6 facts about Rocket Mortgage co-leader Aaron Rai ft. wanting to be a Formula 1 driver

The 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic is underway at the 2024 Detroit Country Club in Michigan. Aaron Rai shares the lead with Akshay Bhatia at 17 under par for three days and will tee off the final round of the tournament at 11:30 PM local time.

As Rai seeks to earn his maid title on the PGA Tour this week, the 29 year old sensation shared some details about his life along with the Tour.

Here are six things you need to know about Aaron Rai:

#1 Aaron Rai wished to be an F1 driver

Aaron Rai is an avid lover of Formula 1 since he was little. The PGA Tour star began playing golf at the young age of five and started playing at the Three Hammers Golf Complex.

Rai embraced his love for Formula 1 by wearing his favourite team, Ferrari's, shirts and jumpers while competing in junior tournaments when he was a young boy. He was keen on pursuing the sport professionally and aspired to become a professional racecar driver.

He decided to follow through with golf as a career after injuring himself with a hockey stick when he was a child. To ease his discomfort from the pain, his mother, Dalvir Shukla, bought Rai a set of plastic golf clubs so that he could still be active and play a sport while minimising injuries.

#2 He was born in Wolverhampton, England

Aaron Rai was born on March 3, 1995, in Wolverhampton, England, to his mother, Dalvir Shukla and father, Amrik Singh. He is the youngest in the family and has two older sisters and one brother. Despite being born in England, his roots trace back to India.

His mother worked several jobs to supports their family while their father worked in the community. Rai completed his schooling in his hometown's Wolverhapton Grammar School.

#3 He uses iron head covers

Aaron Rai, World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba (Image via Getty)

Several golfers all over the world are shamed for using covers to protect their irons. However, Aaron Rai embraces the act and follows his father's advice.

Rai's father, Amrik, taught him from a young age to respect all of his equipment and take good care of them. This quality in Aaron Rai makes him stand out among the PGA Tour field as he is unfazed by the criticism he recieves about his habit.

#4 He wears two gloves

Aaron Rai, 2024 PGA Championship - Final Round (Image via Getty)

Most golfers in the world only play with one glove on their leading hand. Aaron Rai is one of the only players on the PGA Tour to wear gloves on both hands while playing.

Gloves on both hands help with bettering poor grip strength caused by excessive sweating from the palms. Aaron Rai was introducted to the idea by his father and began the habit when he was just eight years old, and has stuck by it ever since.

#5 He holed 207 consecutive putts

Aaron Rai, 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic - Round Three (Image via Getty)

Aaron Rai had recieved a Lee Westwood putting training aid when he was 15 years old. The teenager had put the tool to good use and worked with it on the range to better his putting game.

Shortly after he began training with the aid, Aaron Rai went on to set a record. He holed in an impressive 207 putts consecutively from ten feet to the hole in his home's backyard. This stat took him to hold the record for the Lee Westwood Puttmaster record.

#6 He supports Manchester United

Aaron Rai has been a big fan of football along with Formula 1. As an Englishman, he took the side of Manchester United over Manchester City.

As he embraces his passion for other sports, fans all over the world have their eyes glue to their screens in hopes that Aaron Rai emerges victories in the head to head fight betweek him and his fellow player of Indian heritage, Akshay Bhatia.