An upward swing

This happens to be the ‘coming of age’ year for Indian golf as good news chipped in from virtually all corners of the globe. But a...

This happens to be the ‘coming of age’ year for Indian golf as good news chipped in from virtually all corners of the globe. But amidst the many achievers, Jyoti Randhawa without doubt was the poster boy of Indian golf this season.

Randhawa finished at the top of the Asian Order of Merit while giving him company at the third spot was another Indian, Arjun Atwal. It is interesting that it was Atwal who started the avalanche of feel-stories on the golfing greens this season by becoming the first Indian to win a European Tour event.

VIJAY IN INDIA

The richest-ever single pay-day event in India got top flight golfer Vijay Singh to India. The World No.5 did go home with a hefty pay check but also gave some priceless wisdom to the Indian golfers. ‘‘Jeev and Arjun have been trying to get the USPGA Tour card and I hope they manage to get it. Jyoti is another good talent, but first one should have some sort of foundation before moving ahead,’’ he said. By the end of the year, one can surely say the foundation is well and truly laid.

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Many thought this was Atwal’s season as the other promising golfer Randhawa had met with a mobike accident. But in the years to come Randhawa’s ‘club in one hand and plaster in another’ practice session will be part of Indian golf’s folklore. His exemplary dedication saw him climb to the top of Order of Merit and pocket a season earnings of $266,263.

The season also saw Arjun Singh coming close to winning his first Asian Tour title, having led the Volvo Masters of Asia after nine holes on the final day. Eventually, he emerged second to comfortably keep his card as he finished at the 14th spot on the final Order of Merit.

Harmeet Khalon, Vijay Kumar, Daniel Chopra and Amandeep Johl were the other four players who keep their cards. Call it a slight glitch or another great achievement as Jeev Milkha Singh and Harmeet Khalon just missed out on the US PGA and European Tours, respectively.

The amateurs, too, had a good season with Shiv Kapur becoming the first Indian in 20 years to win the Asian Games gold medal and Simarjeet Singh completed a hat-trick of titles at the prestigious Sri Lankan international amateur event. On the national circuit, it was the caddie-turned-golfer Mukesh Kumar ruling the greens. The man from Mhow is all set to complete a hat-trick of titles.

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There are many things one can look forward to in the year 2003. For one thing, Jyoti Randhawa gets a direct entry at the British Open.

NETWORKING ON THE GREENS

A visit to the greens not longer means an outing to improve one’s handicap or correct a faulty swing.

With over 40-odd corporate golf tournaments being played it is a place to strike deal or give it a holistic term ‘for networking’. The inaugural Madhavrao Scindia tournament this year was a prime example of this phenomenon.

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