Jon Rahm has hailed Aaron Rai as one of the nicest figures in golf after the Englishman produced a sensational display to win the PGA Championship.
Rai stunned the field at Aronimink on Sunday by carding a brilliant five-under-par 65 to claim his first major title.
The 31-year-old from Wolverhampton finished on nine under par, three shots clear of Rahm and Alex Smalley, becoming the first Englishman in 107 years to lift the Wanamaker Trophy.
Rahm mounted a strong challenge of his own and briefly threatened to reel in Rai, but was unable to match the relentless consistency of his rival over the closing holes.
Despite the disappointment of falling short, the Spaniard was full of admiration for both Rai's golf and his character.
"I haven't spent a lot of time with him," Rahm said after finishing in a tie for second.
"But I have heard consistently there's very few people that are nicer and kinder human beings than Aaron Rai."
Rahm then pointed to one of Rai's most distinctive quirks as evidence of his personality.
Jon Rahm has hailed Aaron Rai as one of the nicest figures in golf after the Englishman produced a sensational display to win the PGA Championship
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The new champion is famous for using iron headcovers, a rarity among elite professionals and a habit dating back to his childhood.
"Anybody that uses head covers on his irons because he coveted his irons when he was a kid so much that he wanted to respect the equipment so much, and to still do it, shows a lot about him as a person," Rahm said.
"I have heard absolutely nothing but good or great things about Aaron Rai."
Rahm also paid tribute to the quality of Rai's performance under pressure.
Jon Rahm performed well at the PGA Championship but couldn't add another major to his collection
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PGA Championship final leaderboard as Aaron Rai reigns supreme | GETTY/GB NEWS"He's been playing great golf. He's a fantastic golfer. He's been able to perform really well.
"What he did today is nothing short of special."
Rai began the final round two shots off the lead but surged clear with a composed and clinical back nine.
An eagle at the ninth ignited his charge before birdies at the 11th, 13th and 16th put him in complete control.
The defining moment came at the par-three 17th, where Rai rolled in a stunning 68-foot birdie putt to effectively seal victory.
Rahm, who has now recorded another near miss in a major championship, insisted the margins at the highest level remain incredibly small.
Aaron Rai poses with his trophy following his PGA Championship win | GETTY"The margin, even though it's three shots, can be so small honestly," he said.
"I feel like I'm playing really good golf and definitely played good enough this week to give myself a chance to win."
The former Masters and US Open champion admitted there were several moments he would reflect on, including two missed putts from around four feet during Saturday's third round.
"I still need to assess the entire week to be able to pick and choose what I need to change or what I need to improve on," he added.