On Saturday 16th November we were delighted to welcome back Aaron Rai to 3 Hammers Golf Complex for a Q&A and golf clinic with our academy juniors on the back of his recent maiden PGA Tour victory.
Aaron began his golfing journey many years ago here at 3 Hammers Golf Complex when he was just 4 years old and since then it has been fantastic to watch and follow Aaron’s journey which has led to multiple wins on the DP World Tour, his maiden victory on the PGA Tour and a career high ranking of 20th in the world.
Whilst Aaron is now based in the USA, he is often found practicing his putting, short game and swing around the complex when back visiting his family in Wolverhampton. During his most recent visit Aaron was kind enough to take part in a Q&A Session and Golf Clinic led by our Academy Director Rob Bluck to discuss his journey so far with our Junior Squads and give them the opportunity to watch Aaron hit shots and discuss his practice routine and the work he puts in to reach the top of the sport.
We kicked things off with some questions from our Juniors regarding what it’s like to play on tour and the pressures this brings. It was also extremely informative to find out more about the daily routine of a tour player and the amount of time which goes in to perfecting his game in between competitions.
Aaron also discussed how his golfing journey began right here at 3 Hammers as a beginner golfer trying golf for the first time. One of the highlights was taking part in a competition ran by 3 Hammers in partnership with the Express & Star called ‘Search for a star’ which Aaron won and we think it’s safe to say that we certainly did find a star.
Following on from the Q&A it was time to head to the range for the opportunity to watch Aaron hit some shots and see his swing up close. Our juniors along with their parents were blown away by his swing and his ability to shape shots as requested by our juniors. Aaron also discussed and demonstrated his pre shot and practice routines which enables him to get in the zone when playing to ensure there are no distractions. This was extremely informative for everybody involved and to see a tour player hitting shots was a memorable experience.
The final part of the session was held on the Par 3 Course where Aaron used to spend many hours every day dialling in his wedge shots which is now one of the strongest parts of his game. 5 of our Juniors challenged Aaron to a flood lit Closest to the pin challenge on our 15th Hole. Aaron set the bar high hitting first and with some very nicely controlled backspin finished around 3ft from the hole. This meant it was now over to the juniors to see if they could beat him. We had some very good attempts to get inside of Aaron’s shot and for a moment we thought we were going to witness a hole in one when Jack Youlden hit a perfectly measured shot which brushed the hole cup to finish a few inches from the hole and take the win. This was a great achievement and Jack can now say he beat the current world number 21 in a closest to the pin competition.
Following on from the session all involved expressed their gratitude to Aaron for giving up his own time to spend the afternoon with us here at 3 Hammers and share his advice and experiences with us. We hope that the visit has inspired our Juniors that anything is possible with hard work and dedication. Everybody here at 3 Hammers is extremely proud of everything Aaron has achieved and we hope he has many more successful years playing at the highest possible level.
