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| Pix by Santosh Ghosh |
Most of the turning points in my life have revolved around the different stages of my golfing career and have charted my growth as a player. The first turning point of my life was when, at the age of 16, I got a stipend from Oil India to play as an amateur golfer. This encouragement and support gave me great exposure at a very young age. I got to play at events in Singapore and Malaysia and my game got noticed, which attracted more sponsorships for me. Another significant year was when I turned professional in 2006 and was convinced that I wanted to play golf for the rest of my life. At this juncture, Gautam Thapar of the Avantha Group noticed me and decided to sponsor me, which further strengthened my resolve to pursue my golfing career without worrying about the finances.
Encouragement and appreciation keeps an athlete going. Another big turning point of my life was when I qualified for the British Open in 2009 and people began to recognise me. My first professional win at the Indonesia President Invitational in 2009 was another memorable win and professionally a great phase.
What also turned my life around in a positive way was meeting and interacting with great Indian golfers like Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa and Arjun Atwal during international tournaments. They were all very encouraging and gave me tips on golf course management which makes a big difference in improving a player’s overall scores and lowering his shortcomings on the golf course. Their suggestions helped me in getting better at the game and in becoming more goal-oriented.
This year after winning India’s first-ever European Challenge Tour event, the Gujarat Kensville Challenge and two other events of the Professional Golf Tour of India, I’ve realised that I’m ready to take my game to the next level. Hopefully winning at the events in the European Tour will mark another big phase of my life and golfing career.
