Aaron Rai surprised the star-studded field at the 2026 PGA Championship to win the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday.
Not many saw Rai’s victory coming. Until Sunday, his only PGA Tour win was at the 2024 edition of the Wyndham Championship. He entered his start at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pa., ranked just 44th in the world.
But Sunday belonged to him, firing a 65 in the fourth round and making an unforgettable clutch 68-foot putt for a birdie on the 17th hole on his way to winning his first major championship.
After his momentous triumph, the 31-year-old Rai shared a special message for his wife, Gaurika Bishnoi. What he said about Bishnoi was as heartwarming as his improbable PGA Championship win.
“She’s been incredible. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I wouldn’t be here without her. Both as a companion, as a friend, as someone I’m sharing my life with, but also as a real support system for my game, Rai told reporters about his wife, via Cameron Jourdan of Golfweek.
Rai reminded everyone that Bishnoi is also a golfer, which allows her to provide unique insights that have helped him on his golf journey.
“She’s a professional golfer herself. So her mindset, her advice, her thoughts, whether it’s technique or the way I’m holding myself is absolutely invaluable. She encompasses so many different sides in her opinions.”
Having someone that close to him who also understands the intricacies of the sport from a professional player’s perspective is surely a luxury. Rai shared that he and Bishnoi had a long conversation on Saturday, crediting that talk as a major reason he won the event.
“We even had a conversation yesterday for probably 30 minutes in the car just before we got back to the hotel, just speaking a little bit about today. Again, some of the things that she mentioned in the conversations were really with me today. “Yeah, I really wouldn’t be here without her.”
Rai can continue to listen to any advice Bishnoi gives him going forward, now that there is clear, tangible proof of how valuable her tips are.
