Watching Tiger: Nonita Lal shares

Tiger Woods in India - Nonita Lall shares her first person's account of meeting Tiger Woods

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For Noni as she is known across the golfing world this was a superlative experience but more importantly for the juniors and amateurs she trains, watching Tiger Woods was a lifetime’s opportunity. Noni talks about Tiger’s India visit and the game he brought for us.

 

 

It was incredible. It was huge to have him here. It’s always fun to watch a good player navigate your home course. It’s always interesting to see how a good player would play the holes that you play every day, sometimes well and sometimes with struggles. He had trouble only on one hole, which was the 11th which he bogeyed. He played beautiful golf. On greens, he was superb. No doubt he admitted DGC is one of the narrowest courses ever he has played on.

 

DGC was the ideal venue?

 

It’s so accessible and central. It was a working day but people turned out in hordes. I would have been very surprised if it was at anywhere else. Clearly one has never seen such crowd at any other course.

 

 

Tiger got a warm reaction. Arjun Atwal’s comments about India certainly helped Tiger get an impression. I am sure now that he has made contact with Mr Munjal, I think there is a likelihood he will comeback. It all sounded very positive for sure.

 

 

Junior Golf to Get Boost?

 

Not just DGC’s golf springs but juniors, parents, grandparents in tow from other courses too enjoyed this moment for Indian golf. So many kids were excited, trying to sneak into the front to watch him, running around to get a vantage point. Tiger’s aura is so impressive, his ball striking is amazing and for the youngsters were so excited. If I were a kid today, nothing could have inspired more than me. My students were ecstatic and in awe of the experience watching. We have not quite had a golfer in his prime visiting India. Gary Player, Ernie Els have all come past their prime. We have not had a world number #1 come and turn this into an iconic trip.

 

Glad government officials were there to watch Tiger because they may have got a glimpse of the need for focussing on the game. We need more infrastructure and hopefully this event will go and help increase that understanding by a few notches.

 

 

It wasn’t just a corporate event. It was really nice that Tiger played with Anirban, Shiv and Sharmila was fabulous. Sharmila’s game with him will surely inspire golfers among women. Playing with businessman additionally made this a good overview of the country’s talent and people to Tiger. In someways Tiger would have gone back with the notion that India indeed is a good nation in terms of golf talent.

 

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