29-year-old Aaron Rai from England finished T15 at the season-opening The Sentry, in Hawaii
For Indian golf fans, the PGA Tour had largely slipped into the background after Anirban Lahiri, the only Indian regular on the Tour, transitioned to the lucrative LIV Golf Tour in 2022. However, the narrative is shifting as a trio of golfers with Indian roots have begun the new season with performances that signal their growing stature on the global stage.
Aaron Rai, the 2024 Wyndham Championship winner from England, kicked off his year with a remarkable T15 finish at the season-opening The Sentry. Held at the picturesque Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort in Hawaii for the 27th consecutive year, this $20 million no-cut event marked the first of eight Signature Events for 2025.
The 29-year-old shot rounds of 68-71-66-66 for a total score of 21-under-par in a scoring fest led by the smooth-swinging Hideki Matsuyama, the first Japanese golfer in history to win a men’s major golf championship. Hideki broke the PGA Tour record to par for 72 holes by closing with an 8-under-par for a three-shot victory over 2-time Major champion Collin Morikawa of USA, which put him at 35-under-par.
Reflecting on his journey, Rai said, “Golf isn’t necessarily the biggest sport in an Indian background. Whether you’re from an Indian or American or British background – there’s a lot to learn about the sport to encourage your child and figure out what the best path is going forward. And I was extremely fortunate with my dad, who was very good at tennis, but put a lot into my golf from a young age.”
Rai’s strong start was complemented by the two other PGA Tour winners of Indian descent: Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala. Bhatia, just 22 years old, carded a 16-under-par finish to secure T32, while the 27-year-old Theegala followed closely with a 15-under-par performance, finishing T36.
With an adrenaline-inducing week of top-class, low-scoring golf behind us, the trio has set the tone for a year of highly competitive golf. It’s time to stay tuned and keep track of a new, compelling Indian dimension to the PGA Tour.
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