On Sunday, Aaron Rai took home the Wanamaker Trophy, winning his first major at the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club.
The royal family’s official social media accounts congratulated him, calling his win “extraordinary” and resharing a post from the PGA Championship that read “it’s coming home,” a popular chant at England soccer games. The last player from England to win the Wanamaker Trophy was Jim Barnes in 1919.
Rai, 31, grew up in a working class British Indian family. His father, Amrik Singh, was born in England to parents from India, and his mom, Dalvir Shukla, immigrated from Kenya as a teenager. “She has had many jobs, from mental-health nurse to aerobics instructor. My dad was a community worker who was born in England but whose family immigrated from India. My dad read golf books to learn about the swing,” Rai said.
He credits his father on his focus on golf. “He was very much an advocate to really just stay in your lane, focus on the things that you can do,” Rai said. “I didn’t really mix with a lot of other junior golfers, which didn’t give me a perspective of what was normal. 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, etc.”
Rai turned pro when he was 17 years old; the PGA Championship is his first major victory.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.
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