To watch Rai put together the back nine of 31 that made him a Major winner at the US PGA Championship, you could have been forgiven for thinking he was something of a lone wolf.
That steely determination and laser focus does not look to lend itself to much interaction with others but to observe the man without a club in his hand is a different story.
ROOTS
EDIT>>> To understand Aaron's background and why an Englishman is dark skinned, his mother Dalvir's family emigrated to England from Kenya when she was 14. His father Amrik was born in England from Indian parents.
The family story is set in Wolverhampton. For Canadians think of culturally dominated Brampton, Ontario. Indian, Pakistani, Muslims etc have migrated mainly for jobs to this area.
Wolverhampton was part of the Industrial revolution, a wool manufacturing hub, smack in the middle of England, on the West Midlands just north of Birmingham, 2.5 hours NW of London.
It is here Aaron was first given a set of toy plastic golf clubs at four, in the middle of soccer mad Wolverhampton, golf was not the normal activity of an Indian kid.
WIFE
After Rai rolled in the par putt which effectively sealed his status as a Major champion, one of the first people he went to was wife Gaurika Bishnoi.
Bishnoi is a professional golfer in her own right who has been previously ranked as India's top female player and Rai is delighted to have both her personal support and professional observations.
"She's been incredible," he said at the press conference following his victory. "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.
"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.
"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."
That means Bishnoi has now been directly involved in two Rai wins since they were wed last summer, with her caddying for him at the Masters Par Three Contest, a competition she could have perhaps won on her own.
Aaron's dad Amrik, left, was there for his win in Abu Dhabi
PARENTS
While Gaurika is a relatively new member of Team Rai, parents Amrik and Dalvir have been there from the beginning, providing the support and making the sacrifices for which parents of athletes are often known.
Amrik is a common feature at events in which Rai is playing and while he was not at Aronimink on Sunday, his presence is always there in Aaron.
"It's probably hard for me to really express everything that I feel towards them," said Aaron. "I think I'll get way too emotional to speak.
"Yeah, starting with my dad, he was with me every day that I went to practise from the age or four to five years old. He actually quit his job and started to focus on my golf from a really young age.
"I used to read a lot about golf. He used to obviously be really active in everything he did with me around the game.
"My mum has been absolutely incredible as well. She works extremely long hours to just provide for the house really, especially with my dad also not working as much. So she did a lot of things and her support has been phenomenal.
"Obviously, I would love to share this with them. It would be amazing if they were here. I can't put into words how much they've done in terms of the support, in terms of the care, in terms of love. Again, I wouldn't be here without them at all."
COACHES
It was then 20 years ago that coaches Andrew Proudman and Piers Ward came on board and they were joined around 15 years ago by physio Andrew Caldwell.
They have been there for Rai's journey through EuroPro Tour, HotelPlanner Tour, DP World Tour, Rolex Series champion, PGA TOUR champion and now Major champion and as ever, Rai does not make light of their impact.
"They've been phenomenal," he said. "Andrew Proudman and Piers Ward are the two guys involved with Me and My Golf. I've known Andrew since I was four years old. He used to work at the pro shop on the driving range me and my dad used to go to. I was four, he was 18, so I was there before he turned professional.
"I met Piers when I was eight, nine years old. So we grew up in the same city. They started to coach me very soon after that. I was probably ten years old. When I call them my coaches, I almost feel disrespectful calling them just my coaches. They've been so much more to me than that from a young age, also as a teenager, and also on this journey as a professional golfer. They've been my mentors, my big brothers. They've almost been like family to me.
"They just go above and beyond for me in every single way. They've played a huge part in this trophy and a huge part in my development as a golfer."
That Rai is not only willing but eager to give credit where it is due in a sport that is, perhaps more than any other, an individual pursuit says a lot about the man.
A man for whom it seems nobody has a bad word.
RORY
“He’s just such a good guy," says Rory McIlroy. "Hard worker, humble, just an absolute gentleman.”
LIFE LESSONS
And the credit for that? Of course Rai will take none himself.
"I think a lot of that has come from upbringing: my mum, my dad, my siblings," he said. "Golf was always a very big part of my life from a very young age, but my mum and my siblings were very fast to continue to reinforce the importance of just being a good person and trying to do the right things away from golf.
"And that was consistent from a very young age, from the age of five, six years old. I think as I've continued to develop as a junior, as an amateur, as a professional, golf in itself is an extremely humbling game.
"There's so much hard work and discipline that goes into acquiring the skills to become better, but you also realise that nothing is ever given in this game at any point, whether it's a tournament, whether it's a practice round, whether it's even away from a tournament week. All of these things have to be done diligently and require focus.
"It's very humbling as well.
So I think you put all of that together, the game requires the focus and attention, but the humility just goes hand in hand with the game and my upbringing as well."
Rai's life is about to change. In 31 almost perfect blows of a golf ball on the back nine at Aronimink he has gone from a golfing star to a golfing superstar and a star in the world of all sport.
But much like he handled that back nine, it's hard to see him getting carried away. The man who now rubs shoulders with golfing royalty in Florida is still the boy from Wolverhampton.
And that may bode well for more Major success.
europeantour.com
Bryan Angus (edit)
