How the emotion flowed as Aaron Rai reflected on a journey from parks to PGA Tour win

But after winning his first tournament on the PGA Tour, in the USA, the 29-year-old admitted the enormity of his achievement – and his journey from the public parks of Wolverhampton – brought a wave of emotion the like of which he had rarely experienced in his golf career.

Sitting in the marker’s hut at Sedgefield Country Club, in Greenboro, in North Carolina, on Sunday night, having won the Wyndham Championship by two shots, that journey, the backing of his family all came to the fore as he took a moment to look back on the 25 years since he first picked up a club.

“It’s a great question,” he pondered, when asked whether he had reflected on his rise from city schoolboy to the very top echelons of one of the world’s biggest sports.

“It’s so busy schedule-wise that it’s very tricky to make that time to kind of really sit down and reflect on on the whole journey.

“But I think there are little pockets of time.

“Little moments like for instance, even being in the score recorder’s after finishing on the Sunday where I felt very, very emotional.

“I’m just thinking about my parents and how big of an achievement it is to win, to win on the tour.

“So there are those little pockets and moments where it really hits me, but I feel like I don’t quite have the time to really sit and reflect on how that is as a journey overall.

“But yeah, I know it’s it’s incredible to come from Wolverhampton and from pretty humble beginnings to even be competing at here.

“So I’m very fortunate and and grateful for that.”

Rai came to the game of golf by accident. His father Amrik was an accomplished tennis player who tried to teach his son the rudiments of the game. However, on spotting his forehand was more akin to a golf swing, he swapped rackets for clubs as little more than a toddler.

It has certainly paid off.

Rai has now reached the giddying heights of number 22 in the world, putting him in the spotlight for a potential Ryder Cup place.

Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has been in touch since Sunday’s win, revealed Rai, but he has also been keeping tabs on the rising star’s progress before that.

Rai, like any European or American gofler, would love to be involved in a Ryder Cup.

“Obviously the Ryder Cup would be something amazing to be a part of, but it’s also such a long way away from now,” he said, when asked about his prospects.

“We’re still over a year away from that. And obviously a lot of things can change and a lot of it is down to how well you’re playing in the run up to the Ryder Cup. So again, that’s such a long way away from now.

“But yeah, I think continuing to improve and seeing progression in the game and that manifesting itself in the form of resources, incredibly positive and very satisfying.

“And if I continue to do that, then I give myself chances for other things to fall into place in the future.”

Rai’s win was a popular one – with fans and players alike as he revealed a number of stars had taken time out to congratulate him on the practice green ahead of this weekend’s PGA Tour championship play-off in Memphis.

The likes of golfing superstars Billy Horschel and Matt Fitzpatrick were quick to congratulate him on social media, while others did so in person. Rai appears surprised by his popularity. But again, he deals with it in good grace.

“It’s extremely kind,” he said of the players welcoming his win.

“I wasn’t aware of some of those things on social media. I’d try and stay away from that as much as possible. It’s an honour really to have that support and even over the last couple of days with them being in Memphis this week, I’ve been taken aback by how many players and caddies have come over and how genuine they’ve been as well.

“So that’s extremely nice. Something that I didn’t really prepare for and didn’t really expect.

“But obviously it’s just nice to be held in that regard by your peers and by amazing players and fantastic people. I’m very fortunate in that regard.”

But now his name is up in lights, does he yet feel he belongs in that top echelon of golf, within the top 25 in the world?

“In terms of the the rise in the world rankings, it’s happened very fast,” he replies

“As in, maybe going from the the 60s and the 70s down to where we’re at now. So I’d still I question how... maybe deserving is the wrong word, but consistency is key and powerful in the game, whether that’s in a round of golf, whether that’s over the course of a season, and that’s also something that I have to show in time.

“And I have shown consistency, but maybe not quite at that world ranking, so it’s hard for me to answer how deserving of that I am. But I think just consistency and time will tell – we’ll hopefully show that or hopefully answer some of those questions.”

And how far can he rise, to the top 10 perhaps?

“To be that highly ranked, it wasn’t really within my expectations over the last few weeks,” he adds.

“I’m not sure how far that I can go. I think, again, as cliché as it sounds, if I focus on doing some of the things that I’m doing now and continue to stay disciplined and kind of on the same kind of track, then we’ll let time unfold and see where that puts us.

“Because some of those things, they’re not necessarily in my control.

“So, I think if I can do those things and if I can keep improving, then yeah, then I’ll then I’ll give myself a chance.”