December 29, 2016: As cold as it is this winter, Indian golf is in the throes of a bright new spring. 2016 has been a great year for the game in India with several young men and women breaking through from the shadows to herald a new era for golf in India.
While Rashid Khan underlined his credentials by claiming top honours on the Rolex Order of Merit, there are a slew of young men right behind him.
Shubhankar Sharma continued his steady journey to the top, finishing in third, an improvement of three places from last year. Khalin Joshi has finished in fourth for a second straight season and Honey Baisoya made the top five for the first time.
In this feature we look at five young golfers to look out for in 2017, as Indian golf continues its steady journey of progress.
Aman Raj
Three top ten finishes helped showcase the immense potential of this young golfer. Aman, chosen Rookie of the Season by PGTI Tour was more than impressive, producing some solid golf throughout the year.
He entered 14 events, finishing inside the top 30 in 11 of those events. He was 31st in the Take Open and missed just two cuts.
The 21 year old golfer is certainly one to watch out for in the years to come. He could carry the Indian flag far on his young and promising bag of tricks.
Udayan Mane
He broke into national fame last year in a rookie season that saw him win twice. The second season wasn’t as overwhelming, but seven top ten finishes served to reinforce the promise of this young man.
Udayan has taken his time to mature – at 25, he is far older than some of the men on this list. But he seems to have spent those years wisely. He appears ready to take his game to the next level and push for a place on the Asian Tour.
2017 could define the future for this young man. With plenty of promise this is one bag for Indian golf that needs to be followed closely.
Honey Baisoya
This young man, just 20 years old, has been a revelation. Honey served out a warning of his potential finishing 4th in the Take Open, bettering it with a second place finish in the Chennai Open.
But things got really good for him when the PGTI Tour flew into the North East. Honey claimed back to back victories in Meghalaya and Assam, with a stunning performance in both events to outplay the field.
With seven top ten finishes in 2016 and 15 overall on the PGTI Tour, Honey seems a bright prospect for another glorious runi n 2017. Honey’s is another inspiring story of caddie turned professional in Indian golf.
Khalin Joshi
The Gujarati boy who has made Karnataka his home is on the cusp of breaking through. Widely acknowledging as one of the most promising young players in India, Khalin in 24 and tapping on the heels of a full Asian Tour card.
Khalin may have to wait another year for a full card, but his performances on the PGTI Tour have been constant reminders of his class and pedigree.
Khalin played 12 events this season in India and his worst finish was a 12th place in the Eagleburg Masters. Eleven top ten finishes and victory in the PGTI Players Championship means Khalin is staring at a world of possibilities and not very far into the future. Indian golf fans will follow this man’s progress closely for many more seasons
Shubhankar Sharma
The man touted as the next big golfer from India has big shoes to fill. But the DLF golfer is not going to flinch. He won three titles this season and garnered ten top ten finishes.
He also been a solid presence in his limited outings on the Asian Tour, clearly ready to mix it up with the big boys on an international stage. It will be interesting to see 20 year old Shubhankar step it up in the coming season.
Nothing short of victory on the Asian Tour will please this young man, as he looks to seal a spot on the international circuit. It will be interesting to watch Shubhankar grow as a golfer and carry Indian golf hopes long into the future.
