Rarely does a player’s character become a key talking point following a major win, but it has in the aftermath of Aaron Rai’s breakthrough at the PGA Championship.
Sure, there are those like world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who is often regarded as a stand-up guy rooted in faith, but the topic still largely centers around how talented he is on the golf course.
Following Rai’s three-stroke win at Aronimink Golf Club, two of the biggest names in the game were asked about the relatively low-profile Englishman. Here is what fellow major winners Xander Schauffele and Jon Rahm had to say about Rai.
Xander Schauffele
“I’m super happy for him. He’s such a good dude... Rarely do you feel like people work way harder than you...
“I feel like I’ve played a pretty good amount of time, and Aaron is always there. He’s always in the gym. He’s always on the range. He’s always — you know, at the Scottish, I’m staying right on site there. I thought it was fun for Austin and I to go putt. Aaron is finishing up his little putting session at 9:00 p.m. and going to the gym at 9:45.
"[That] was three years ago. I think that’s what it’s about to be a major champion. You put the work in when nobody’s looking.”
Jon Rahm
“I haven’t spent a lot of time with him, but I have heard consistently there’s very few people that are nicer and kinder human beings than Aaron Rai.
“Anybody that wears or uses head covers in his irons because he coveted his irons when he was a kid so much that he wanted to respect the equipment so much, and to still do it? Yeah, exactly, he’s still doing it shows a lot about a person.
“I have heard absolutely nothing but good or great things about Aaron Rai. He’s been playing great golf. He’s a fantastic golfer. He’s been able to perform really well. What he did today is nothing short of special.”
