Jaitha — in search of professional pastures

The triumph was his third-straight success on the Indian Golf Union (IGU) Tour and although it did not guarantee him a place at Pusan where the next Asiad will be held in 2002, the accomplishment has formed the perfect launching pad for a switch to the professional circuit.

In a chat with The Indian Express, Jaitha revealed his aim of making it through the tough Asian PGA qualifying school, scheduled for January, in Malaysia.

Excerpts from an interview:

Q: How is the amateur scene in India?

A: It was a very competitive field till last season. Consider this: when I began playing senior amateur golf in 1995-96, winners could be singled out from four regulars. This continued for two years, then suddenly shot up to ten. Today the field is in a transitory phase after five of those ten turned pros. Currently, quite a few juniors show promise. Like Shiv Kapoor, Ashok Kumar, Manav Das, Sandeep Sayal. Incidentally Shiv was short-listed with me for the Numura Cup.

Q: Are eight tourneys on the Indian Golf Union (IGU) calendar enough for the amateurs?

A: Not bad at all, but the events — along with the tours abroad — should be spread over six to seven months to bring out the best in them.

Q: Is the IGU doing a good job?

A: Certainly. Earlier there were just two trips abroad with four players per tourney, but with the new setup under secretary Dilip Thomas, tours for both juniors and seniors have increased and coaching camps are held regularly.

Q: What was your biggest disappointment in amateur golf?

A: Being on the Indian squad is every amateur golfer’s dream, so I suppose, missing out on the Bangkok-bound Asian Games squad was a bad experience. The disappointment was even greater as the second selection meet was scheduled in my hometown (Pune).

Q: What went wrong? Did you learn from that experience?

A: I was going through a lean patch that lasted six months. Every golfer has one sometime or other. I tried too hard and things fell through. In fact, later that month, I won the Hong Kong Amateur and finished second in the inaugural SAARC tourney in Chennai. I learned that one’s mental approach should be firm and carrying pressure into a tournament is not the right approach.

Q: What are your future plans?

A: This is my last amateur tourney. The season still has three more tourneys but I have decided that’s it. What’s left in amateur golf? Let me ask you something. Does anyone even know about Jeev Milkha Singh’s amateur background? All one talks of are his achievements on the pro circuit. Amateur golf is and should be a nursery, but there comes a point when one needs to break free and forge ahead.

Q: Are you content with your achievements?

A: I have met my goals: Being No 1 in India, making the Numura Cup, winning an international tourney (Hong Kong Open) and dominating the amateur circuit. This tells me that the time is ripe for a switch.