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Year-end stellar wins for Indians in golf

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It's been a good week with plenty of golf news to make India proud. Arjun Atwal won the inaugural

Dubai Open while Anirban Lahiri secured his ticket to the British Open at the historic St Andrews. In many ways this is a stellar way to close the year that saw some solid wins by Indian players, mostly on the Asian Tour. 2014 also brought in significant depth to the Indian tour PGTI as more players showed strength in their game and a variety of golfers won across the twenty odd tournaments.

Rashid Khan won at the Chiangmai Classic adding to his cap of Asian wins along with the SAIL- SBI Open while young and modest Chikkarangappa surged on the domestic tour with four wins (including one on the Asian Development Tour) and the PGTI Super Series jackpot. With every win, Indian golfers are securing a spot in the sports world and marking golf's bonuses. The sport has often been ignored at a national level due to the country's obsession with cricket. Hopefully with these wins that will change.

"This one feels really special," beamed Atwal, whose last victory came at the 2010 Wyndham Championship on the PGA Tour, making him the first Indian to win on the American soil and the prestigious PGA Tour. "I think the last time I won on the Asian Tour was 2008 (Maybank Malaysian Open). I've gone through some really tough times the last few years with injuries and losing my card on the PGA TOUR and all that stuff. It was at a point where I almost wanted to quit. Thanks to a few of my family and friends, I didn't, and here we are."

Lahiri ended the year on a brilliant note by earning a European Tour card for the first time in his career after finishing inside the top-25 of the European Tour Q-School Final Stage and getting his berth for the British Open. It will be Lahiri's third appearance at the Open, after 2012 and 2014.

Shiv Kapur dominated headlines too. The Delhi pro pulled off the best Indian finish in a Major with his tied 23rd effort at the US Open and became the only Indian to retain his European Tour card for 2015 by finishing 87th in the Race to Dubai this year. He was in contention at the Dubai Open too, which Atwal eventually won.

All this buzz around Indian golf comes at a good moment when Hero too has signed up with Tiger Woods who hopes to bring more and more action to the tournaments in India including coming to attend the Indian Open in a few years.

One hopes that 2015 will also be just as solid if not a greater year for Indian golf.

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