NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA — Until now, Aaron Rai was known for wearing two black gloves and using head covers on all his irons.
No longer.
The 31-year old Englishman now is known for being a major champion, securing his victory at the PGA Championship with a dramatic 68-foot putt on the par-3 17th that lead to a stress-free final hole to cap a final round 65.
But it was the reaction, from players, to caddies, to anyone who has met 31-year-old Englishman that resonated throughout the Aronimink Golf Club.
From runner-up Jon Rahm, who said he’s heard consistently there’s “very few people that are nicer and kinder human beings than Aaron Rai.” To Rory McIlroy, who spent the entire final round chasing Rai but fell five shot short, and then said “you won’t find one person on property that’s not happy for him.”
Even the caddie for Alex Smalley, the 54-hole leader who tied Rahm for second, “no one better,” said Michael Burns.
And there was Rai’s wife, Gaurika Bishnoi, glowing as she was standing on the 18th green, soaking up the atmosphere as her husband was being honored. Bishnoi was asked about the iron head covers, how Aaron, when he was a child, knew his father spent beyond his means to make sure his son had the best equipment.
Aaron was gifted a new set of Titleist when he was 8-years-old. His father would clean the faces with a pin and baby oil and then protect them with head covers.
Aaron decoded, out of respect for his father, he would continue to cover his irons, no matter where his career took him. He is the only player on Tour to do so.
“I think that just shows that he wants to remain humble,” Bishnoi said. “No matter where life takes him and he’s obviously been a really successful golfer, but I think the iron covers is a reminder of why he’s playing this game and not to get drowned away with all the noise that’s around every tournament every week.”
Aaron Rai secures PGA Championship with back nine charge
The only noise drowning away Aaron Rai now is that which comes with being a major champion.
Rai finish at 9-under 271 for the tournament, three shots better than Rahm and Smalley. He was three shots back after a bogey on No. 8, his third on the front nine, but started his charge with a 40-footer for a eagle on No. 9 and then played the back nine in 4-under.
Rai caught leader Matti Schmid (5-under) on No. 11 and never relinquished the lead, the exclamation point coming on No. 17, the second longest putt made in the tournament.
The victory was Rai’s second in 123 PGA Tour starts. He has won four times on the DP World Tour.
“Definitely wasn’t trying to hole that putt,” Rai said. “The shadow of the pin gave a really nice line for probably the last 10 feet. So that definitely helped with the visual of the putts.
“But it was so long that it was just trying to put good speed on it and make a good putt, and it just tracked extremely well on the last half. Yeah, amazing to see that one go in.”
Rai, of course, could not celebrate just yet — he gave a very subtle fist pump when the ball dropped into the hole — even though his name was starting to be etched into the Wanamaker Trophy.
Still, he had one hole to play. And even then, after his round was complete, Rai was not going to disrespect the four players still on the course by showing any emotion.
“Golf is an amazing game,” he said. “It teaches you so many things, and it teaches you so much humility and discipline and absolute hard work because nothing is ever given in this game no matter what level you’re playing, no matter what course you’re playing on.”
Given that, it is only fitting that when asked how he was going to celebrate, it was Bishnoi to spoke up.
“He’ll probably have Chipotle,” she said.
Rai has credited Bishnoi for much of his recent success, saying just having her in his life has translated to his golf game. Of course, it helps she was ranked as India’s top female golfer in 2017 and 2019 and is an eight-time winner on the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour.
“It’s hard for me to really sum up how much of an effect she’s had on me as a person, and also that actually feeds into my golf,” Rai said after his victory Abu Dhabi Championship in November where he defeated Tommy Fleetwood in a playoff.
Bishnoi has caddied for Rai at the Masters Par 3 Contest in 2025 and 2026. He was on her bag at the Ladies European Tour’s Hero Women’s Indian Open last year.
But nothing compared to what they just experienced and seeing Rai life the iconic Wanamaker Trophy.
“I was just really proud of how stable and steady Aaron felt and for me that was a much bigger win because if he can do that in a situation like this he can do it again even if we wouldn’t have lifted this trophy today,” Bishnoi said.
“I saw a very different version of him.”
Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Story behind Aaron Rai’s iron head covers, PGA Championship victory