though, is his biggest – a major championship. He was victorious at the PGA Championship at Aronimink to become a major champion for the first time.
Did you Know?
Two Gloves
Rai is one of very few professional golfers to wear two gloves. He says that it aids with his grip, and that his game would be “messy” without them.
First Major Top Ten = First Major Victory
Incredibly, Rai’s victory at the PGA Championship in 2026 was also his first top ten in a major championship. Prior to the win, he had (weirdly!) notched up T19 finishes at the PGA Championship, US Open and Open Championship.
Island Ace
The Englishman has his name in the history books at TPC Sawgrass, and the Players Championship. He is one of only a few to have made a hole-in-one on the signature 17th hole on the Stadium Course, doing so in 2023.
Who Needs Signature Events?
Rai’s 2024 season was a successful one, as it brought about his first victory on the PGA Tour. He also managed to make it to the season-ending Tour Championship, despite not featuring in any of the eight Signature Events that year.
Other Aaron Rai Articles
PGA Tour star Aaron Rai on Wyndham win, a surprise season and his Masters debut
Why does Aaron Rai wear two gloves?
What do you make of Aaron Rai’s ascendancy towards the top of golf? Can the Englishman go on and win major titles? Let us know your thoughts with a post on X, formerly Twitter!
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