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Journalism of Courage
Last week, when 15-year-old Chandigarh golfer Hunar Mittal emerged as the winner in the Faldo Series India Championship at Jaypee Greens, Noida, the Chandigarh golfer upstaged national champion Sneha Singh to claim the title. With the tournament being restricted to 45 holes due to bad weather, Mittal was tied with Singh after the end of the regulation round but Mittal’s final day score being two shots better than Singh saw the Chandigarh golfer claiming the title. The Chandigarh golfer sees this win as a good start to the year and is ready for the challenge ahead.
“It’s good to start the year with a win. Conditions at the course in Noida were a bit tough as it got windy and the tournament was reduced to 45 holes due to rain. The greens were a bit wet and it meant that the ball took some time to roll. Adjusting the game for such conditions was the key and my aim was to play consistently on the final day. Sneha is the national champion and to win the title edging her will boost my confidence,” said Mittal, who is a student of class 9 at Gurukul Global School, Manimajra.
Mittal, who started playing golf at the age of four at Chandigarh Golf Association range under coach Jesse Grewal, had finished fifth in the IJGA World Star Junior Golf Championship USA last year before she claimed the third spot in the Singapore Junior Golf Championship in June last year.
Last year, Mittal also claimed the title in category B in the IGU Northern India Ladies and Junior Girls Golf Championship played at Rambagh Golf Club, Jaipur apart from a third-place finish at the IGU Northern India Ladies and Junior Girls Golf Championship at Kolkata. The youngster was placed second in the IGU Merit list in the category B for 2019 and the Chandigarh golfer is aiming to win the order of merit this year. Mittal will also play in the Faldo Series in March apart from playing in Singapore Amateur Golf Championship and Malaysia Amateur Golf Championship apart from playing in the IMG World Championships in USA.
“Playing in USA and Singapore last year made me experience different golf courses and third place in Singapore made me believe that I can reach podium place at the international level. The IGU circuit is also an important one for me and winning the title in Jaipur apart from third-place finish helped me finish at the second spot in IGU order of merit. I will be playing in Singapore and Malaysia in April apart from the IMG World Championships in USA and I am aiming for a podium finish there,” added Mittal.
Coach Jesse Grewal too believes that the youngster is improving and making the transition from the junior level to the senior level will be the key for the youngster. “The title win in the Faldo Series will help Hunar’s confidence a lot. She has worked hard in her fitness in the last one year and it’s showing in her game. She won the IGU title in Jaipur and she can repeat such wins on the IGU circuit this year too. Competing at the international level has also helped her game and she can do well in Singapore and Malaysia this year,” said Grewal.
