Aaron Rai reveals Jack Nicklaus handwritten tribute in wake of US PGA Championship triumph

It is often simple gestures in life that carry great meaning.

A week on from touching the golf world by leaving a handwritten note for fellow Tour professional Pablo Larrazábal, Aaron Rai revealed he was the subject of a similar act of kindness following his US PGA Championship victory in May.

Widely regarded as one of the nicest golfers, Rai claimed his first Major Championship victory at Aronimink as he became the first Englishman to win the Wanamaker Trophy in over a century.

Already a winner on both the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR beforehand, his triumph saw him showered with as much praise for his on-course performance as his manner in celebrating the success.

And it transpires that American great Jack Nicklaus - a record 18-time Major champion - reached out to Rai personally in the immediate aftermath of his momentous triumph.

"After the PGA I received a handwritten letter from Jack Nicklaus, which was kind of surreal when we opened the mail," he revealed during a pre-tournament press conference ahead of this week's Open Championship.

"Yeah, for someone like that to take the time to write to me after the PGA, it definitely shows the class of what Jack is about."

While Nicklaus' tribute came at a moment of success for Rai, the Englishman's supportive gesture at the PGA TOUR co-sanctioned Genesis Scottish Open came during a period where Larrazábal - a nine-time DP World Tour - is struggling for form.

Speaking to the DP World Tour at The Renaissance Club last week, Rai said praise he received from fellow professionals after becoming a Major winner inspired his own recent act of thoughtfullness.

"It just felt like the right thing to do," he added.

"It was Pablo Larrazábal. We've played quite a bit together in the past.

"It was the first that I'd heard he'd been struggling a little bit during the season, so it felt like just the right thing to do. So that's where it came from really."

Despite a missed cut at last week's Genesis Scottish Open. Rai arrives at Royal Birkdale amid heightened expectation having not missed a cut in a Major since the 2024 US PGA Championship, with the 31-year-old part of a strong English continent.

An English winner of the Claret Jug is long overdue, with three-time Open champion Sir Nick Faldo the last to do so in 1992.

Despite showing Major-winning form already this year, and the subsequent "validation" that he has gained too from backing it up with a tie for 11th at the U.S. Open, Rai is not losing focus amid his preparations.

"Firstly, there's always pressure every single week no matter what tournament it is," he said.

"I think most of that is self-imposed. Some of it is where you're playing and what event that it is.

"Obviously this is a Major Championship. It's a huge event in its own right. So there's always that element of pressure that is there.

"I try not to view it too differently to most weeks. Obviously the challenges of what it presents are different to a lot of weeks, and that has to be prepared for."

Among his earliest memories of competing at The Open are watching the highlights as a child, with Tiger Woods' triumph at St Andrews in 2000 and then David Duval's win at Royal Lytham and St Annes a year later at the turn of the century coming first to his mind.

"We used to watch it from five, six years old," he said.

"I used to support Tiger Woods a lot. It was great to see David win, but I was supporting Tiger. That's what sticks out, that Tiger didn't win that one.

"I can't remember what one it was, but that was probably my earliest memory of it.

"Obviously I'm British, and this is a home Open, so very, very special tournament."

This year sees The Open return to Royal Birkdale for the first time since 2017, but a new challenge awaits the 156-player after a number of modifications were made to the layout from 2023 to 2025.

Among those are the introduction of a brand-new 241-yard par three, along with a complete redesign to the par four fifth meaning it is no longer a blind tee shot.

Explained: The changes made to Royal Birkdale ahead of Open Championship return

Having missed out on the edition nine years ago, Rai is full of praise for the challenge that awaits.

With the recent heatwaves experienced in Europe meaning the fairways are parched, the course is set to play firm and fast placing a greater importance on strategy.

"I think it's a brilliant golf course," he said.

"It's definitely changed quite a bit in the last two weeks.

"It was quite green. It was quite lush when I came here and relatively soft as well, fairways and greens. So it was quite a surprise playing a few holes on Sunday, seeing it as brown as what it was in the space of, I think, ten days.

"I think it plays phenomenally. It's a great layout. Obviously a huge amount of history at Birkdale. It's a real iconic Open venue.

"I think it will be a true test of golf. I'm looking forward to getting started this week."