GENESIS SCOTTISH OPEN

July 7, 2026

Aaron Rai

The Renaissance Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Obviously first time back in the U.K. after your US PGA Championship win. How have the last few months been as a Major Champion?

AARON RAI: Yeah, it's been great. It was really nice initially to have a couple of weeks away from tournaments just to try to sit with it a little bit more. I then played four events back-to-back, which again was really good to try to get into some normal habits and routines around the game.

And then last week was the first time I was back in the U.K., so great to see friends, family. Managed to go to Wimbledon over the weekend, which was amazing to experience.

So yeah, a pretty busy few weeks since the PGA but yeah, very good overall.

Q. Hong Kong was your first DP World Tour title but the win in The Scottish Open, arguably your biggest statement victory. Six years on, what do you think the biggest difference is now to the Aaron Rai that's made the leap to where he is now?

AARON RAI: Scottish Open was huge in 2020. Opened up a lot of opportunities in 2021 to gain access to the PGA TOUR.

Spending the majority of the last five years over playing on the PGA TOUR, and obviously playing some of the biggest events over here on the DP World Tour has helped build experience, understand different styles of the game a little bit better.

Being able to try and apply those to myself, and then get access in some of the major championships, I think it's just helped to round me as a golfer, just a little bit more experienced now versus a few years ago.

Q. You know you've got the game to compete and win at the highest level now, given that success, but do you feel that the next step in improvement is when getting into contention on your golf game but getting over the line a little bit more when you give yourself the chance?

AARON RAI: I think for me personally, just continue to go develop as a golfer, I think all of those things kind of happen as by products where you give yourself more opportunities; and the areas that are strong, try to keep them strong but the areas that are a bit more inconsistent, try to manage those a little bit better. I think if I can continue to do that.

Q. Obviously two big weeks of links golf with this event and then obviously The Open. How much do you see it as good preparation for last major of the year and what is it about links golf that you enjoy most?

AARON RAI: I try not to view The Scottish Open that way. I never have in the past. It's a huge event. It's a massive event on the DP World Tour, Rolex Series Event and the history that is behind it. I think it's great to play links golf, to have two weeks at it and such a different style to what we're used to for the rest of the year.

Personally, I really enjoy the variety, and that's generally because of the conditions that we face in links golf, a lot of different ball flights, a lot of different shapes. So many options around the green.

So I think it's a real test of skill and creativity. Those are my biggest draws of links golf, this style of golf.

Q. I heard you mention in your press conference how Kenyan Open holds a dear place in your heart with a victory there, and I remember speaking to you afterwards. This week is a National Open as well. How important are these events in our schedule and what makes them special to play in as players?

AARON RAI: Yeah, they are really important. There's always that extra layer of an Open, an Open that is very close to home, whether it's where you're from or connections to family. Every golf event is important in its own right but I think the Opens just have that extra layer of meaning to your own heritage and meaning to the kind of family heritage, as well, generations that have come before you.

I don't know how all of that is going to be in the future by any means, but it holds a really important place in golf and I think in other sports outside the game, it's something that's really important to try and protect as much as possible.

Q. No secret that the routing has been changed for this year. What are your thoughts on the challenges the new setup with present?

AARON RAI: There's not been a huge amount of change to the golf course itself, an extra couple of bunkers, nothing huge in terms of design.

I think it's likely to impact the flow of the course and how it feels. I think there will be pockets of holes -- pockets of difficult holes that seem to be closer together and then pockets of holes that provide a little bit more opportunity.

So I don't know what the reason is behind the rerouting, but I'm presuming that's part of it just to create that balance and flows within the course, some of which are very challenging and some of which give you a little more opportunity.

I think it can be a really good change. I think a cup of the changes, as well, makes the actual design a little bit harder and more to think about. Yeah, I think it's another step forward for the golf course.

Q. Last year you mentioned that you obviously went to Wimbledon. How great was it to have that experience and also to watch other sports?

AARON RAI: I haven't spent a huge amount of time up close to professional tennis players, and to see what they go through, obviously physically very demanding, of course.

But to try and watch them in between a little bit and watch body language, how they approach the games, how they approach certain parts of the matches was really cool. A lot of the challenges are very similar across sport but I think there are techniques and little things that they do can sometimes vary from sport to sport depending on what is exactly required in that game or in that environment.

I mean, it was great as a spectacle, but it was nice to try and learn bits from what I'm seeing, as well, because obviously they are at the top of their field.