It’s been a busy but good week for Indian golf. The rise of new talent is always reason to cheer about, which we saw through the game of Bangalore based Khalin Joshi. For the experienced, Shiv Kapur patience and strategy paid off as he qualified for the US Open for a second time. Amidst these achievements, Rory McIlroy made headlines for missing the cut in his own national golf open, the Irish Open sending shockwaves through the game’s fraternity.
India’s golfers have been nudging at the door of success and now are firmly entrenched as victors on the Asian Tour. Luckily for them, European Tour is no longer a dream but a goal that’s just a matter of time. Take the example of Khalin Joshi, a young man who turned pro just two years ago. This Gujarati fellow, raised in Bangalore caught fancy to the game thanks to his uncle. His swing gave him company and soon he was winning tournaments, and getting galleries. Things to came to a summit this weekend at the Bangladesh Open. The 22 year old demonstrated great maturity to seal his spot behind the runaway winner Mardan Mamat (66-67-68-69). Joshi shot 68 in the final round to tie for second at 12-under 272. Joshi recently won the Ahmedabad Masters breaking the course set by fellow Bangalorean and now world #35 Anirban Lahiri. Despite his achievements Joshi remains humble. “I’m disappointed with my result but not my game. To be honest, I expected to win. My putter let me down the whole week,” he said of his game at Dhaka. Joshi has a solid career ahead of him and is likely to be among the big winners from India.
Shiv Kapur also made headlines for qualifying for the US Open for a second time. For those who recall the Major last year would remember his stellar game that got him a finish tied 23rd. Shiv’s been in and out of form after breaking forth with a golden glow at the 2002 Busan Asian Games. He is among India’s original flag bearers in golf. With this second chance at Chamvers Bay this year, Shiv’s rekindled hopes of a comeback in his fortunes and he hopes to conquer the inconsistent results that have marred his career over last 12 months. “I think patchy season. I haven’t had the consistency I wanted but felt encouraged enough to add to my game. This US Open qualifier was a perfect boost.”
This week’s golf news bit reflect a bit on how the sport itself it. It’s never a perfect swing, never a perfect year and hardly ever a perfect game. The sport tests the players on much more beyond their skill – their endurance, their wins, their patience and most of all, their ability to stray off the fairways and make a comeback all again. That’s the beauty of the sport. Perhaps why some of the world best sportmen play it and why it lures businessmen to mettle.
This column first appeared on DNA in Shaili Chopra’s column Tee Off with Shaili
