Aaron Rai (kinda) breaks this major curse, a tour pro caps a Hogan-like comeback and the most head-scratching collection of quotes in golf history

Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where we think we’ve heard enough “Rocky” comparisons to last a lifetime after the past week. That being said, Aaron Rai, at 175-to-1 odds was a true Philadelphia underdog story. And as the great Jim Nantz pointed out, he also wears two gloves.

I just wish he’d kept those on for at least a few of his Wanamaker Trophy photos. Anyway, we’re taking our gloves off and getting into everything happening in the world of golf.

WE’RE BUYING

Aaron Rai: Golf is funny because it’s the one sport where fans usually don’t root for the underdogs—especially at a major championship, where we like seeing the cream rise to the top, in this case guys like Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy who were banging on the door to add to their collection of major trophies. But like J.J. Spaun last year at the U.S. Open, it’s hard not to root for Rai. And it’s impossible not to appreciate what he did on Sunday with a 65 that included a final 10 holes as impressive as you’ll ever see to run away from a packed leaderboard at the PGA Championship. And, yes, he provided a knockout punch with this 68-foot birdie bomb on 17:

With the golf course—is it Aaronimink now?—playing so difficult, there weren’t many moments to really cheer for, but that was an instant classic. And you could tell how much Rai is admired for both his work ethic and for being an “all-world gentleman” as Xander Schauffele put it. Here was Xander’s amazing story about Rai putting in a long day at the Scottish Open a few years back:

And now this English golfer has more majors than fellow Brits like Lee Westwood, Luke Donald and Ian Poulter combined. What a crazy sport. And I’ll never get tired of hearing him explain why he uses iron covers, something he’s done since his dad pushed the family spending budget by buying him his first set. Those humble beginnings have obviously stuck with him as after winning $3.67 million, Rai planned to treat himself to some … Chipotle. My man.

Alex Smalley-Matti Schmid: While Rai was a surprising winner, this might have been the most unlikely Sunday final pairing in major championship history. And, yet, the two more than held their own. Smalley shot even par thanks to a closing birdie to finish tied for second and Schmid, who held the lead on the back nine, finished T-4 despite hitting his driver all over Pennsylvania.

For both, it was their career-best finish at a major championship. By far. And it earned them spots in next year's Masters and PGA Championship. Not bad consolation prizes.

Ben Kern: I will never understand those who criticize the presence of PGA professionals in this event. Perhaps, you could argue about the fact that 20 get into the tournament, but they also provide some of the week's coolest stories. And with Michael Block missing the cut by one shot, it was Kern who filled that role by earning a weekend tee time after making more birdies than anyone in the field over the first two days.

This is a guy who spends most of his days behind a desk working as the general manager at Hickory Hills Golf Club in Ohio and playing about once a week. And yet he’s able to hold his own with the best players in the world? As he approaches his 50th birthday, no less? Remarkable.

Leonie Harm: But the most improbable story of the week actually came from the Ladies European Tour, where Harm earned her maiden title in her native Germany. What’s the big deal? Well, doctors gave her only a 4-percent chance of surviving a 2013 car accident when she was hit by a drunk driver while out for a morning run—something she talked about in great detail in a 2023 Golf Digest story.

That is a Hogan-like comeback. It took a long time, but just making it back as a pro is crazy. Winning? Well, they could make a movie about that. This German golfer is an even bigger longshot than the Italian Stallion was vs. Apollo Creed.

WE’RE SELLING

The Masters Par 3 Curse: So many golfers have bought into the fact that no winner of the annual Wednesday event at Augusta National has won the main event that week. As a result, most don’t even want to post a score. But while Rai didn’t break that “curse,” this week, he proved that you can hoist a major trophy in the same year you win that piece of crystal.

Hopefully, this leads to a healthier competition in that event going forward.

Bryson DeChambeau’s major season: After failing to make the weekend at the Masters, DeChambeau opened with 76 at Aronimink and didn’t come close to making the cut at the PGA.

After two early season wins on LIV, expectations were high for this YouTube star. But through the first two majors, he’s played like, well, a YouTube star.

Being late for a tee time: Look, it happens from time to time, and I have one golf buddy who has a reputation for always pushing it. But he’s got a lot of other stuff going on and it’s not his job to be at the first tee on time like it is for Garrick Higgo. Even crazier is that Higgo was on property in plenty of time, but for some reason was slow to get to the tee—to the point of being slapped with a two-stroke penalty before he even hitting one shot in the tournament:

And wouldn’t you know it, but he wound up missing the cut by one shot. That’s a tough lesson to learn—especially since it’s a lesson he shouldn’t have needed.

ON TAP

With half of the men’s majors now in the books, the PGA Tour moves on with the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, AKA that tournament in Texas that Byron Nelson used to host, AKA that tournament Jordan Spieth contended in instead of going to his junior prom. Crazy to think that was 16 years ago. Time flies when you’re having fun. Or, in the case of Spieth, having fun adventures on golf courses around the world.

Random tournament fact: Dallas native Scottie Scheffler shot 31 under last year and won this event by eight shots. Decent player.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

—Scottie Scheffler will win by eight shots again this week: 100-to-1 odds

—Scottie Scheffler will win again this week: 1.5-to-1 odds (Actual odds, LOL)

—Jordan Spieth will provide at least one crazy highlight this week: LOCK

TWEET/PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Sorry, Min Woo, but we kind of see it.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (POST-ROUND DIVISION)

Asking a professional athlete to sign your baby is wild. But asking Aaron Rai to do it? The day before he became a major champ? Crazy stuff.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (MID-ROUND)

A fan video of Rai’s birdie bomb on 17 got his wife’s reaction. And let’s just say she showed a bit more emotion than her husband:

You love to see it.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (ARCHIVE DIVISION)

More on Rai’s wife, Gaurika Bishnoi, who also happens to be a professional golfer. And who actually had a memorable major moment before her husband when she did this at the 2025 Masters Par 3 Contest:

What a gorgeous swing. If these two ever have kids, the golf world better watch out.

THIS WEEK IN PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

How popular is Aaron Rai among his peers? Well, here was Billy Horschel openly rooting for Rai at the 2024 Wyndham Championship—WHILE playing with Rai:

OK, so that's not from THIS week, but you get the point. This guy must be the nicest dude on the PGA Tour.

THIS WEEK IN PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION ADVERTISING

First off, kudos to Justin Thomas for making things kind of interesting with a final-round rally. But also kudos to him for keeping his sponsors happy even when he’s banged up:

That’s a great effort right there. And JT also provided one of the best quotes of the week when asked about being in the position of clubhouse leader—which also probably explains why he kept that tape on:

Hopefully, Justin still enjoyed a couple beers after the tournament finally ended.

THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITY GOLFERS

Charles Barkley narrated the PGA intro on CBS:

And was part of a fun “Guess that swing” segment the network did with the players. Although, the best part of that was both Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth confusing LeBron James with Scottie Scheffler:

Talk about a couple of random daggers.

QUOTE(S) OF THE WEEK

It’s hard to pick just one from Garrick Higgo after incurring that two-stroke penalty for being late for his tee time, so we’ll give you a few:

“No, I wouldn't have been late if I knew I was running late.”

“I was obviously there on time, but late."

"If you think about it, I was there on time, if you know what I mean."

“One second is hard to define.”

Just an all-time collection of quotes.

THIS AND THAT

Speaking of Higgo, he and caddie Austen Gaugert, who could be seen yelling at Higgo to hurry up to get to the first tee before the player was penalized, have now split up. Like with his collection of head-scratching quotes, Higgo continues to make this situation worse. … Congrats to Lottie Woad on winning the Kroger Queen City Classic for her second career LPGA Tour title, and I like how she and her caddie treat themselves to gummy candies after each birdie. Now that's a player-caddie duo that isn't breaking up anytime soon. … LIV Golf is seeking $250 million in private investment and plans to be profitable in 20 months, according to a report by Axios. As I’ve said before, I’m not a finance guy, but that seems like a pretty risky investment. … Speaking of LIV, shout-out to Cam Smith for contending on Sunday and ending up T-7 after missing six major cuts in a row. That had to feel good. … And, finally, I talked last week about playing in the Golf Digest Open, but here’s more on the experience and playing with golf influencer/instructor Remec Carlson:

I learned a lot from the “CEO of Golf,” and, hopefully, you can as well.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

What’s the best “Rocky” movie?

Will Aaron Rai win another major?

Should I try wearing rain gloves?