Aaron Rai's love for Irn-Bru revealed by Scottish pro who spotted star potential

Alasdair Good, the head professional at Gullane, first met Rai through Wee Wonders, a junior programme that has spawned both Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup players over the years.

The programme was founded by Good in 1995 and, like many others, Rai cut his competitive teeth by playing in Wee Wonders events, as golf’s newest major acknowledged in the aftermath of his stunning success at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania last Sunday.

“I first met Aaron Rai and his parents, Amrik and Dalvir, at a Wee Wonders Regional Final at Nailcote Hall in 2001,” recalled Good of a programme that is now presented by Callaway Golf. “Aaron would only have been six years old at the time he was polite, focused and carrying a golf bag that looked almost bigger than he was.

“Nailcote Hall is a challenging course for young players, with several holes requiring shots over water, but even at that age Aaron already showed an understanding of strategy and discipline beyond his years.

“Rather than taking unnecessary risks, he relied on the strength of his short game and his ability to think his way around the course. He played beautifully that day and qualified for the Grand Final in St Andrews, where he finished runner-up.

“Over the next five years Aaron became one of the defining players in the history of Wee Wonders. My father, who helped with the administration at our Grand Finals and was a real stickler for politeness, manners and correctness, immediately recognised those qualities in Aaron. He had a quiet humility and respect for everyone around him that stood out from a very young age.”

During the 2018 Scottish Open at Gullane, Rai, who was still relatively unknown at the time, finished in the top ten, with Ailsa Murphy, who worked in the pro shop at the East Lothian club then but is now at Peebles, positing a picture on social media earlier this week of the Wolverhampton man being lifted off his feet by her, Good and other staff members.

She described Rai as “genuinely one of the nicest, most down to earth professionals I have met” and Good shares that viewpoint. “What made Aaron truly exceptional was his consistency,” he added. “Playing on our age and length-appropriate championship courses, he never finished outside the top two over a six-year period. His record still stands today in our 32-year history and it may never be matched.

“Aaron has always seemed comfortable in Scotland. Perhaps it is his love of Irn-Bru! He won the Scottish Open in 2020 and continued to rise through the game, earning his PGA Tour card in 2021 and then securing his first PGA Tour victory at the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in North Carolina in 2024.

“To see Aaron win the PGA Championship against one of the strongest fields in world golf, on a course that demanded every possible skill, was a masterclass not only in ball striking but also in emotional control, patience and character.

“Aaron Rai won the PGA Championship because he was the best golfer in the field last week. He will win many more hearts around the world as people hear his story because he is also one of the very best people in the game.”