Pro golfer Arjun Atwal was in town last week to “catch up with friends and family”. t2 caught up with him in his Alipore home, high up on the 26th floor...

What brings you to town?

Just my family. I’m seeing them after a while now. I was actually playing on the Asian Tour last two weeks and then I got fed up of playing in Taiwan (Mercuries Taiwan Masters) so I pulled out of this week’s tournament and came here. 

Last year ended with a bang, winning the Dubai Open. What has this year been like? 

It has been okay actually. I have played decent in spurts, like on the PGA Tour I played seven tournaments in the summer. I had decent chances but didn’t capitalise, but I feel like the game’s getting back.

What are you gearing up for next?

Tonight (Sunday) I fly to Macau for the Venetian Macau Open, as a part of the Asian Tour. After that I will be going to Hong Kong. After these two Asian Tour tournaments, I will be going back to Orlando to meet my kids (Krishen, 11 and Shiva, 7) and wife (Sona), it’s been almost five weeks since I saw them. I’m kind of undecided about my schedule. I will probably play three or four more on the Asian Tour after three weeks in Orlando. I’d like to play well in the Hong Kong Open. I haven’t played there in about eight to 10 years and I really like that course (Royal Hong Kong Golf Club or Fanling Golf Course). It is a pretty big tournament. I remember playing well there in the past and the course suits my game as well.

Your thoughts on Anirban Lahiri and the golf scene in India?

The Indian team just lost out by a point at the Presidents Cup (in South Korea)! It got really exciting and then our team just about missed out on that. Anirban missed the putt on the last hole which was sad to see but it’s alright. The generation now is younger and already performing at a pretty high level. If you compare them to our generation of Jeev, Jyoti and I, we started peaking around our 30s, whereas these kids are a little bit younger. Also, they have better facilities now, not still to the point where it’s awesome but they have more coaches and they are more fit, which is good to see. It is the evolution of the young!
 
When you were down, Tiger Woods was a source of motivation to help you through. What would you say to him now that he is going through a lean patch and battling injuries?

I did! I just told him to play. We had dinner a few times during the last few tournaments on the PGA Tour and we played a practise round too. His ball strike and game seems fine but he’s not being able to bring it to the golf course in terms of score. I told him to be patient, like any friend would. When I left, he had his second back surgery so I feel bad for him. He doesn’t know when he’s going to return. He will return but the recovery will take some time. I think the whole world wants to see him back, even the people who are gung-ho about the younger generation. We all want to see him give it that final push. You don’t want to see an athlete of that level go out with an injury, you know? Let’s hope for the best.

In a previous chat with t2, you said your favourite place is Calcutta. If you had to pick three spots in the city, what would they be and why?

Whenever I am in town, I go to both the clubs, Royal and Tolly, because I grew up there. Besides that, I mostly hang out at my friends’ homes. I don’t really like eating out because that’s all I do when I’m on tour. Aqua at The Park is quite nice though, I like that. My brother (Govind) and I make it a point to go there atleast once when I am in town. 

What do you miss most about Calcutta?

My parents and the food. And my close friends from childhood are here. The food here is the best in the world. Bekti is my favourite and the prawns as well. I love eating fried bekti and prawns I can eat curried, fried, Chinese style... I love it. I don’t eat seafood anywhere else, just here. In Orlando, I eat salmon once in a while, but nothing else. I don’t like the prawns or the fish there because I grew up here on fresh stuff and nothing is good enough for me there. In fact I think I put on two kilos in the last week itself because I ate so much here!

I don’t think that’s possible!

At my age, it is! I haven’t done much at all. This has been a complete week off. I played a little bit, nothing crazy. Been to the gym once and been sitting with my family and eating (laughs). Plus my wife isn’t here so I’ve 
been eating whatever I want (laughs). She is health-conscious so she looks after what I eat.

Durga Puja is almost here. Do you have any memories of the Pujas in the city?

Just that Calcutta is really festive, that time of the year. We would go out in our car and look at the pandals on the road. I haven’t been in the city during Durga Puja for a long time and I hear it gets really crazy!

You are a film buff, any recent films you liked?

I was watching Bajrangi Bhaijaan today, before this interview. I liked Dil Dhadakne Do, it was a fun and realistic family drama and it was quite funny. I loved The Wolf of Wall Street too. Leonardo (DiCaprio) was fantastic in it, it is one of my favourite movies of all time. I’m waiting to see Black Mass because I followed the story closely when it broke out in America and I believe (Johnny) Depp has done a very good job, so definitely want to catch that.

Back to golf, who’s your inspiration?

When I was growing up, it was always Jack Nicklaus. He is the greatest golfer ever. He set the standards, not that I can achieve those but it is always great to look up to the greatest.

Next big thing in Indian golf?

Viraj Madappa. He’s from here, I’ve played a few holes with him and he’s really really good. He’s only 17 and he’s got a really mature head on his shoulders. He will be really good.

How do you talentspot?

Golf is a game where you have to see the game to understand how good they are.

How do you unwind?

I drink some red wine and watch television with my kids. They’re playing some kind of sports or the other, 
so I join in.

Are they into golf?

Yes, they are getting interested right now. Krishen has started expressing interest in the game and he will also be trying out for his school team. 

How do you keep fit?

I have been swimming a lot. My injuries have been a lot better since I’ve started swimming. And yoga, it helps my game as well. It’s breath related and so is golf. If you get nervous, yoga helps you keep calm and concentrate. 

If not a golfer, you would be...

I would have probably been working with my father. But I knew when I started playing golf that I wanted to do it seriously. I started playing at the age of 14 and I was obsessed with it. Nothing else in the world mattered. 

Do you play others sports?

I play whatever my kids are playing at the time — basketball, tennis.... My knee isn’t too good for both these games but I still play them sometimes. I watch the NBA (National Basketball Association) and a little bit of NFL (National Football League) only when my (New York) Giants are playing well. I like to watch fast-moving sports so I think basketball players are the best athletes... the way they run around and jump like that, it’s crazy.

Favourite kind of music?

Nineties rap music like Wu Tang Clan, Dr. Dre and A Tribe Called Quest.

Your long-term vision in golf?

Eventually I want to build my academy where everyone can play golf, not just the people who can afford. There’s so much talent hidden away but they are probably not even aware of it. Like how do we get cricketers? Because cricket can be played anywhere, on the street with a piece of wood even. Why not that in golf? I don’t really want to build a golf course but have a two-acre driving range with a chipping and a putting range as well. There would be clubs on rent and kids could just walk in and try their hand at the game. There’s not enough public courses in India, everything is exclusive.

Deborima Ganguly

Arjun Atwal is my sporting hero because.... Tell  t2@abp.in