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Europe skipper Luke Donald claims the Wolverhampton star, now world No.22, has a “great chance” to make his Ryder Cup team this year before the season-opening event in Hawaii
Aaron Rai will start the new PGA Tour year in golf paradise in Hawaii on Thursday with a “great chance” of ending the season in Luke Donald’s New York Ryder Cup team. The Wolverhampton star qualified for The Sentry in Maui after his first US victory at the Wyndham Championships in August.
And the world No.22 will tee up in the 60-man field – made up of tournament winners last season and the top 50 – competing for the $20m first prize in another big step his upwardly-mobile career.
“It is amazing to be here – it is beautiful,” said Rai, 29. “The scenery around the golf course is incredible. Obviously with it being a tournament of champions, you’ve either had to win an event or had an amazing year to get here. It is definitely one of those events you grew up watching and dreamed about being here. It is a blessing to be here.”
Manchester United fan Rai, who is famous for wearing two gloves, is now eligible for all the eight big-money Signature events. But his performances on the PGA Tour have already caught the attention of Donald – they had dinner together in September – with Europe bidding to retain the Ryder Cup at raucous Bethpage Black in the autumn. Rai made the cut in 22 out of 26 PGA Tour events last season and had six top-10 finishes.
“Aaron is a guy who is very dedicated to his craft and meticulous about his work ethic,” Donald said. “He is a fantastic player – it was great to see him breakout at the Wyndham after knocking on the door. He has always done things in a little bit of a different way as a junior. He seems to be in his own bubble which I see a little bit of resemblance in me when I was younger. I think he is a fantastic talent and has got a great chance to make the team.”
Rai, who turned pro aged 17 and worked his way from the EuroPro Tour to the PGA Tour, prefers to focus on short-term goals.
“I think naturally as we get into Ryder Cup year there is always a lot of talk about it,” he told Mirror Sport. “It is a huge event and something that is an absolute honour for anyone to be involved in and anyone to be even linked to. So that is a little further away but it is on the horizon.
“But for me, it is important that I try not to focus too much on trying to go out and chase things. I try not to focus too much on finishing in certain places in the FedEx or winning events or whatever it might be. I think for me, I focus on the game and trying to do the right things. Whatever happens in terms of results is a byproduct of that really.”
The 60-man field will include his potential Ryder Cup team-mates Matt Fitzpatrick, Robert MacIntyre, Harry Hall and Ludvig Aberg. But world No.1 Scottie Scheffler is sitting out the season opener after undergoing surgery to remove glass fragments from his right hand after a freak Christmas accident.
It leaves US PGA and Open champion Xander Schauffele bidding to close the massive gap at the top of the rankings with the FedEx Champion. “It’s a wild time,” said the world No.2. “Winning two majors and being further away, or closer to the 30th-ranked player than the 1st is hat’s off to Scottie. He’s a beast.”
