Chinnaswamy Muniyappa started caddying at the age of seven and
has vivid memories of using tree branches as clubs.
From earning one rupee as a caddie to winning the $1.25 million Hero Honda Indian Open, life has come a full circle for Chinnaswamy Muniyappa.
The little known 32-year-old golfer from Bangalore pipped South Korea’s Lee Sung in a playoff at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon on Sunday. The win marks a new beginning for Muniyappa, who is in his first season on the Asian tour after turning professional in 1997.
What’s even more remarkable about this win is the prize money. In the 10 tournaments he has played so far, Muniyappa has pocketed $17,391 but the amount seems insignificant when compared to the prize money in this tournament. By winning this tournament, Muniyappa has become richer by $198,125. He doesn’t know what he’ll do with the prize money. “May be I’ll rent a home,” he joked.
But his win has taken many by surprise, considering the strong field for this year’s tournament that included 2005 US Open champion Michael Campbell, Swede Daniel Chopra and Indians Arjun Atwal and Gaganjeet Bhullar. “I just wanted to match the performances of the big names. You never start a tournament thinking that you are going to win it,” Muniyappa told DNA after the win. “When I saw I was one shot ahead today I thought I can win.”
Muniyappa said his sole aim was to save his Asian tour card for next season. “I just wanted to save my card for next year. My ranking in Asia is 98 and I was solely focussing on finishing in top-5. I am elated that I could manage a win, however,” he said. Having spent most of his childhood on the golf course at the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA), Muniyappa earned only one rupee as a caddie when he was seven years old.
“My parents work at the Karnataka Golf Association so I was exposed to this game very early,” he said. “I then started caddying at the KGA at the age of seven and thereafter slowly developed an interest in the sport. I still have vivid memories of using tree branches as clubs when I started out.”
This win he said has done wonders to his confidence, after some average performances over the past few years. “I am playing some good golf now. My next aim now is to play in the European tour next season,” he said.
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