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India's golfers need to be more consistent at international level

Dominant on the domestic and Asian tours, the Indian golfers haven’t really managed to stamp their authority on the European and PGA circuits.

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Living in the slums adjacent to the Bombay Presidency Golf Club (BPGC), 30-year-old Anil Mane grew up dreaming of the fairways and greens. As a kid, he used to peep through the walls of the course, watch the pros slug it out near hole 16, where his 10x10 shanty exists.

His enthusiasm bore fruits, for he got a job on the golf course so that he could support his schooling — he loved going to school and had a penchant for computers. He was working as a forecaddie, going ahead of the golfers to see where each shot had landed.

One day, when there was no one around and he was killing some time, Mane placed the ball on the ground and tried to imitate the swing he had seen the other members use. It was the first time he had tried a shot and he managed to surprise himself. He made a clean contact, the ball got perfect elevation and landed near the flag post. “I wondered, was it a fluke or did I genuinely made a nice contact? I spoke to (pro golfer Jagdish) Angre. He helped me out a lot then,” Mane says.

Today, Mane is trying to find his feet as a pro golfer on the Indian tour and hopes it will get some financial stability for him and his family.

The staggering growth of the Indian tour over the last five years, since Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) has come to the fore in 2006, has given rise to several Anil Manes, who know that one good year on the tour can earn them a fortune. The men’s tour now boasts of prize money of approximately Rs30 crore, 30 times more from what was on offer 15 years ago. The competition at domestic level is cut-throat, the money is flowing, number of tournaments are multiplying...certainly, it seems, Indian golf is on an upswing.

However, at the international level, something goes amiss. Dominant on the domestic and Asian tours, the Indian golfers haven’t really managed to stamp their authority on the European and PGA circuits. The golfers from Thailand, Japan, South Korea and other Asian countries have performed far better in varied conditions globally while the Indians have often been struggling to make any kind of an impact. “Winning is not everything for us. It is about consistency. If I perform well in 10 tournaments rather than winning one and failing to make the cut in other nine, I will any day take the former,” explains 23-year-old Gaganjeet Bhullar.

True, consistency is the key. But that is what has been lacking. It took three years for SSP Chowrasia to win his second professional title when he clinched the Avantha Masters this February. Arjun Atwal has done seldom little since his win at the Wyndham Championship on the PGA tour last year. Jyoti Randhawa, who was the first Indian to win the Asian Order of Merit in 2002, lost his European tour card earlier this year after a rather disappointing season while Jeev Milkha Singh has been a pale shadow of himself owing to a back injury. C Muniyappa is nowhere to be seen after his one-off win at the Indian Open.

Bhullar feels performing well consistently and winning titles is culmination of several factors, working in one’s favour. “The logic is simple. European golfers do well on their tour because they are accustomed to the courses and more importantly, the weather. If you get a European to play in Indian conditions, they will naturally struggle. That’s why you have Asians doing well on the Asian tour. It’s just that Asian tour is not as big as European or PGA,” he says.
Technique, of course, is a matter of debate but most of the golfers have changed their swing or made adjustment to their short game. Jeev changed his swing so that he didn’t put much pressure on his injured back, Bhullar too has changed his swing following a back injury while Randhawa changed his swing style after losing to Bhullar at the DLF Masters in 2009.

Then, there are bouts of homesickness that have to be dealt with. “There are times when you feel lonely on tour. You miss your family, especially when you have a kid at home. We are away from the family for around 40 weeks in a year out of 52. That’s a lot and it does affect us, especially when things aren’t going our way,” Jeev explains.

Add the financial troubles to it, and the psychological condition of a golfer only worsens. Ask SSP Chowrasia about it. If the lure of money on the Indian tour is one of the prime reasons for Mane to take up golf - apart from his self-proclaimed, undying love for the sport - to manage it well and succeed on the tours abroad is quite a challenge. Chowrasia nearly gave up on playing golf after he parted with his long-time sponsor earlier this year. But the ability to self-motivate rescued him. “It seemed the world had forgotten me. Not have a sponsor is always at the back of the mind and keeps coming back, especially after a bad round,” he says. “Sitting alone in the hotel room, there have been occasions when I’ve felt like walking away, but then realisation dawns on what golf has given me.”

Looking at the ‘Big Three’ comprising of Randhawa, Atwal and Jeev, the younger lot is confident of taking a cue from these men. Says Bhullar, one of the most promising youngsters on the circuit: “Jeev, Jyoti and Arjun have set a benchmark for us. It is up to us how we take it forward. And I am sure we will.”

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