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Former Genesis Scottish Open champion Aaron Rai isn't too concerned by the changes made to the course at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick.While the eighth, ninth, 17th and 18th holes will ‌remain the same, the rest of the course effectively will ​flip, with the first ‌to seventh playing as the 10th to 16th, and 10th to ‌16th playing ⁠as first to ‌seventh."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," Rai told reporters on Tuesday."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."Rai, who won the tournament in 2020, arrives as a first-time major winner following his breakthrough triumph at the PGA Championship in May.The 31-year-old Englishman followed that up with top-20 finishes at the Memorial (T19) and U.S. Open (T11) before tying for 30th at the Travelers Championship."It's been great," Rai said when asked to describe life as a major champion. FOUR EVENTS BACK-TO-BACK"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," he said. "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."With The Open Championship looming on the horizon next week, Rai is excited to return to links-style golf."Such a different style to what we're used to for the rest of the year (on the PGA Tour)," he said. "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." 

Aaron Rai grew up hardworking and humble in central England, family examples developing the patterns that led to his victory on Sunday at the PGA Championship. The 31-year-old became the first English golfer since Jim Barnes in 1919 to capture the PGA crown, making four birdies and an eagle in the last 10 holes to produce a four-stroke victory at Aronimink. "It definitely feels like a journey," Rai said. "So much goes into it, from being a junior golfer to developing the game to have aspirations of turning professional. Then you realize once you turn professional how good some of these guys are." Rai's father is of Indian ancestry while his mother has Kenyan heritage and growing up in England has made him a mix of all their cultures. "I'm very proud to be from England. That's where I grew up. That's where a lot of my family still live," Rai said. "I'm very proud of India and Kenya as well. My mom still spends a lot of time in Kenya. Both of my sets of grandparents from my mom and dad's side were from India. I'm very proud of representing all three really. I don't know what all that represents or how it's going to come across. All I can say is I'm very proud to be a mix of all of them." He learned about being a good man and humble from family and golf. "A lot of that has come from upbringing," Rai said. "Golf was always a very big part of my life from a very young age, but my mom and my siblings were very fast to reinforce the importance of just being a good person and trying to do the right things. Golf in itself is an extremely humbling game. There's so much hard work and discipline that goes into acquiring the skills to become better." Work ethic was instilled by family as well. "My dad instilled the importance of work and dedication and trying to consistently build just good, strong habits around the game," Rai said. "My mom worked extremely hard away from golf. She worked a couple of jobs at one time and she did a lot of work around the house. There was a lot of consistent messaging of hard work. It has been something I've just grown up with and I guess as I've got older, something that I've really valued and tried to continue to move forward with." 'Real support system'Rai's wife, Gaurika Bishnoi, is a pro golfer from India whose advice in a car ride to the hotel lingered with him on the course. "She has been incredible," Rai said. "I wouldn't be here without her, both as a companion, as a friend, as someone I'm sharing my life with, but also as a real support system for my game. Her mindset, her advice, her thoughts, whether it's technique or the way I'm holding myself, is absolutely invaluable." Asked how they will celebrate his victory, she said, "He'll probably have Chipotle," and he added, "I do love Chipotle on the road, so we'll probably go to Chipotle." And when it comes to golf bragging rights, Rai admitted, "We practice quite a lot together. Honestly she beats me more times than I beat her." Rivals saluted Rai's work ethic and character. "Rarely do you feel like people work way harder than you," said two-time major winner Xander Schauffele. "Aaron is always there. He's always in the gym. He's always on the range. I think that's what it's about to be a major champion. You puts the work in when nobody's looking." Rai relished the praise. "There are a lot of guys who work extremely hard," Rai said. "That's a prerequisite of what's just required to try and compete out here. Very reaffirming to know the things we're doing are working and leading to continued development."

Aaron Rai won his first major title on Sunday by capturing the PGA Championship, making birdies on four of the last eight holes to become the first Englishman to win the event in 107 years.Rai sealed a tense back-nine shootout with a spectacular 68-foot birdie putt on the par-three 17th, firing his career-low major round with a five-under-par 65 to finish 72 holes on nine-under 271 at formidable Aronimink."Very surreal," said Rai, who has fought a neck injury this year. "It has been a frustrating season so to be standing here is outside my modest imagination."He defeated two-time major winner Jon Rahm of Spain and American Alex Smalley by three strokes with American Justin Thomas, Germany's Matti Schmid and Sweden's Ludvig Aberg sharing fourth on 275.The 31-year-old from Wombourne in central England took home a $3.69mn top prize from a record purse of $20.5mn and the Wanamaker Trophy after a dramatic final day.Rai became only the second English player to win the PGA after Jim Barnes captured the first two titles in 1916 and 1919."Extremely proud," Rai said.  "There's a lot of incredible and historic English players over those hundred years who have gone on to achieve incredible things and had phenomenal careers. "To be the person that's the first one to have won it in a long time from England is an amazing thing and something to be extremely proud of." Never better than 19th in 12 prior major starts, Rai won his third DP World Tour title last November in Abu Dhabi and his only PGA Tour title in 2024 at Greensboro. Cautious finalePlaying cautiously in windy weather on Aronimink's sloped greens, the world's top golfers battled the course and each other in a fight that turned as Rai surged into the lead. Rai answered a bogey at eight with a 40-foot eagle putt at the par-five ninth, then sank birdie putts from four feet at 11 and seven feet at 13, becoming the week's first to reach seven-under.Schmid, seeking his first PGA Tour title in his fifth major start and first PGA Championship, sank a birdie putt from just inside nine feet at 13 to pull within one of the lead.Rai responded by reaching the green in two at the par-five 16th to set up a tap-in birdie.He then delivered a knockout blow by curling in his monster birdie putt over a ridge at 17 to reach nine-under while Schmid made bogey at 15 to leave Rai ahead by four strokes."I definitely wasn't trying to hole that putt," Rai said. "The shadow gave the putt a nice line the last 10 feet so that helped. It was about the speed of the putt. Nice to see it go in."Rahm, the 2021 US Open and 2023 Masters champion, birdied the ninth to reach five-under but made only a bogey and eight pars on the back side."I played really good golf," Rahm said."Just wish I'd have done better with the speed of the greens. Just couldn't seem to get it to the hole, and that's the reason why I didn't hole any more putts."Even so, what Aaron did today, catching him could have been very difficult. I feel like I was still close on that playing 16 until he made that long putt."World number two Rory McIlroy, who won his sixth major title at last month's Masters, shot 69 to share seventh on 276 with American Xander Schauffele and Australian Cameron Smith.Unheralded Smalley, in only his fifth major, teed off with a one-stroke lead and nine major winners among 22 players within four shots.A double bogey at the sixth and bogey at the par-three eighth plunged Smalley back until his eagle-bogey-birdie finish.American Kurt Kitayama fired a bogey-free, seven-under-par 63 to match the lowest final round in major golf history."I'm ecstatic," Kitayama said.Top-ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler shot 69 to finish on 278.

Stranded passengers report to Qatar Airways customer service at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport after flights to Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi were cancelled in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia, Sunday.  

There must be something special about the Japanese air for American sprinters as Noah Lyles and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden swept the 200 metres world titles in Tokyo, emulating Tyson Gay and Allyson Felix in Osaka 18 years ago. Rai Benjamin's win in the men's 400m hurdles – adding the world title to the Olympic gold he won last year – made it a special night for track and field powerhouse United States.Lyles had to battle to get his head in front, but the showman with the dyed-blond locks managed it handsomely and secured a fourth successive 200m crown to emulate Usain Bolt. For the 28-year-old, who raised his arms to the heavens and then let out a mighty roar when his name was announced before the start, his feelings were the polar opposite to how he felt after winning Olympic bronze in Tokyo in 2021."At that time I was depressed, but this time I am energised," said Lyles, who went over and hugged his mum Keisha Caine Bishop. "My face is blasted all over Tokyo. This is amazing and such a joyous moment I am going to keep with me forever."In contrast 100m champion Jefferson-Wooden coasted to victory, becoming the first double champion since another Jamaican sprint icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in Moscow in 2013. "I am now looking forward to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics," the 24-year-old said. "I definitely put a target on my back."The women's 400m hurdles race lacked the drama of the men's – it was already without its superstar Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who had instead swept to an imperious victory in the flat 400m on Thursday – with Femke Bol of the Netherlands retaining the title. Bol can only beat what is in front of her and she did that with aplomb as the Dutchwoman blazed home in 51.54sec, ahead of American Jasmine Jones and Slovakia's Emma Zapletalova. "This means the world to me," said the 25-year-old. "At these world championships I had to keep my title. I am proud of myself and my team for doing it."Bol admitted that Olympic champion and world record holder McLaughlin-Levrone probably would have beaten her. The race was notable for the absence of McLaughlin-Levrone, who chose not to compete in the hurdles in the Japanese capital so she could concentrate on the 400m flat race."I most likely wouldn't be here with the gold medal but I really love to race her," said Bol. "She's the best athlete to ever do it in my event so I would have loved to do it, but I also love to see her do so well in the 400 metres."Bol's win marked the end of another successful season after completing an incredible sixth Diamond League campaign unbeaten. But she has not fared as well in her infrequent match-ups with McLaughlin-Levrone, who beat her into third place on the way to gold at last year's Paris Olympics. Bol's first world title, in Budapest two years ago, also came without having to beat McLaughlin-Levrone, who missed the competition through injury.McLaughlin-Levrone hinted on Thursday that she could attempt a remarkable 400m hurdles-flat double at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Bol said she would "love to see her do both". "If she feels physically ready for that, that would be amazing to see because I think if someone could pull it off, it would be her," she said.If anything the most drama occurred in a sandpit involving a hop, skip and a jump – the men's triple jump final. Italy's Andrea Dallavalle livened up a competition that had not really caught fire by snatching the lead with his sixth and final effort – a personal best of 17.64 metres.However, Portugal's long-time leader Pedro Pichardo reacted in the best possible way and with the last jump of the final, 17.91m, he regained the lead and won gold -- in the same stadium where he won the Olympic title four years ago.Four years ago Norway were on a crest of an Olympic wave in track and field as Karsten Warholm and Jakob Ingebrigtsen won gold. Warholm broke the 400m hurdles world record that scorching hot day in Tokyo, and his celebration was one of the iconic moments of those Games.On Friday he was far from his best, hitting the third hurdle, and slumped to the ground at the finish, putting his hand to his face. Ingebrigtsen won the 1,500m Olympic title in 2021, but only sneaked into 5,000m final by the skin of his teeth."I am not myself," he said. "I don't have any idea what I am going to do in the final. I will try my best. Can it be a medal for Norway? I don't know, maybe. We will see."

Qatar's Abderrahman Samba won bronze in the 400m hurdles at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Friday. He clocked 47.06 seconds to finish behind USA's Rai Benjamin, who added world gold to his Olympic crown in Paris last year.**media[358722]**Brazil's Alison Dos Santos added silver to the gold he gained in 2022. Samba returned to the world podium for the first time since Doha in 2019, when he also claimed bronze.Benjamin managed to maintain his momentum, despite knocking down the final barrier, and dipped to victory in 46.52 secs to hold off dos Santos, who clocked 46.84 secs. Dos Santos and Samba both passed defending champion Karsten Warholm of Norway in the closing stages, as did Ezekiel Nathaniel, who clocked a Nigerian record of 47.11 to pip him into fifth place and move to 10th on the world all-time list.