Aaron Rai has often talked about the sacrifices his parents—in particular, his dad—made when he was a kid so he could pursue his golf dreams. But, unfortunately, Mr. Rai wasn’t at Aronimink when Aaron won the PGA Championship. He was . . . camping. Yep, camping.
Rai shared this on Tuesday during “5 Clubs” golf show, but the story gets even funnier. It’s not that unusual that Amrik wouldn’t be in attendance at an event. After all, it’s not like he knew Aaron, a 175-to-1 longshot before the tournament started, would win. Another famous golf dad, Stefan Schauffele, was in Hawaii when Xander won his maiden major two years ago.
But here’s where things get really bonkers. After hoisting the Wanamaker Trophy, Rai called Amrik and he didn’t pick up. Because apparently, he SLEPT through the tournament’s finish. Take it away, Aaron!
“He was asleep!”
Aaron Rai tried calling his dad after winning the Wanamaker Trophy, but he was sleeping on a camping trip in the UK.
Watch our Tuesday show with @Garywilliams1Up and the 2026 @PGAChampionship Winner, Aaron Rai here: https://t.co/qw4mjL411L#pgachampionship pic.twitter.com/CDKlR3vGKi
— 5 Clubs (@5ClubsGolf) May 26, 2026
That is absolutely wild that Amrik missed Aaron’s amazing finish, including that incredible 68-foot birdie bomb on 17.
But, hey, that’s a man who knew he’d already done the hard work to put his son in position to win. And there’s always replays.
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Main Image: Steve Dykes
