NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA, May 18, 2026 — Aaron Rai, the quietly spoken English golfer whose family roots trace back to India and Kenya, made history Sunday by capturing the 2026 PGA Championship, becoming the first player of Indian heritage to win one of men’s golf’s four major championships.
Rai, 31, delivered the round of his life at Aronimink Golf Club, firing a final-round 65 to finish at 9-under-par and claim his first major title by three shots over Spain’s Jon Rahm and American Alex Smalley.
In doing so, the Wolverhampton-born golfer ended a 107-year wait for an English winner of the Wanamaker Trophy, becoming the first Englishman since Jim Barnes in 1919 to lift the trophy. Rai also became one of the most prominent athletes of Indian origin to win a major title in global golf.
For Indian golf fans and the global Indian diaspora, Rai’s victory carried added emotional weight. Reuters reported that Rai, whose grandparents emigrated from India to Kenya before the family eventually settled in England, said he felt immense pride representing “England, India, and Kenya” on one of golf’s biggest stages.
“I’m very proud of where my family comes from,” Rai said after the victory, crediting his upbringing and his family’s sacrifices for shaping his disciplined approach to the game.
The English professional golfer is of Punjabi descent. His father, Amrik Singh, was born in England to immigrants from India, and his mother, Dalvir Shukla, immigrated to England from Kenya as a teenager. Both sets of his grandparents were from India, and he is married to an Indian professional golfer, Gaurika Bishnoi.
Rai’s triumph was built on a remarkable back-nine charge. After a shaky start, he reignited his round with a 40-foot eagle putt at the ninth hole, then added birdies on 11, 13, 16, and a tournament-clinching 68-foot birdie bomb on the par-3 17th that brought spectators to their feet.
Known on tour for his unusual habit of wearing two gloves and keeping iron covers on his clubs — a nod to the frugal values instilled by his immigrant family — Rai has long been respected by fellow players for his humility and work ethic. But until Sunday, he remained largely under the radar compared with golf’s biggest names. Entering the week, he was listed by bookmakers as a longshot.
Earlier this week, Indian sports media had highlighted Rai as one of four golfers of Indian origin competing at the PGA Championship — alongside Akshay Bhatia, Sahith Theegala, and Sudarshan Yellamaraju — marking a milestone moment for South Asian representation in men’s golf. By week’s end, Rai had turned that representation into history.
For a sport where South Asian representation at the highest level has been rare, Rai’s victory could prove to be a watershed moment — not just for England, but for aspiring golfers of Indian heritage across the world.
Cover Screenshot courtesy: PGA Tours/X.
