I have seen Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia grow up at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club and blossom as a player. I must say that I am not the least bit surprised that he shocked a quality field, including the top three players on the Hero Honda Indian Golf Tour, and won the Rs 10-lakh Hero Honda Open West which concluded recently at the Poona Club Golf Course. Chowrasia’s is almost a fairy-tale story on the Tour. Son of the gardner at Royal Calcutta, he grew up near the ninth green of the course. Seeing all the golfers, it was natural he fell in love with the game. He developed his game and put in days and nights of hard work. Within two years of becoming a professional golfer, Chowrasia served notice when he finished second to Arjun Atwal in the 1999 Indian Open at RCGC. It was a dream come true for him and he never looked back after that. The 24-year-old comes across as a very humble player. His ever-smiling face and good nature makes him one of the most loved professionals on the Tour. (Tiger Sports Marketing)
