Nishtha Madan set for professional debut on The Cactus Tour

25 May 2020: Nishtha Madan is all set to ring in her professional career. The precociously talented Nishtha graduated from Sacramento State earlier this year. She followed her sister Astha into the Hornet family and made a mark for herself, with the highlight coming in a victory last year. Nishtha won the title at the UW Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational last October and her career high on the WAGR has been 306. She will make her debut today, playing the 20th event on the Cactus Tour, playing on the Troon North golf course in Scottsdale, Arizona.

At the Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington, Nishtha shot 74-70 for a four stroke victory over Kate Smith of Nebraska (77-71) who tied for second with Allysha Mae Mateo (75-73). The win came at just the right time for the 21-year-old, in her senior year at Sacramento State, at the time of the event.

The Pinnacle course at Troon North will be a great test for Nishtha. The course will measure 6,310 yards off the women’s tees with par set at 72. Nishtha is set to tee off at 0715am local time. The course opens with a driveable par-4 measuring 392 yards with the first four holes playing to par at four strokes. The fifth and seventh holes are par-5 at 455 and 456 yards respectively. The eleventh hole is the first par-5 on the return stretch, measuring 491 yards. The longest hole on the course is at the 14th, par-5 545 yards.

“Every year I progressively reduce my scoring average, which is a good sign, as long as I’m getting better,” Madan had told the State Hornet in December last year.

“She’s matured as a person, golfer and student, consistent in effort and energy level,” said David Sutherland, her coach at college. “The only frustration for Nish is not being at this level sooner.” Sutherland also advised the young woman to clean up her short game, holding out a hope for her to be on the LPGA in a couple of years time.