ABU DHABI ALDAR GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

November 4, 2026

Aaron Rai

Yas Links

Press Conference

CLARE BODEL: We welcome to the Media Centre our defending champion, Aaron Rai.

You had an absolutely wonderful week here last year and then you've gone on to have an incredible season this season. So if you could just sum up your time here since your win here last year.

AARON RAI: Yeah, a lot has happened. It's quite unexpected, this week last year in obviously the greatest way possible.

This year was a real slow start to the season, quite up-and-down. Some challenges, as well, with some injuries, and then started to play some really good golf at the PGA Championship, which was a real highlight of the year and my career, and the last few months have been pretty steady overall.

Yeah, a lot has happened but very happy to be back here.

CLARE BODEL: You've just been out playing the Pro-Am. How is the course playing as you remember it?

AARON RAI: Really good. I walked a few holes on Sunday, and it was absolutely immaculate. Played a little bit over the last three days and it's playing great. Probably the fairways are a little than they were last year. I remember them being really fast.

Greens are still rolling great. They are a very good speed. You think they are about 12 on the Stimp, so very fast for us. But yeah, absolutely great condition, and yeah, looking forward to the week.

Q. Did you get the impression last year when you won that you had taken a step up and that you were ready to kick on a little bit and sort of climb the golfing ladder?

AARON RAI: Honestly, that wasn't something that I necessarily felt on the back of last year. Obviously playing well in any tournament, winning any tournament, is extremely gratifying and it validates a lot of what you're doing to get into those positions.

But golf is extremely changeable. It doesn't mean it's going to set you up for a great season. It doesn't mean that it's going to set you up for good results following it. So I really enjoyed it. I really appreciated it. But I didn't really take too much of that into this year where it shaped my expectations.

Q. You're fifth in The Race to Dubai, quite a ways back but another win would push you into contention. Can you afford to think that way, and are you looking at potential Race to Dubai victory?

AARON RAI: Honestly, I try to really not think that way. The Race to Dubai obviously is -- a huge thing for any world player. But I try not to focus too much on Order of Merits and even results in specific events. I'll just try and do the best that I can in terms of preparation and do the small things as well as I can from Thursday to Sunday and see where that puts me.

Q. We've heard a lot about the high esteem in which you're held in by your fellow players. Does that mean as much to you as your victories?

AARON RAI: It does. And that part for me has been really surprising. I think a lot of players have a lot of respect for one another. But sometimes we don't speak a lot about these things to one another. It's a little quieter.

And with some really good achievements this year, some players have spoken a little bit more publicly, which, yeah, has taken me by surprise but in a really nice way. Something that I had not really expected.

Q. Did it take some time to adjust to being a Major Champion? Does it make you feel any different on the golf course?

AARON RAI: It definitely takes some time to adjust for sure. I think I'm still adjusting to it, even as we're speaking.

In terms of on the course, I felt like it was really difficult in probably the first two or three events I played straight after PGA. Just the balance, how big an achievement that is, really appreciate it and really respect how big of an achievement it is. But also, try and approach those events with a real balance and focus. I found that a real difficult balance to weigh between the two.

But after that, I felt pretty comfortable. Felt like I kind of got into a pretty normal rhythm of doing things. I feel extremely proud of how I've gone about my preparation and practise over the last, probably, six to eight events.

Q. The rollback seems to be a big topic among players and fans. What is your stance on where we're going and whether the changes need to be the ball or driver head? Where are you on that?

AARON RAI: Honestly I haven't really given too much thought to it. I think those decisions will be made in the best interests of the game overall. There will be some players that are for it. There will be some players that are against it. But I try not to get too involved in what my opinion is and how it's going to affect things, really.

Q. You say that the courses are changeable, but the weather this time is not as it was like last year. Do you think that will be a bigger challenge for you this time in your title defence?

AARON RAI: I think the forecast seems to be relatively calm for the week. Even last year, the winds were not too extreme, somewhere between five and 15 miles an hour. I think it's meant to be a little bit more off the west, southwest, so a lot of holes that are more crosswinds rather than downwind and into the wind. I think that did provide a slightly unique challenge to large parts of last year.

But yeah, the course is in great shape. I think scoring will be good, like it has been the last couple of years. But you've still got to play some great golf to give yourself a chance at competing this week.

Q. On a lighter note, you have won here. And someone like Rory McIlroy who has won here quite a few times but not in Abu Dhabi. What would your advice be to him if you are watching him from the sidelines?

AARON RAI: I don't think Rory needs too much advice from any of us playing. He's a phenomenal player, one of the greatest players to ever play this game.

In golf, no matter how well you play, sometimes you need a few things to go your way here and there, and his time will come very, very soon whether it's this year or in future years.

Yeah, no advice to him. But hopefully things kind of fall his way, and I'm sure he'll get one of these very soon.

Q. You used a seven-year old M6 driver winning the PGA Championship if I'm right. Is that the same for this time around or have you changed?

AARON RAI: Yeah, still the same driver. I've used it for, as you said, pretty much seven years now. Yeah, feel very comfortable with it, and probably won't be changing, certainly any time soon. So, yeah, very happy with what I'm using.

Q. In less than one year winning a Rolex Series and the PGA Championship, how has the past year changed you as a golfer, and how have you managed to make all this success in a short time?

AARON RAI: That's a really good question. I don't feel like it's changed my style as a golfer that much. I still try to play events in a similar way and approach events in a pretty similar way.

It's definitely helped give an extra layer of belief, and I think the nature in which I had won both of those tournaments were very different to what I had experienced before in a slightly different way of winning compared to events that I had won before. So I think that definitely gives just an extra layer of confidence and belief.

And the second part of your question, I think I'm still adapting to just some changes. It's definitely a new space for me. I've been a professional, I think, for 14 years, but the last 12 months have definitely been the best performances and the most notable wins of my career.

With that comes a few changes, but still trying to adapt to some of those.

Q. As you say, this is a Ryder Cup year. Is this on your to-do list or your objective list for 2027?

AARON RAI: Obviously the Ryder Cup is huge and it's the pinnacle of European golf. But I feel that with golf, it's very hard to force this game to move in any direction. But I think it gives you the opportunity to work hard and it gives you the opportunity to try and do the right things to play as well as you can.

I'll do my best at those things, and I'll see where those things put me. Of course, it's a huge event, and I'd love to be a part of it at some point in the future, whether it's next year or beyond that. But I'm going to try and approach it in a way where I'd try and give myself the best chance by doing the right things for all of the events between now and then.

Q. That win at Aronimink for any player would be a huge career box ticked. You said that would change your career. Does it change your goals and the way you approach things, not only into 2027 but beyond?

AARON RAI: Again, I try not to think in those kind of terms. I think with playing well, with success, there is always that element of trying to balance expectations by not letting it change too much or get on to a path that is too different than the things that led you to those points. That is definitely a challenge I try to stay aware of.

I've not really been much of a goal-setter for a very long time now. I try not to see accomplishment or achievement through what I go on to achieve in a season or what I don't necessarily achieve.

Obviously I'm very proud of everything that's happened this year and this tournament last year, but I try not to define success by that, and I try not to define success in a new season by reaching certain goals.

Q. Even though you didn't win at Wentworth, how important was that week to you? It had gave the impression before then that your season wasn't just sort of petered out but had gone from a high to flat-lining for a while. Was it important to have another great week at that time?

AARON RAI: Yeah, Wentworth is a huge event. It's our Flagship Event on the DP World Tour. And an event that I've grown up spectating and watching ever since a child, so it certainly has a lot of meaning to me.

And yeah, to perform well, I was in a great group the first two days paired with Rory and Ryan Fox, which I enjoyed, and again, a slightly new space to have such a high profile group.

So to play well those first two days, to continue to play well over the weekend and to have a chance on Sunday was really pleasing.

And yeah, something I can definitely take a lot from, certainly, going into the next couple of weeks.

CLARE BODEL: Thank you, everyone. Thank you, Aaron. Good luck with your title defence.