Feb 1, 2017: A year ago, Shiv Kapur ended the Hero Indian Open in a spirit of love and celebration. Friends and family serenaded his bride Maya and Shiv with specially printed yellow tee shirts. Shiv flew out of Delhi with his friends and family for a dreamy Bali wedding with his childhood sweetheart.
It appeared that things were falling in place. Kapur had also played decently well in Delhi, suggesting a return to form. Just when it appeared that the affable golfer was set for a season of rejuvenation, he was struck again by injury.
“It took me a while to feel competitive again and to get my body back. I feel the last two weeks, the first two events of the year, I made a lot of progress,” Shiv told Golfing Indian. “My body is back to where I wanted it to be. My swing feels good. I have two more events before the Indian Open so I am quite upbeat about it.”
The recent successes of Anirban Lahiri and SSP Chawrasia have inspired several other Indian golfers. There is spirit of possibility in the minds of many, including Shiv Kapur. “DLF is a course where I feel comfortable being an ambassador there. I have played there a lot so I think I will have an advantage there over people who have not played there in the past,” he said in this exclusive conversation with Golfing Indian.
Confidence is key and a familiarity with the layout at DLF Golf and Country Club should help Shiv produce a good run in March. “You have to be accurate with your irons, you can be on the greens but you may not have the put to the hole because of the way the greens are designed,” explained Shiv, about the keys to success at DLF. “And every time you miss a green, the best thing about it is that it gives you options. It is not a one-dimensional golf course. So you are not going to be hitting a flop shot every time you miss the greens.”
Anand Datla
