Bangalore performance helps boy next-door top list of amateur golfers

Patna, June 17: A 20-year-old boy has swung it big on golf greens, clinching the pole position in the list of amateur golfers of India.

The boy next-door, Aman Raj, climbed to the top of the list of amateur golfers released by the Indian Golf Union (IGU) with the help of the points he earned in the IGU South India Amateur Golf Championship, held earlier this month in Bangalore. "I dedicate this achievement to my coach and father Shashi Raj Sinha and the family, who always encouraged me to pursue the game wholeheartedly," Aman, a resident of Bhattacharya Road in the heart of the city, told The Telegraph today.

The rankings uploaded on the IGU website hinged on points earned by the golfers on the basis of their performance in tournaments organised in the country till June 13. Established in 1955, the IGU is the apex body of golf in India and works for promoting the game. All the major golf clubs of the country, including Patna Golf Club where Aman practises, are its members.

Shashi Raj, a licensed coach of National Golf Academy of India, has been guiding this young golfer right from his childhood. "It feels great when one's disciple does well. In Aman's case, the icing on the cake is that this student also happens to be my son," Shashi said.

Aman, who is pursuing a graduation course from Indira Gandhi National Open University, had shown his inclination towards golf at an early age. He started learning the tricks of the game when he was just three.

"Golf is his first love. So, we always encouraged him to follow the game with total commitment. His dedication to the game is total and we feel proud on this achievement," Aman's mother, Ruma Sinha, said reacting to the news of his son becoming the top amateur golfer of the country.

This is not the first time that Aman has made his parents proud. He has been a consistent performer since the age of seven. In 2012, when he was just 17, this young golfer represented the national team in the Asian Junior Golf Team Championship held in Malaysia. The Indian team had bagged the fourth position in the tournament. The past achievement of this young golfer appears to have made him a more responsible man. He is practising hard these days for the Taiwan amateur golf championship to be held later this month. "I spend six to eight hours a day in the greens to hone my golfing skills and to overcome my shortcomings. There is no alternative to regular practice," he said.

Having achieved fame in the amateur circuit, the young golfer from the city plans to join the league of professionals in the future. "I intend to start playing professional golf from the next year. Let's see how things unfold," said Aman.

Former world No. 1 professional golfer from South Africa Ernie Els, popularly known as "The Big Easy', is the favourite golfer of Aman. "I simply admire Els's swing and want to be a player like him," Aman said, while sharing the reason for being a diehard fan of the South African professional golfer, known in the golf circuit for his towering physical stature as well.