Aaron Rai, the soft-spoken British golfer of Indian origin, stunned the golfing world on Sunday by winning the 2026 PGA Championship and becoming the first player of Indian heritage to claim a major golf title.
Ranked 44th in the world heading into the tournament, Rai emerged from a packed field featuring some of the sport’s biggest names, including Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, to seal a historic victory. His composed final round was highlighted by a breathtaking 68-foot birdie putt that effectively secured the championship.
The triumph transformed the 31-year-old from a respected but largely understated golfer into one of the biggest stories in world golf.
Such was the shock surrounding his victory that ESPN described Rai as the biggest long-shot major winner in at least two decades, publishing a feature titled: “How Aaron Rai outlasted golf's biggest stars to win the PGA Championship.”
Before this week, Rai had never recorded a top-10 finish at a major championship. Going into Saturday, 14 players shared the lead, while analytics platform Data Golf reportedly gave him only a 3.6% chance of lifting the trophy. But a sensational long-range birdie putt on the 17th hole buried the competition and completed one of golf’s most unexpected triumphs.
Born in Wolverhampton to parents of Indian origin with roots in Punjab, Rai’s journey into golf was far removed from the traditional elite pathways often associated with the sport.
He has often spoken about how his parents, Amrik Singh and Dalvir Shukla, made financial sacrifices to support his golfing dreams. They taught him to value his equipment carefully — one reason Rai still uses iron covers, a habit frequently mocked in professional golf circles.
Rai’s mother first introduced him to golf when he was just four years old using a plastic golf set after he was accidentally struck by a hockey stick. She also served as his caddie during his early playing days.
That role is now often filled by his wife, Gaurika Bishnoi, a professional golfer from Rajasthan who has built an impressive career of her own. Bishnoi has registered eight wins on India’s Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour and has competed regularly on the Ladies European Tour since turning professional in 2016.
Reports suggest the couple married in London in July 2025 after bonding through their shared lives in professional golf.
Despite keeping their relationship relatively private, the pair has attracted attention through a few viral golfing moments. During the 2025 Masters Par 3 Contest, Bishnoi caddied for Rai and reportedly outdrove him on one hole, delighting fans online. Rai later returned the favour by caddying for Bishnoi during a Ladies European Tour event.
The couple now reportedly trains together regularly in Florida, where Rai is currently based.
Ranked 44th in the world heading into the tournament, Rai emerged from a packed field featuring some of the sport’s biggest names, including Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, to seal a historic victory. His composed final round was highlighted by a breathtaking 68-foot birdie putt that effectively secured the championship.
The triumph transformed the 31-year-old from a respected but largely understated golfer into one of the biggest stories in world golf.
Such was the shock surrounding his victory that ESPN described Rai as the biggest long-shot major winner in at least two decades, publishing a feature titled: “How Aaron Rai outlasted golf's biggest stars to win the PGA Championship.”
Before this week, Rai had never recorded a top-10 finish at a major championship. Going into Saturday, 14 players shared the lead, while analytics platform Data Golf reportedly gave him only a 3.6% chance of lifting the trophy. But a sensational long-range birdie putt on the 17th hole buried the competition and completed one of golf’s most unexpected triumphs.
Born in Wolverhampton to parents of Indian origin with roots in Punjab, Rai’s journey into golf was far removed from the traditional elite pathways often associated with the sport.
He has often spoken about how his parents, Amrik Singh and Dalvir Shukla, made financial sacrifices to support his golfing dreams. They taught him to value his equipment carefully — one reason Rai still uses iron covers, a habit frequently mocked in professional golf circles.
Rai’s mother first introduced him to golf when he was just four years old using a plastic golf set after he was accidentally struck by a hockey stick. She also served as his caddie during his early playing days.
That role is now often filled by his wife, Gaurika Bishnoi, a professional golfer from Rajasthan who has built an impressive career of her own. Bishnoi has registered eight wins on India’s Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour and has competed regularly on the Ladies European Tour since turning professional in 2016.
Reports suggest the couple married in London in July 2025 after bonding through their shared lives in professional golf.
Despite keeping their relationship relatively private, the pair has attracted attention through a few viral golfing moments. During the 2025 Masters Par 3 Contest, Bishnoi caddied for Rai and reportedly outdrove him on one hole, delighting fans online. Rai later returned the favour by caddying for Bishnoi during a Ladies European Tour event.
The couple now reportedly trains together regularly in Florida, where Rai is currently based.
