Amateur circuit146;s rising star

Seventeen-year-old Rashid Khan is one of the few Indian golfers who have won the Indian amateur title twice and has two back to back wins in the Indian Amateur Tour this season in the form of Golden Greens Amateur...

Seventeen-year-old Rashid Khan is one of the few Indian golfers who have won the Indian amateur title twice and has two back to back wins in the Indian Amateur Tour this season in the form of Golden Greens Amateur and Northern Indian Amateur. And now the Delhi lad is very keen on adding the Chandigarh title to his kitty. 8220;I will be quite happy if I win this title. It will be my third title in a row,8221; said Rashid at the end of the day8217;s proceedings at Chandigarh Golf Club on Thursday.

The Delhi golfer though has plenty to do to reel in the two players besides him in the Indian circuit-Rahul Bakshi and Chikkarrangappa- who will be hoping to turn the tide against Khan in the next few months. 8220;I have been playing well for the past season. It has been my swing on which I need to work upon as the coming months will see me participating in a plenty of tournaments. My putting has been right and I need to be more consistent on the Indian Amateur Tour,8221; said Rashid who is currently based in Delhi and is a regular at Delhi Golf Club.

Positive trimmings

LAST month also saw Rashid playing in the Eisenhour Trophy and Nick Faldop Series Final in Brazil, an event where he finished a poor 21st, but the Delhi golfer reckons that the experience will help him in the international arena. 8220;It was learning experience for me. Both Eisenhour Trophy and Nick Faldo Series provided me an opportunity to play with some of the best junior gold players in the world. It helped a lot in improving my game and apart from playing; I also gained a lot on the mental aspect of the game. Nick Faldo Series sees the participation of over 80 top golfers across the world and everyone is eager to perform well there,8221; said Rashid and after an after thought added. 8220;Although I finished a poor 21, I guess I will be more prepared for the next time,8221;

There is plenty to look for Rashid in the coming season as he will be participating in the Volvo Masters of Asia in December along with Chandigarh8217;s Rahul Bakshi before playing in the domestic circuit again.

8220;I will be playing in Pune for an amateur tournament before I take part in the Volvo Masters of Asia to be held in Thailand in December. I will be playing along with Rahul Bakshi and both of us are expecting a good result in Thailand. We will definitely like to end the season on a high,8221; teed off Rashid.