Making it to the PGA Tour is a milestone that every golfer wants to achieve. But the journey of hard work and failure is made easy when their loved ones have their back. Meet, Aaron Rai, a PGA Tour Golfer, a DP Tour Winner, and an absolute fan-favorite.

Aaron started playing golf when he was a kid and has given the game, his all ever since. The golfer had everyone engrossed in his form even as a child and the whole family would love to watch him play.

Aaron Rai’s family’s support throughout his career

The PGA Tour golfer was born on March 3rd, 1995, in Wolverhampton, England, to his immigrant parents, Dalvir Shukla, and Amrik Singh. With two older sisters and one brother, Rai was the baby of his family. While his mother Dalvir Shukla juggled multiple jobs, working as a mental health nurse and an aerobics instructor, his father, Amrik, served as a community worker. Watching his parents toil hard as he was growing up, Rai learned the value of hard work and appreciated the things he had.

Rai started playing golf quite early. As a toddler, he would play with his brother’s hockey stick and would get bruises quite often. So, like any mother, Rai’s mother got him a set of plastic clubs to help protect him from the bruises. The enthusiasm for the sport ran in his family, with his father being a major tennis fan. Rai would frequently accompany his father to the tennis games. His natural tennis swing caught his father’s attention. Recognizing that Rai’s swing was more suited to golf, his father encouraged him to pursue the sport, and the rest, as they call it, “ is history”. 

Amrik started reading books on golf to help his son in the sport more and he got Rai his first branded club when he was only 7, the  Titleist 690 MBs which was the top Titleist club at that time. According to Golf Digest, Rai practiced and learned new strategies from his coach Shaun Ball. “Put Aaron in different situations and let him figure it out”, these motivating words from his coach carved Rai into the golfer, we know today.

While the golfer was practicing hard and his father was trying to raise funds to secure his future, there came a savior, Shabir Randeree, who was the owner of the first golf course Rai joined as a beginner. Randeree soon became a close family friend and funded Rai’s golf training and his private high school education. He’s still Rai’s sponsor to this day. 

“It’s tough – and expensive – being a touring pro, but thanks to his support, I was able to enjoy my golf education without undue monetary pressure, but his belief in me and his spiritual support were equally important to me,” Rai said, in an interview with GolfPlus, appreciating the support Randeree has provided him all these years.

Finally, the day came when all the hard work paid off. In 2012, the golfer brought fame to the family when he turned professional. Rai believed it was the right decision to turn pro at the age of 17 and well, time has only proven him right. “I’ve no regrets, it was the perfect time to turn professional and learn what was required to play the game professionally from a relatively early age,” said Rai.

A memorable moment in Rai’s career came in 2017 during a tournament in Kenya. His mother, returning to the country for the first time since she was 14, joined him on the 18th green when he won. It was Mother’s Day in the UK which made this win extra special for the golfer.

Who’s Rai’s caddie?

Throughout his career, Rai had solid support from his family, friends, and his caddie, Jason Timmis, who was a well-established golfer himself before he started his caddying journey. After being a pro for almost 5 years, he decided to switch to coaching instead. Before Rai, Timmis was a caddie for Gian Marco Petrozzi.

Timmis met Rai while he was a player himself. He played with Rai in a few EuroPro events and, after qualifying for the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship, he mentioned to Rai that he was doing some caddying and now, as we all know, he has been with the golfer through the thick and thin.

Aaron Rai has proved to be an example of hard work and determination throughout his journey. And the fans are excited to see him excel in the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic. Do you think the golfer has what it takes to be a PGA Tour winner? Let us know in the comment section below!