Chiragh Kumar’s victory in Delhi opens new vistas

November 10, 2015: After enduring a few tough seasons, Chiragh Kumar came back into the reckoning on the Asian Tour with his maiden international victory at the Panasonic Open India at his home course, the Delhi Golf Club (DGC), on Sunday.

The 31-year-old Delhi lad had secured a creditable runner-up finish at the 2011 Indian Open at the same venue (DGC) to finish as high as 21st on the money list in Asia that helped him gain his card on the Asian Tour for the first time.

Chiragh however, suffered an ankle injury the following season that affected his results for close to a year. Kumar struggled with his form on the continental tour thereafter and lost his card a couple of times. He had narrowly missed out on his full playing rights on the Asian Tour for 2015 after finishing 65th on the Order of Merit last season.

The 2006 Asian Games silver medallist has now managed to resurrect his career with two top performances within a span of four weeks. Chiragh’s tied second at the Venetian Macao Open in mid-October was the pre-cursor to his breakthrough win in Delhi last week.

He thus finally joined his 2006 Doha Asian Games teammates Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar in the winner’s circle on the tour.

“The most important thing is that I was finally able to get over the line. I came close to winning in 2011. At that time I told myself that I can win at the Indian Open but David Gleeson was too good to beat that week. Nonetheless, I’ve been patient over the last few years and have been telling myself that I can win,” said a relieved Chiragh, who now sits in 12th position on the money list with a current season’s haul of US$179,737.

His win also pushed him up 268 places from 578th to 310th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Kumar drew on the experience of playing alongside Australian Scott Hend in Macao recently, to make his mark on the region’s premier Tour.

“I played with Scott Hend on the third day. He didn’t have a great round but he played good on the last few holes. I told myself that this is what great players do. They keep grinding it out and never give up. It is not over until it is over. That’s something that I learned. The way he played on the back nine was amazing to see,” Kumar said.

The Panasonic Open victory was an emotional moment for Chiragh as he won in the presence of his family and friends at the place where it all began for him.

“I visited the DGC when I was 12 years old. I started playing because my father used to play. I started following him and took to the game. I’ve grown up watching senior players playing here and wanting to be at that stage and experience it. It is like a dream come true. Everybody knows me at this club so it is very special to win here,” said Kumar, who became a father for the first time earlier this year.

Speaking about his early influences in the sport, Chiragh added, “My early heroes were Gaurav Ghei, Jeev Milkha Singh and Arjun Atwal. They are the ones who put Indian golf on the international map. They are the pioneers of the sport in the country. Gaurav Ghei is someone I can really associate with because I grew up watching him play at the club. Shiv Kapur is also a close friend of mine who has been a big influence.”

With the Asian Tour season approaching its finale, Chiragh will surely be one of the Indians to watch out for in the remaining events as he looks to make a final push in the Order of Merit which has already been sealed by fellow Indian Anirban Lahiri.