Chandigarh lad wins golf championship in Kolkata

Bedi had earlier won the all India national titles in Category C and Category D in 2011 and 2013 respectively, and the latest win marked a hat-trick of national titles for the city golfer.

“It’s an amazing feeling to win the all India title. I had won the Eastern India Juniors title at the Tollygunj Golf Club last week and had to win the all India finals also to claim the top spot in the Order of Merit. Both the golf clubs are more than 100-year-old courses and one has to play straight on these courses. Apart from that, the weather was humid and it was my putting, which helped me a lot in these conditions. To win the Category B All India title after I won the same in Category C and Category D is a tremendous feeling for me,” said Bedi, who is a student of Vivek High School, Sector 38.

Bedi, who started playing golf at the age of four, played a total of 10 tournaments in the IGU calendar this year and won a total of four titles this season apart from four runners-up positions. His first win came in the form of Southern India Juniors Championship played in Bengaluru in June early this year, followed by a title win in the Telangana Juniors played in Hyderabad the following week. The talented golfer also finished seventh in the World Junior Masters played in Las Vegas, USA, earlier this year apart from winning the junior title in the Amateur Golf Championship held in Brisbane earlier this year.

Friday’s win meant that the golfer also finished in the top 10 in the combined Category A and category Order of Merit list. Bedi will now play in the Category A from next season. “Playing in Category B has also meant that I got a chance to interact with Category A players and it has been a learning curve for me. Finishing at the top of the merit list would also mean that I would be eligible for the Indian junior teams for international tournaments and it will be a huge exposure to me. Finishing seventh in the world junior masters in USA also boosted my confidence a lot. Playing along with players like Manav Bias and Kshitij Kaul apart from category A players like Chandigarh’s Karandeep Kochar has also helped my game,” said Bedi, who is also part of the ONGC golf team.

“This win will boost his confidence a lot. His putting has been superb this season and he has peaked at the right moments in the season. To win the title with a gap of more than 30 points speaks a lot about his talent and this will also help him in the Category A. It will also mean that he will be eligible for the Indian teams and the international exposure will help his game,” said Grewal.