Wolverhampton's Rai in great form for Troon

Aaron Rai tees up at Royal Troon looking to make it a fourth top 10 finish

Aaron Rai might have begun 2024 as a name not that well known outside the Midlands - but he has arrived for the 152nd Open Championship in Scotland this week as one of the most in-form golfers in the 156-man field.

The 29-year-old from Wolverhampton has been trying his luck full time on the US PGA tour this year, and has enjoyed five lucrative top-10 finishes.

Three of them have come in a row, culminating in a final-round 63 at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick on Sunday, when he catapulted up the Scottish Open leaderboard to finish tied for fourth - earning him an invite to Royal Troon.

His run of form has not gone unnoticed back at 3Hammers golf club, where Rai learned to play the game and still visits regularly when he is back in the Midlands.

Could he be ready to add to his two previous professional trophies?

"It's only a question of time," said Ian Bonser, the 3Hammers complex director and one of Rai's chief mentors. "He has obviously been having a great time of late - and surely he must be due another win and hopefully a big one."

After a top-20 finish at the US Open at Pinehurst in June, his run of good results - second at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit, seventh at the John Deere Classic in Illinois and then fourth in the Scottish Open - has moved him into the world's top 50.

After winning the Hong Kong Open in 2018 by a shot from Matt Fitzpatrick, it was behind closed doors during Covid when he won again at the 2020 Scottish Open, beating Tommy Fleetwood in a play-off at the Renaissance Club.

Now he is back properly rubbing shoulders with them again.

In the world ranking list currently headed by Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele, Fleetwood (12), Fitzpatrick (21) and Tyrrell Hatton (23) are the only Englishmen ranked above Rai, who is 45th.

Aaron Rai will have regular caddie Jason Timmis on his bag at Royal Troon

Rai, once best known for being one of the rare few to wear two gloves on course in all weathers will tee off fairly early on Thursday morning on the Ayrshire coast in the company of a man also known for his fashion sense, 1995 champion John Daly.

It is all a big step forward for the British Asian first introduced to the game by his dad Amrik, who like his mother Dalvir, was not a golfer.

The first club he ever practised with was his elder brother's hockey stick.

Then his parents, who still live in nearby Perton, on the north side of Wolverhampton, discovered 3 Hammers, just up the A449.

"We have always had an open-door policy," said Bonser. "Without the restrictions you have at some other clubs.

"We can now count 30 kids who started with us who have gone on to become pros, including Andy Proudman and Piers Ward, who started their 'Me And My Golf' website and have now moved out to California and are doing very well. Aaron still goes to see them to work on his game. And that is what sets him apart.

Aaron Rai is a regular visitor back at his old club 3Hammers on the outskirts of Wolverhampton

"He has always worked so hard at his game. I remember one of the last times he came in to use our indoor putting green it was getting near to closing time at 10 o'clock one night.

"We had to say 'Sorry, Aaron, we're about to close. And he hadn't quite finished all his putting drills, so he put some balls down on the carpet of the bistro next to the golf shop and carried on there. That's dedication.

"His dad in particular has always been fantastically supportive of him. I remember even when Aaron had turned 14 or so, he'd still be out there teeing it up for him. But it always has to down to the individual and it's the effort he's put in himself that had got him where he is."

While Rai remains a very serious looking competitor on course, he is also still great company off it.

"We've been seeing that happy, smiling face down here since he was four years old," added Bonser. "He's always been such a cheerful soul."

Mansell also teeing it up at Royal Troon

Richard Mansell took his first look at Royal Troon in this week's practice rounds

The other Midlander teeing it up at Royal Troon this week is Lichfield's Richard Mansell, who made it through by shooting a last-day 61 to tie for 10th at the Scottish Open.

He goes out at 12:09 in the company of Spaniard Angel Hidalgo and Japan's Rikuya Hoshino.

And Mansell, 29, playing in his second Open after tying 68th at Sandwich in 2022, also has a connection with 3Hammers.

"We see Rich down here a fair bit," said Bonser. "He also comes over to use the facilities and go on the indoor putting green.

"He's another one we're hoping has a good week up there."