Aaron Rai insists he’s not overly focused on securing a spot in next year’s European Ryder Cup team, despite having one of the best seasons of his career.
The Englishman, who claimed the 2020 Scottish Open title, celebrated his first PGA Tour victory last month by winning the Wyndham Championship, where he edged out Max Greyserman by two strokes.
That triumph, coupled with five additional top ten finishes on the American circuit, saw him achieve a career-best 23rd place in the FedExCup standings.
He also soared to 20th in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), another career-best, following his tie for fourth at the BMW PGA Championship on Sunday.
Despite being the seventh highest European player on the OWGR, Rai won’t be thinking too far ahead to a potential spot on Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup team for Bethpage, mindful that it could impact his performance.
“I’m obviously aware that the Ryder Cup is next year and the conversations that come with that,” Rai told the DP World Tour website.
“But I try not to set it as an aspiration. I find that it doesn’t work best for me when my focus goes too far towards any of those outcomes. I’ll do my best to play as well as I can and continue to improve as a player.
“Hopefully, making a Ryder Cup team happens in the future, whether it’s next year or whether it’s further down the line. I’ll give myself a chance to make it onto one of those teams.
“If I continue to do a lot of good things and continue along the path that that I’ve been on in recent years then I can give myself a chance. I think that’s all I can do. Ultimately, it will depend on form which is probably the biggest thing leading up to a Ryder Cup. And that’s still such a long way away.”
