Ryder Cup: Aaron Rye to ‘cap up’ with European captain Luke Donald ‘in the coming days’ after PGA Championship win | golf news

Aaron Rye says he is going to “catch up” with Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald in the coming days, as talks continue over his possible inclusion in the European squad ahead of next year’s tournament at Adare Manor.

The 31-year-old became the first Englishman to win the PGA Championship in 107 years on Sunday, claiming victory by three shots through a packed field of players.

Although the 2027 Ryder Cup may still be 16 months away, Rye’s sensational performances have boosted his chances of securing a place in Ireland to play in the biennial tournament.

On Thursday, the Englishman revealed he had not spoken to Luke Donald since winning his first major title, but added: “I will be in touch with him in the coming days.”

Rye, who opted to withdraw from this week’s PGA Tour event, the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, explained that he could not talk about playing in the 2027 Ryder Cup immediately after Sunday’s win.

The Wolverhampton-born golfer was in contention to secure a place in the European team to play in Bethpage Black in 2025, but missed out on a place in the squad. He revealed on Thursday that this experience of being considered for election will stand him in good stead when he fights for the seat again next year.

“I think it’s a long way off,” Rai said. “The Ryder Cup qualifying hasn’t started yet, so I’m well aware of how good golf you have to play to be in that structure next year, so it’s not something I’ve really thought too much about.

“I’ve really enjoyed being around it over the last couple of years and moving towards it and experiencing what it’s like.

“Hopefully I can learn some things from those experiences that will carry over into next year, but there’s a lot of golf to play and you have to put in a lot of great performances to be considered for that team.”

The Englishman deployed a similar approach during his final round on Sunday, explaining he was taking it one step at a time and trying not to look at the leaderboard as Jon Rahm, Alex Smalley and Justin Thomas halted their progress.

“I think on these last few holes, I definitely felt that, if I could keep doing what I’m doing, we had a very good chance,” he explained. “But I tried not to let myself get too far ahead and think there was a chance, because I knew how difficult the last few holes are and how well you have to play to keep the round flowing.

“So, I didn’t take it for granted. I knew maybe there was a chance to be in that position, but I tried not to let myself get too far outside of those last few holes.”

Rai’s wife’s ‘powerful’ message

Ahead of last Sunday’s final round, Rai revealed his wife Gaurika, an accomplished golfer who played on the Ladies European Tour, gave him several assurances to help him claim victory at Aronimink.

“He’s very honest with me,” Rai said. “Through the positives he sees, but sometimes through the areas where maybe I’m lacking.

“So, I think maybe the deeper consistent message is honesty through just being good and not being so good.

“One particular piece of advice he gave me on Saturday night and even on Sunday morning was: ‘You’re ready’. It felt really powerful when he said it, because he said it on Saturday night and he said it before he even started on Sunday.”

Rai won’t treat himself after banking a $3.69 million check

Rai was also open about the sacrifices his parents made to help him reach the top level.

After picking up $3.69m (£2.75m) on Sunday, the ever-humble Rai explained that he had no plans to treat himself, but would buy something nice for his family members.

“I have a really nice house in Jacksonville that I’ve been in for three years now, which I absolutely love,” Rye said.

“I imported my car from the UK three years ago, which I absolutely love, and I wouldn’t change it for anything. So, nothing really comes to mind for myself.

“I think I’d like to get some of my family members something, but I wanted to be thoughtful about not doing something worth X amount.”

Rye was praised by Xander Schauffele for his relentless work ethic on Sunday. English explained that his commitment to hard work was a lesson his parents instilled in him from an early age. But for Rai, the hard work won’t stop after winning his first major.

“There’s always evolving, and there’s always growth in the game,” Rye said. “The way you go about it defines whether that growth gets you going. There’s probably a lot of little things in different areas of the game that can still be improved.”

“But I also think last week, and generally the last two years there’s been a lot of positive signs in my game, and my game in different parts of the world and across different styles of golf, which shows it’s in a really good place.”

Watch the CJ Cup Byron Nelson live until Sunday on Sky Sports Golf, where Scotty Scheffler is the defending champion. Get Sky Sports or Flow without any contract.