Rai and Double Gloves, and Iron Cover

Son of English Worker 'Poor Golfer'
The Occasion of Receiving a Pair of Gloves as a Gift in Childhood
Unique Club Love Using Covers Since Age 4

He is known as the "Magician with the Black Gloves."

Aaron Rai, wearing gloves on both hands, is teeing off at the 9th hole of the first round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. [Detroit=AFP·Yonhap News]

This refers to Aaron Rai (England), who competes on the PGA Tour. He made a strong impression at the Rocket Mortgage Classic (total prize money $9.2 million), which concluded on the 30th of last month at Detroit Golf Club (par 72, 7,370 yards) in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Wearing black gloves on both hands, he played brilliantly. He shared the lead through the first three rounds but settled for a tie for second place after failing to lower his score on the final day.

Golfweek USA shared the story behind Rai’s use of black gloves. While it is not uncommon for players on the PGA Tour to play barehanded, it is rare to see golfers wearing gloves on both hands. The most well-known player to wear gloves on both hands until now was Tom Gainey (USA). Gainey, who won once on the PGA Tour at the 2012 McGladrey Classic, was quite famous for his nickname "Two-Glove."

Rai started competing in golf tournaments at the age of eight. From then on, he always wore gloves on both hands. It is a habit that began in his childhood. Rai is from Wolverhampton, England. He grew up in a household of Indian laborers. His mother was born in Kenya. It was not an easy financial situation to learn golf. Since receiving a pair of gloves as a gift from a manufacturer, he has continued to wear gloves on both hands. He explained, "Once, my father forgot to pack gloves for both hands in my golf bag, so I played wearing only the left glove, and it was terrible. I lost my grip feel and my play was a mess. Since then, I have always worn gloves on both hands."

In addition to wearing gloves on both hands, it is also unusual that he plays with iron covers on. This habit came from his father, who bought him expensive golf clubs despite their difficult circumstances. "My father bought me golf equipment since I was four years old. When I was seven, he bought me Titleist irons, and I was proud and happy. He also paid for the golf club membership and entrance fees. Although we were never well-off, he always bought me the best clubs."

After Rai finished playing, his father would clean the grooves of each iron with a pin and oil them, then put on the iron covers. Rai said, "I have been putting covers on my irons since I was young, and it is a way of appreciating the value of what I have."

Born in March 1995, Rai is 29 years old this year. He has won twice on the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour), including the 2018 Honma Hong Kong Open and the 2020 Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, where he defeated Tommy Fleetwood (England) in a playoff.

Since 2022, he has been adapting to the PGA Tour. Although he has yet to win, he has played in 85 PGA Tour events, finishing in the top 10 eight times, earning a total of $6,092,007 (approximately 8.4 billion KRW). By finishing tied for second at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, his world ranking jumped from 68th last week to 59th, his personal best ranking.