Till 1999, the Indian Open used to be held in RCGC every alternate year and I remember watching it last in 1994 when Emlyn Aubrey of the US won it by a shot from compatriot Brandt Jobe. The following year I moved away from Calcutta and thereafter never got an opportunity to watch it again. So this year’s edition, held earlier this month at DLF Golf and Country Club, Gurgaon, was my first Indian Open outside Calcutta.
My earliest memories of the Indian Open go back to 1972, when as a five-year-old I tagged along with dad to walk 18 holes on all four days! I remember the great Peter Thomson and what a wonderful golf swing he had — perhaps the closest in style and content to the legendary Ben Hogan. His fellow compatriot Graham Marsh (brother of former Australia wicketkeeper Rod Marsh) was another global player who came to Calcutta in 1972.
But the memory of those early years that will always stay with me would be that of Sheikh Jamshed Ali. Jamshed, who grew up in the bustee adjacent to the third hole at the Royal, finished as the best Indian professional, finishing 21st in the 1972 Open. His stroke-making was fascinating and he went on to become one of India’s finest golfers during the years when pro golf was not very lucrative or productive. He won the Arjuna Award in 1978 and inspired a generation of golfers from the neighbourhood to take to the game. One of the spin-offs from this seed was Firoz Ali, who went on to win the Indian Open in 1998. This time, however, Firoz found the course at DLF too physically daunting for him and missed the cut.
DLF vis-a-vis RCGC
The Royal is a classic layout that goes back more than a hundred years and hasn’t been tampered with much. Peter Thomson, who helped design over 180 courses in 30-odd countries once he was past the peak of his playing career, did some alterations way back in the early ’70s, but it has remained more or less architecturally unaltered. In recent years and particularly under the guidance of Aveek Sarkar and later Aditya Khaitan, the course has been improved considerably. It is definitely fit to host an Open again.
The DLF is a modern, extremely well-manicured and cosmetically enhanced course — even a little dramatically set up. It is a course many traditionalists will frown upon, and very unforgiving and punishing to even a slight lapse. Matt Wallace, the winner this year, described it as “one of the toughest courses” he has ever played on. “You can hit great shots but it can run into the rough or slope.” Wallace’s caddie, Dave, felt that the course sets itself up like a US Open-style course — extremely challenging and demanding.
Mixed bag from India
Personally, I was a little disappointed that SSP Chawrasia and Viraj Madappa, who both train with me, missed the cut. SSP is one of only three players in Indian Open history to have won it in back-to-back years (see box). Many people were looking forward to him completing a hat-trick this year and perhaps the pressure got to him.
However, watching Shubhankar Sharma shoot the course record 64 on the third day was an experience of a lifetime. He is obviously the next Indian star in the world golf scene. He’ll have to wait to taste Indian Open victory though, as his quest wilted on the last day and he could only finish tied for 7th place. “Disappointments are part of the game. It will just make me stronger. The next time I am in this situation, I will do better,” he promised in his post-round interview. It was also heartening to watch young Kshitij Kaul, an amateur from Delhi, make the cut in his first Open. Kshitij is a part of the amateur squad that I have been training for the last few years.
Standout moments
One or two moments were magic. Shubhankar going for the pin on the par 4 ninth hole on the last day to cover lost ground and nearly pulling off the eagle will remain in my memory for a long, long time. The Argentine Emiliano Grillo shooting eight birdies on Day 1 was another standout experience. The piece de resistance, however, was provided by Matt Wallace. On the 624-yard par 5 18th, the play-off hole, he hit the green in two to seal his eventual victory. The second shot, all the way over water, will be remembered by all who watched for years and more.
Chatting about golf and fitness with 2011 British Open winner Darren Clarke is another experience I will cherish for ever.
(Ranadeep Moitra is the strength and conditioning coach of the Indian amateur golf squad)
