These adorable BBC videos forecasting kid golfer Aaron Rai as a future star will only make you like the guy more

Grainy videos of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy as youngsters launching towering tee shots and knocking golf balls into wash machines have become part of their narratives as kid prodigy turned major champions. Perhaps the same might be coming for Aaron Rai? In the wake of the Englishman’s three-shot victory at the PGA Championship, old BBC news clips of Rai from his early days have surfaced showcasing his early interest in the game and the talent that would help fuel him to become a major champion.

BBC reporters first introduced people to Rai in April 2000 with he had just turned 5 years old and was already turning heads. His swing looks a little more John Daly like than what you see in a recent swing sequence he put together for Golf Digest , but there’s no doubt Rai looked like he had some talent. The only question back then was whether golf was going to really be his future passion.

Asked what he wanted to be when he grows up, the adorable young Aaron said “A racing driver” with a fun laugh behind his answer. Almost six years later, in January 2006, the BBC caught up with Rai again. This time, the soon-to-be 11-year-old sounded like he knew he found his calling with golf.

His humility was already evident when he talked about the fact that he had so far won 25 of 40 competitions. “I’m doing alright I suppose,” he said. Rai was asked in the interview how many holes-in-one he had made, and the answer of 14 was astounding.