Aaron Rai’s quirk of wearing two gloves and leaving covers on his irons came to the fore after the top achievement of his career.

Rai won the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club on Sunday, becoming the first Englishman to claim the coveted prize since 1918.

But what are the reasons for his unconventional glove and cover decisions?

The reason Aaron Rai wears two glovesAaron Rai caught the eye for an unconventional choice with his gloves. Getty

Most golfers wear just one glove on their non-dominant hand, and usually remove it on the greens.

But Rai explained to Golf Monthly why he is different: “It started when I was eight years old.

“I just happened to be given these two gloves, the guy who actually makes them sent a pair over, and I got into the habit of wearing them.

“Then, a few weeks down the line, my dad forgot to put the two gloves in the bag so I had to play with one. It was terrible. I couldn’t play, I couldn’t feel the grip, so I’ve always stuck with the two gloves ever since.”

Rai does just use a single glove for bunker shots, and removes both when putting.

– PGA Championship 2026: Highlights from the final round

The reason Aaron Rai uses iron covers

As you watch Aaron Rai in the PGA Championship, you might notice he uses iron covers for his clubs and wears two gloves – two habits often viewed as golf faux pas. But both are actually inspiring.

Rai grew up in a working-class family in England, where his father sacrificed… pic.twitter.com/sEv69FTWY4

— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) May 17, 2026

Rai has also stood out for leaving covers on his irons.

It is a habit that he credits to his upbringing in a humble family.

“It started from the age of four years old, when my dad used to pay for my equipment,” Rai said.

“He paid for my membership, paid for my entry fees. It wasn’t money that we really had, to be honest, but he’d always buy me the best clubs.

“When we used to go out and practice, he used to clean every single groove afterward with a pin and baby oil, and, to protect the golf clubs, he thought it would be good to put iron covers on them and I’ve pretty much had iron covers on all my sets ever since, just to kind of appreciate the value of what I have.”