From hitting plastic golf balls around his family home at the age of five to representing Fiji internationally, 19-year-old Rajat Rai is now preparing for the next chapter of his golf and academic journey after securing a full scholarship in the United States.
Born in Wellington and raised in Auckland, Rai has strong Fijian family ties through his parents and continues to have close family in Tamavua.
Speaking on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan, Rai says one of his earliest memories was using a plastic golf club to hit balls around the house, with his mother often telling him to stop hitting them so hard.
He says his coach first realised he had something special when he was learning to control his pitching wedge and would watch him hit difficult shots with the club in almost disbelief.
That early potential has since developed into an international golfing career, with Rai travelling to Japan, Dubai, Samoa, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji for tournaments.
Rai recently won the Fiji Classic Golf Tournament in Denarau and also the Samoan Golf Open.
He says one of his biggest early achievements came when he won the Western Amateur Golf Championship 2024 in Denarau.
He says that was his first ever international win, and has always had a special place in his heart since then.
He says he is proud to represent Fiji in his young golfing career.
INSERT: Rai on representing Fiji in golf 23rd Aug
Alongside his golf journey, Rai maintained a strong academic record at Westlake Boys High School in Auckland, achieving Excellence endorsement across all five subjects, topping Science and Physical Education, and serving as a prefect.
He says maintaining both golf and education required discipline, with late nights studying and early mornings travelling for tournaments.
He says that on one occasion, he returned home from a tournament in Fiji at around 1am or 2am before getting on a bus at 7am for school and sitting a physics examination at 8.45am.
Rai says he never wanted to compromise either side of his development, and has learned to maintain a proper balance between the two.
That balance has now helped him reach the next major stage of his career.
The 19-year-old is now in the United States after securing an athletic and academic scholarship to American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts.
He will compete in NCAA Division II golf while continuing his studies.
Rai says the scholarship is the realisation of a goal he has worked towards for several years.
He says he has worked hard, put in a lot of late hours into this, and to actually have this result coming true is almost a dream come true.
He says his new routine will include early morning gym sessions, classes, study and golf practice, while he will also have to earn his place in the college team through qualifying competitions.
Rai says America will also be a completely new experience for him as he has never visited the country before.
He says he is looking forward to living independently, meeting people from different cultures and experiencing the American college lifestyle.
At the same time, he admits the move comes with some nerves.
He says everything that he is excited about is the same thing he is nervous about as well.
Despite the move, Rai says his connection to Fiji will remain unchanged.
He says he plans to return to Fiji for tournaments and there is no question about continuing to represent the country.
He says for now, he just wants to play golf, enjoy the game, love the game, and represent his family, his friends, and make Fiji proud.
