Golf Digest India - October 2017

VOLUME 2 | ISSUE 6

RNI NO. HARENG/2016/66983 OCTOBEER 2017 `150

THINK YOUNG | PLAY HARD

PUBLISHED BY

THE MIRACLES ISSUE

THE GURU WHO GOLFS JUSTIN ROSE PULL OFF ANY SHOT

ARJUNA FOR CHAWRASIA BUTCH’S PUTTING FORMULA Exclusive Official Media Partner

LOOKS LIKE A BEAUTY

BOOK

I S

NOW M E E T S

A

B E A S T

M A X I M U M

D I S TA N C E

W I T H

© 2017 Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.

PLAYS LIKE A BEAST

how to play. what to play. where to play.

l l

Contents 10/17

ArgentinA l AustrAliA l Chile l ChinA l CzeCh republiC l FinlAnd l FrAnCe l hong Kong l IndIa l indonesiA l irelAnd KoreA l MAlAysiA l MexiCo l Middle eAst l portugAl l russiA l south AFriCA l spAin l sweden l tAiwAn l thAilAnd l usA The yogi sadhguru jaggi vasudev has millions of followers and rarely travels without his clubs.

24

Miracles Issue 18

Pull Off Any Shot Learn these five recovery techniques to hit the green from anywhere. by justin rose

24

Cover Story: Attain Golf Enlightenment Meet the real guru of golf. by max adler

30

Sisyphus Wins After the earthquake, how one man rebuilt golf in Haiti by hand.

52

Corporate Digest India Learn Golf Week

Features

54

British Open Night

82

56

Golfing In Paradise

59

Volvo World Golf Challenge

60

Lifestyle 86

Divine in Contention The top-10 moments in pro golf that turned supernatural. by guy yocom

For Bhullar Asian Tour is his ‘home’

65

Korea To Stage Two New Asian Tour Events From 2018

88

You Can Beat Slow Play Shaving seconds and minutes could cut half an hour off your round. by david owen

Play Your Best 68

Bjørn - The Great Dane

71

Fitness Tips Warm-up for a better game of golf

India Digest 38

Newsmakers Update on Indian golfers around the world

44

Junior Golf

46

Club Round-Up Updates from courses across India

74

Chinese pair look to shine on PGA Tour

Business Of Golf Industry updates

76

Star-studded field for WGC-HSBC Champions

48

Hit It Like Rahm-Bo My keys to firing at pins and holding the green. by jon rahm

62

12 golf digest india | october 2017

Tom Watson Hit it closer from greenside rough

98

The New Crossovers Fusing classic irons with big-time tech. by mike stachura

by jaime diaz

106 18 Holes with Anil Valluri

by adam schupak 34

Golf’s Most Powerful Man Hangs It Up Billy Payne grew Augusta National’s stature to a new level.

97

91

Swing Sequence: Brooke Henderson An athletic swing rooted in—of all places—a hockey rink. by ron kaspriske

94

Butch’s Putting Formula Skills for rolling it like a pro. by butch harmon

95

Beat the Bunker Escape every buried lie. by david leadbetter

96

Jack Nicklaus My strategy for playing a double fairway

Cover photograph by Bryce Duffy

The Golf Life 99

Undercover Tour Pro A pot smoker applauds the tour’s new drug-testing program. with max adler

81

Style The latest apparel designed for comfort and fashion. by ashley mayo

91

Editor’s Letter

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Dear Golfers,

O

ctober signals the end of monsoon and start of the golf season. Golf courses recover from the rain and tournaments get announced. In India, traditionally even the biggest professional, amateur and corporate events are heard of only in the week of the event or post completion. Too many times, we are told by golfers that by the time they heard of a particular event, it was too late. As Golf Digest, we aim to let golfers know in advance, what’s important and what’s coming up.

Jack Nicklaus

Write to me at rishi@teamgolfdigest.com or India is making news in golf – both with on Twitter @RishiNarain_ Anirban Lahiri being selected for the Presidents Cup team, Aditi Ashok earning her LPGA Tour card, young Dubai-based Rayhan Thomas making an All-Star international amateur team and now Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev making it to Golf Digest USA. Hence we feature this golfing Guru on the cover. Surely people around India will be drawn to and curious about golf when their “Guruji’s” subscribe to the game.

At RN Sports Marketing, we are proud to announce that we have moved into a sparkling new office building into space more than double of our previous premises. A proud moment and we invite any subscriber or reader to drop by in Gurgaon. You can chat with our Golf Digest editorial team and give them your valuable inputs.

Till then, keep sending us mails and messages or get in touch on Facebook, twitter or instagram.

Happy Golfing!

Rishi Narain

TEAM GOLF DIGEST INDIA Editor & Publisher Rishi Narain Managing Editor Rohit Bhardwaj Assistant Art Director Guneet Singh Oberoi Subscriptions Monika Chhabra subscribe@teamgolfdigest.com Phone: +91-9999868051

Marketing & Advertising Nikhil Narain nikhil@teamgolfdigest.com +91-9999990364 Parth Premi parth@teamgolfdigest.com +91-9810455540

Published and Printed by Rishi Narain on behalf of Rishi Narain Golf Management Private Limited and Printed at Thomson Press India Limited, 18-35 Mile Stone, Delhi-Mathura Road, Faridabad-121 007, Haryana and published from 430-432, 4th Floor, Suncity Success Tower, Sector - 65, Golf Course Extn. Road, Gurgaon - 122101, Haryana. Phone Number - 0124-2841370, 1371, 1372.

Editor: Rishi Narain. Contains material reprinted by permission from Golf Digest® and Golf World®. Golf Digest India is a monthly publication of Rishi Narain Golf Management Private Limited.

14 golf digest india | october 2017

GOLF DIGEST INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS AND EDITORS-IN-CHIEF GD ArGentinA Hernán SimÓ, Jorge R. Arias AustrAliAn GD Brad Clifton GD Chile Rodrigo Soto GD ChinA Echo Ma GD CzeCh republiC Robin Drahonovsky GD FinlAnD Sami Markkanen GD FrAnCe Henry Trouillet GD honG KonG Echo Ma GD inDonesiA Irwan Hermawan GD irelAnD Linton Walsh GD KoreA Eun Jeong “EJ” Sohn GD MAlAysiA Patrick Ho GD MexiCo Rafa Quiroz GD MiDDle eAst Robbie Greenfield GD portuGAl João Morais Leitão GD russiA Fedor Gogolev GD south AFriCA Stuart McLean GD spAin Óscar Maqueda GD sweDen Oskar Åsgård GD tAiwAn Jennifer Wei GD thAilAnD Chumphol Na Takuathung GD usA Jerry Tarde

Popularly known as The ‘Golden Bear’, Nicklaus is widely regarded as the greatest golfer of all time. He won a record 18 Majors during his playing career and is regarded as the ultimate thinker and strategist on the golf course. He lies third on the all-time winner list on the PGA Tour behind Sam Snead and Tiger Woods with 73 titles.

Tom Watson

Watson is an eighttime Major champion, with five British Open titles to his credit, who defied age by becoming the oldest professional golfer at 60 years to lead the second and third rounds of the 2009 British Open. He topped the World Rankings from 1978 to 1982.

Butch Harmon

Harmon is best known for having been Tiger Woods’ golf coach during the prime of his career from 1993 to 2004. He has also worked with other Major champions such as Ernie Els, Stewart Cink, Greg Norman, Davis Love III, Fred Couples and Justin Leonard. Has topped many lists as the No. 1 rated golf instructor in the world.

David Leadbetter

Leadbetter, is without doubt the most celebrated golf instructor in history. His books, videos and DVD’s have sold in the millions worldwide. He came to wide notice in the 1980s when he rebuilt the swing of Nick Faldo, who then went on to win six Major championships. Apart from Faldo his students included Greg Norman (1997) and Ernie Els (1990–2008). Leadbetter changed golf instruction for all future generations from guesswork to science.

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@ RNI NO. HARENG/2016/66983 SEPTEMBER 2017 `150

THINK YOUNG | PLAY HARD

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MAKE MIRACLES HAPPEN Y

ou’re not always going to have a clear shot into the green. It’s just a reality of golf. I miss fairways, the other guys on tour miss fairways, and you and your buddies miss fairways. The difference between tour pros and weekend golfers is that we have specific strategies for every situation when our path to the green is blocked— usually it’s a tree, though I’ve encountered all sorts of large obstacles. Amateurs, on the other hand, have a tendency to rely on luck to get out of these difficult positions. And let’s be honest: Closing your eyes, swinging hard and hoping for the best doesn’t often work out very well. You need to have an understanding of the shot you’re trying to hit, and trust that adjustments to your regular swing will make the ball fly how you need it to. You can get over, under and around trouble, and even put your ball on the green. There are a lot of genuine miracles in this issue to read about, but follow my tips in this story, and you won’t have to hope for your own. With a little practice, pulling off these recovery shots will become a lot more routine. —w i t h k e e ly l ev i n s

Learn these 5 recovery techniques to hit the green from anywhere 18 golf digest india | october 2017

Photographs by Dom Furore

by Justin Rose

HIGH RISER GET WIDE ON BOTH SIDES

Y

ou’re faced with a tall tree between you and the green.

If the lie is such that you can make fairly clean, ballfirst contact, there’s a method to getting each iron in your bag to launch like the one above it—making an 8-iron get up as quickly as your 9-iron, for example.

So much of executing this shot is in the setup. Take a wide stance and play the ball forward (right). The rear shoulder is lower than the front, almost like a driver stance, which will naturally shallow out the swing to promote a high shot. When you take the club back, feel very wide, your hands getting about as far from your torso as possible. Look at the position of my hands at the top of the backswing (bottom, right).

They’re high, and there’s a great deal of extension. The through-swing has that same wide feeling.

Putting some fade on the ball will add height, too. To get that shot shape, hold the clubface open through impact, which adds loft. Instead of chasing the clubhead low around your body as you might with a regular swing, give it a bit of a flip with your wrists as you come through.

proximity, approaches from rough, 125-150 yds

30’ 2” 6th on tour

1st / paul casey / 27’ 3”

IN A HIGH-LAUNCH SWING, THE HANDS ARE HIGH, AND THERE’S A LOT OF EXTENSION.

20 golfdigest.com | october 2017

Photograph by First Lastname

MINIMIZE WEIGHT SHIFT AND SHOULDER TURN TO KEEP IT UNDER THE BRANCHES.

LOW SCOOTER STAY STACKED ON THE FRONT LEG

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gutter credit tk

hen I have to keep a shot low under branches, I know it’s absolutely critical to miss that first limb. Hit that one, and you could wind up farther from the green. But strike an obstacle that’s a ways ahead, and there’s a chance for a positive result. Almost every branch is thinnest toward its end, so it’s smart to cheat your aim there. A half an inch can mean all the difference with this shot.

To execute this low runner, take a long iron and set up with your feet in a narrow stance, the ball toward your back foot.

About 70 percent of your body weight should be on your front foot. There isn’t a lot of body movement when you swing; feel your weight consistently pressing forward. Also, limit shoulder turn. I feel like my left shoulder stays in the same place through the takeaway and downswing. This helps strike the ball solid.

Photograph by First Lastname

month 2017 | golfdigest.com

21

HOOK SHOT KEEP THE RIGHT SHOULDER HIGH

Y

ou’ve got a massive tree or rock ahead, and your only way around it is to work the ball right to left. To pull this shot off, your swing needs to be more circular. The way to do that is change how you turn your shoulders. To feel the correct movement, try the drill I’m demonstrating. Hold a club across your chest, and rehearse swings so the shaft remains roughly parallel to the ground throughout (left). That’s far less shoulder tilt than in a typical iron swing.

The main thought here is, Keep the right shoulder high. In this drill, my right hand mirrors the position of the clubface (bottom), which should be closing aggressively through impact to make the ball hook.

As you can see in my finish, the position of the hand isn’t higher than my chin. Swing through on a flatter, more circular path, and you’ll curve it around the trouble.

g.i.r. percentage from other than fairway

58.3% 5th on tour

A HOOK SWING NEEDS TO BE MORE CIRCULAR, AND THE WAY TO DO THAT IS TO CHANGE HOW YOU MOVE YOUR SHOULDERS. 22 golf digest india | october 2017

Photograph by First Lastname

gutter credit tk

1st / dustin johnson / 60.7%

NO BACKSWING FOCUS ON THE WRISTS

I

AUTO SLICE

FIRE FROM THE BACK FOOT

T

gutter credit tk

hough I’m sure a lot of you can already hit a slice, it’s helpful to be able to hit one on command and in a controlled manner. If you’re squarely behind a tree trunk with the option to go around either side of it, this is the easier shot shape to create. However, a tendency I see is that amateurs don’t borrow enough with their aim when they try this shot and wind up hitting whatever obstacle they were trying to avoid. So give yourself plenty of room to curve the ball.

To slice it, set up with your weight on the back foot and keep it there throughout the swing (right). Stacking the weight on the right side prevents your hands from swinging down the target line—a move that sends the ball straight or left. Instead, let the hands exit the impact zone to the left with the clubface open, still feeling your body weight hanging back.

t always feels a bit unlucky to find yourself braced against a bush with little or no room to make a backswing, possibly scuffing your trousers. Don’t give up and take an unplayable just yet. There’s usually a way to advance the ball a useful distance, no matter how awkwardly you have to swing.

When you don’t have space to make a shoulder turn, the power must come from quickly hinging and unhinging your wrists (left, top). You can generate a surprising amount of speed this way. The situation will likely require a narrow stance, which is a good thing.

A narrow stance promotes the steep angle of attack you need to get the most out of this choppy, little swing. Because there’s a lot of forward shaft lean, choose a club with a fair amount of loft. Also, be mindful not to take the club back too far. If you touch the branch or whatever’s hindering your swing, you might get flustered and flub the shot.

It’s also smart to rehearse what you’re trying to do with a bunch of practice swings. This will drill into your mind exactly how to advance the ball and, hopefully, chase it on the green.

Photograph by First Lastname

month 2017 | golfdigest.com

23

gutter credit tk

GUNGAG sadhguru jaggi va s u d e v h a s fo u n d enlightenment and can lead yo u t h e r e , to o.

24 golfdigest.com | month 2017

Photograph by First Lastname

GALUNGA

Meet the real guru of golf by Max Adler

Photographs by Bryce Duffy

october 2017 | golf digest india

25

Anyone who has seen “Caddyshack”

“When the entire population of the world attains enlightenment, I’ll retire and play golf every day,” he says, and it’s oddly hypnotic the way his white beard bounces as he laughs. He has to tie it so it doesn’t interfere with his swing. He almost always brings his clubs on the road, eschews carts, and prefers parkland courses to links.

A dean at the University of Cambridge was incredulous when she heard he partook in such a bourgeoisie activity.

“I love games, and I’ll play any,” Sadhguru told her. “Games are a way of training ourselves to be heavily involved without being serious.” A way of being, Sadhguru believes, that can assist in learning how to focus inward. He likes to quote

Swami Vivekananda, the yogi pioneer who came to the United States in 1893, who said, “Kicking a football will take you closer to the Divine than any amount of prayer.” If Swami had played golf, surely he would’ve agreed the mind similarly can’t wander.

To train for his annual summer trek in the Himalayas of Tibet, Sadhguru, who turned 60 on Sept. 3, walks 36 holes a day for several days on a course at an elevation of 6,200 feet in his native India. “By day two or three my game becomes really good,” he says. “The best round I ever shot was three over par. Most of the time I’m between six and 18.” Not bad considering he took up the game seriously just a few years ago—a friend’s suggestion after Sadhguru injured his knee playing soccer with children.

“He’s a good player, and strong,” says five-time major champion Yani Tseng, who first

26 golf digest india | october 2017

attended one of Sadhguru’s workshops in Manhattan, then later spent one-on-one time with the man at the meditation center he built in Tennessee.

Why Tennessee? Besides natural beauty, its central location is within a day’s drive for most of the U.S. population. When you’re trying to change the world, you’ve got to be efficient.

Tseng’s initial motivation for visiting Sadhguru was to regain the mental clarity she enjoyed when she was the No. 1 woman golfer in the world.

“I had all these specific questions, but once I was around him those questions started to feel unimportant. He brings such a sense of peace. I forgot about golf and started thinking more about enjoying life, being grateful for my family and friends.

Of course, having a quiet mind also helps in golf.”

If Tiger Woods would accept his help, Sadhguru believes he could get him going in the right direction, too. Which, if you commit to reading on, is what this is all about. Prepping the mind to hit fewer shots can’t be separated from the larger task of total self-re-examination.

“Today, the most important work on the planet is to raise human consciousness,” Sadhguru says—and writes. (His dozen books he has simply dictated into a recording device, then made minimal edits to the transcripts—a working method that

is unbelievable until you hear him speak for hours without a single stammer or notecard.)

“For the first time, we have the necessary capability, technology and resources to solve almost every human problem—fundamental problems like malnutrition, sickness, illiteracy—on this planet; never before was this possible. The only thing that is missing is human consciousness. . . . All it takes is to make human beings willing.”

Willing, that is, to be truly inclusive and compassionate.

To see themselves as part of a larger energy that is dispersed among all forms of life.

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divisive figures

hoa. Let’s pause here.

From Tony Robbins to Eckhart Tolle, modern gurus—which let’s define as charismatic figures who make their life telling others how to live—tend to engender worship or extreme skepticism.

Internet trolls accuse Sadhguru of hypocrisy in little ways, and others battle on intellectual turf, arguing his transposing of ancient Eastern philosophy into the Western world takes unforgivable shortcuts. “My hypothesis is that Jaggi Vasudev’s act of interspersing his religious sermon with science is a conscious attempt to appeal to the urbane middle class,” writes someone whose screen name is “tArkika.”

IllustratIons by Peter arkle

knows Bill Murray’s character, Carl Spackler, is promised total consciousness on his deathbed. Turns out the Dalai Lama isn’t a golfer, but another highly influential spiritual leader is.  Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev’s YouTube videos, which mostly take the form of five-minute answers to deep questions, have eclipsed 100 million views. His is a globetrotting schedule—conducting largescale meditation workshops, building schools, battling deforestation, lecturing for assemblies like the United Nations and World Economic Forum—but the self-described “yogi, mystic and visionary” got in 29 rounds last year.

B

powerful in person

ut far more credit the man for changing their lives for the better. In 2016, Sadhguru initiated 35,000 Americans into yoga. In India, certain nights of Hindu celebrations with Sadhguru have drawn half a million. In 2017, the Indian government awarded him its highest annual civilian honor, the Padma Vibhushan. He has played six-hour rounds because of grounds-crew workers and other followers flocking the fairway. “By the time the round is over, I’ve blessed 150 to 200 people,” he says.

A guru’s delivery is equally if not more important than his message, so I hesitate to distill in an article that which was conveyed over 20 hours of lecture (accompanied by group chanting and an absolutely terrific string band). So all I’ll say is, I attended Sadhguru’s threeday course on “Inner Engineering” at the Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa. Early registration of $2,000 covered room and vegetarian board, with the rest supporting the nonprofit Isha Foundation, which Sadhguru founded in 1992.

If you’re a golfer, who among us hasn’t wondered if a little Zen training might improve our putting? So it was with this mixture of curiosity and selfish motivation that I laid down my mat and prepared to be transformed.

There were 140 participants, including those who’d flown from South America, the Caribbean, even India, to spend this special intimate session with Sadhguru. A curious number of attendees were in medicine; doctors and practitioners looking for knowledge to complement (or replace) what they’d

learned of the human system in traditional education. The rest of the attendees professed oldfashioned, run-of-the-mill existential crises—sometimes I wake up in the morning and just think, What’s the point?— and were seeking greater meaning. I wasn’t the only golfer.

Old and young, fit and fat, stylish and frumpy—overall, about the most diverse group ever gathered in a tapestried conference room.

Cross-legged and mic’d on the stage, magnificently holy in his colored robes although he endorses no religion (his teachings have the most parallels with Buddhism), Sadhguru paused if a person left to go to the bathroom, so critical was each word of this condensed course. We were afforded comfort breaks every two hours, though Sadhguru mischievously hinted pride about his superior capacity. Such control over the body’s plumbing might one

A LIE THAT BECAME TRUTH

I

wanted to throw my wife a surprise 50th birthday on the patio at our club. To get her there, I would tell her a lie: that I made an ace on the par-3 seventh hole, and tradition required

day also be ours, if we followed the practices with discipline.

Note-taking was strictly discouraged. “We are not here to make scripture,” Sadhguru joked, and we laughed. “Leave behind what you think you know and please just give me your full attention these next few days. That is all I ask.”

B

the meaning of life

ecause I am not your guru, where Sadhguru weaves nuance I can only offer brevity. What follows are the crib notes on the meaning of life, before I get to the part about which I’m qualified to comment—teeing it up with Sadhguru the day after the retreat.

The course’s title “Inner Engineering” comes from the premise that in our exterior world, humans trust only things that work. We board elevators and trains not out of faith, but because we understand (or at least someone does) how they operate. However, for our interi-

me to buy drinks for everyone after the round.

Like many clubs, our course, The Club at Old Hawthorne in Columbia, Mo., offers hole-in-one insurance.

Members contribute a small annual amount and receive a $500 bar credit if they get an ace.

For two weeks, I spread word of my plan around the club and to my wife’s friends, several of whom would make the twohour trip from St. Louis.

sadhguru took up golf a f t e r a s o c c e r i n j u r y. h e h a s n e v e r ta k e n a l e s s o n a n d h a s a 1 4 - h a n d i c a p.

or world, we rely on things that are wishy-washy. Religions, philosophies, concepts like love—these work for some people some of the time, but generally we all pass through life with fluctuating discontent and uncertainty. But through close examination of the human system, a marrying of Eastern and Western knowledge to grasp “the nuts and bolts” of how life is, we may learn to run the “human machine” with a similar pleasurable confidence to how we turn on our phones or fly helicopters. (Sadhguru loves to fly helicopters.)

What the following examples might seem to lack in cohesion, they make up for in accessibility. Seas rise with the

The day of the party I took off from work to play. At the turn, I called my wife to tell her about my “ace.” My focus was on making sure she showed up on time, so I kept the call short.

The next par 3 in our layout is No. 12. I’m an 11 Handicap Index, and my only other ace came on an executive course. I dunk it.

The hole-in-one I had planned for two weeks, and had told my wife about 30 minutes

earlier, had now actually occurred—just on a different hole.

When my wife arrived and saw her friends, she realized my phone call had been a setup.

Though she was more interested in the party than my ace, our guests were stunned, and it took awhile for people to get the story straight.

A few friends joked they knew I’d be too cheap to really buy the drinks.

—steve murphy with claire rogers

october 2017 | golf digest india

27

THE 8,000-MILE LOST BALL

I

collect a logo ball from every course I play. I have about 500 on display at home in Louisiana. For years, the omission was Windsor Golf and Country Club in Nairobi, Kenya. My wife, Lindsey, and I played there when we went on an African safari with my Aunt Lucy. Lucy had just been diagnosed with a heart condition, and this

bucket-list trip was her treat.

The course cut through a working coffee plantation. We were given rusty, mismatched clubs. The golf shop was “under renovation.” It seemed possible the empty glass cases once housed logo hats, shirts and balls.

On the first tee box, we saw a group of women crouched over, slowly crossing the fairway. Our caddie said to hit. I asked if he saw the women. “Yes, they’re cutting the grass. They get hit all the time; it’s part of the job,” he said.

I bunted a tee shot with a three-quarter swing,

full moon and our bodies are 60-percent water. To think our energy levels are independent of nature’s cycles is ludicrous.

The human jaw and digestive tract closely resemble a structure common to herbivores, and it’s a diet of far too much meat— like bad gasoline—that’s largely responsible for our lethargy and need to sleep seven to nine hours a day. Cared for properly, Sadhguru believes the human body can live up to 160 years. As a father of three children under age 3, the notion of functioning better off less sleep perked my ears. Key for dawn tee times.

At the cellular level, it’s evident the fundamental nature of life is a desire to expand. Grass and flowers grow, squirrels and bears grow, each wanting to become a full-fledged grass blade, flower, squirrel and bear. At the essence of sexuality, is this desire to join oneself with another, to expand, and as a consequence, proliferate. The unique problem (or blessing) of humans is consciousness, and so we wrestle with what it means to be a full-fledged human being.

leaving it well short of them. We learned these women made one dollar a day to trim the fairways with scissors.

Despite low expectations set by the sight of the grounds crew’s situation, the course was terrific.

The greens ran true, the routing and shot selections were memorable, and monkeys hanging from trees followed our progression.

I was told logo balls were on order. Even though I didn’t believe our host, I gave him money to ship me one.

Upon our return home, I made many attempts

Most of us have our basic needs of survival met, so it’s almost out of something like boredom that we start our little personal psychodramas: Should I be a doctor, a lawyer, live alone in a cabin in the woods?

Why doesn’t that person like me; maybe a new set of irons will make me happy? When we consider that each of us is but a speck on a planet that is a speck in a solar system that is but a speck in the cosmos—a bacterial microbe crawling on your face occupies an infinitely larger relative plot of real estate—human concerns can become quite funny. Of course, this perspective is hard to maintain in the whirl of daily life.

The answer, says Sadhguru, is to expand one’s consciousness. What does that even mean, Carl Spackler? To allow your mind to exist beyond the boundary of your cranium. To join the elemental universe of which it is truly part. Get here, and it will feel second-nature “to look out at the world and feel limitless responsibility,” even though your physical ability to do anything about its problems is limited.

A notion with which I can almost connect, but it’s hard

28 golf digest india | october 2017

to contact the resort but never received a ball.

Two years later, Aunt Lucy had open-heart surgery in Atlanta.

Lindsey and I traveled to see her. While there, we played Hamilton Mill, a nice public course not far from the hospital.

Looking for an errant tee shot, I spotted a ball in another fairway.

It was too far up to be mine, but the course was empty, so I checked anyway. The faded logo read “Windsor Golf and Country Club, Kenya” with a coat of arms emblazoned in green.

We were speechless.

—ray ladouceur with claire rogers

when my knee ligaments are about to snap from sitting on the floor in extended Baddha Konasana.

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chasing enlightenment

ame as the body is an accumulation of everything you eat, the mind is the sum of everything perceived through the five senses—the books you’ve read, the music you’ve heard, the places you’ve seen, the people you’ve known, on down the line. Though the DNA that shapes your nose remembers your great-grandmother, our minds and bodies essentially become the product of what we think and do. “Mindfulness” has been a buzz word of late, but Sadhguru prefers “meditativeness.” He disparages modern yoga studios that focus on physical contortions and sweating while ignoring—or even worse, misguiding—the inner dimension.

During times that survival is threatened, a gun is pointed at us or we flee a burning building, people often report an “out-of-body experience” where their mind was clear and they acted decisively, almost without thinking. How, one might

imagine, a squirrel or bear is much of the time. But when you’ve got a coffee and a breakfast sandwich going, plopped in an office chair weighing what to say in the morning budget meeting, it’s very much an “inbody experience.”

To foster this right detachment—or the kind of freeness that could lead to playing lights-out golf—Sadhguru says one might consider a traffic jam. You can feel angry and anxious stuck in one, but viewed from an airplane window, the snaking, glowing curves of tail lights become abstract and almost aesthetically pleasing. A grander perception that we all could seek more regularly. To rise there, to escape the confines of the self, the answer is meditation. Which initially can be very difficult.

To think no thoughts and feel yourself exist, even if for just a moment, 12 inches outside your forehead—let alone a mile up in the sky—can take decades of practice. Though maybe just minutes.

However long, don’t wait until the final throes of life to “see a bright light at the end of the tunnel.” The actionable takeaway of our retreat was a highly specific 21-minute routine of breathing and meditation called Shambhavi Kriya that should be done on an empty stomach. Eyes are meant to be closed, but how couldn’t I peek at the four or five individuals who convulsed and cried with ecstasy? What does enlightenment feel like? Sadhguru says: “Take your greatest experience in life ever, and make that your baseline.”

L

back to reality

unch was awkward.

What kind of chitchat to make with a sober table full of strangers after dipping our toes in the primordial nothingness?

Mmm, is that chopped kale in this hummus? Delicious. So as not to incite envy, I withheld the fact I was later playing golf with our leader. Some remarks of others: “It’s amazing how engaged

WHAT DOES ENLIGHTENMENT FEEL LIKE? ‘TAKE YOUR GREATEST EXPERIENCE IN LIFE EVER, AND MAKE THAT YOUR BASELINE.’ he is giving what must be the same talk over and over.”

“If you had the ability to make the world a better place, you’d be tireless, too.”

“I find him much more pragmatic than Deepak Chopra.”

T

big hitter, the guru

he Crossings at Carlsbad is a municipal course but defies the term with its flawless conditioning, $110 peak green fee, gleaming modern clubhouse and cart-mandatory routing. After three days at the altar, it was startling to see Sadhguru’s robes replaced by slacks and designer shades.

There wasn’t time to hit the range, so Sadhguru warmed up by corkscrewing his arms and fingers forward and back in the loudest, most tendon-popping, mesmerizing stretch I’ve ever witnessed.

The foursome ahead were clearly beginners, so I figured I’d go deep right away.

“Sadhguru, what is the solution to slow play?” I said with solemnity, as if I had ascended a high peak to ask it.

Without missing a beat, he grinned, “Better accuracy.”

He’d negotiated 14 strokes off me, remarking at breakfast that the key to golf was getting your opponent to boast about his game beforehand.

Sadhguru has never taken a lesson but believes his “keen sense of geometry” garnered through yoga enables his steady play. Sure enough, he had me 2 down through four. “I am beating the pro,” he said in gleeful disregard of the definition of amateur status.

“Anybody can play decent golf like me,” Sadhguru says, “but people trip on their own minds. They need to create a little distance between what they think and what they do.”

As for the seemingly hopelessly uncoordinated, Sadhguru says there are specific yogic practices for that. “In six to eight weeks everything they do will feel like magic.”

Sadhguru confided he thought the weekend’s workshop had been successful, despite an audience he thought was reserved. I’d never encountered a more forthcoming group of strangers, as far as personal confessions and group dancing, which I suppose shows what a stiff I am. One way Sadhguru’s organization measures success is through dogged survey work.

Of all people who’ve attended Isha’s workshops in the past year, 70 percent are still active with the prescribed meditative practices. Of the past three years, 40 percent.

At The Crossings, you drive the entire length of the 12th hole from green to tee before you play it, an unusual re-routing to placate the California Coastal Commission and Army Corps of Engineers. The developers also

SHOULD’VE QUIT THEN

I

started coaching 62-year-old Unni Haskell in 2009. She’d never swung a golf club but had a background in tennis, which gave her some natural swing

faced challenges when nests of the endangered black-tailed gnatcatcher were discovered.

Given his environmental initiatives, I probed Sadhguru’s perspective on golf-haters during our extended cart ride.

“Some people are always trying to think of everything in terms of utility. Life is not utility. If there’s a water shortage, then, yes, let’s water the greens and not the fairways.

The problem is, we have set up the wrong aspirations. If everybody lived like Americans do, we’d need four planets. So now every small thing looks like an excess.”

Having fielded existential questions all weekend, Sadhguru was clearly more excited to talk trash. When I lost a ball off an errant drive, he was thrilled.

“I cannot play any game halfheartedly, only intentionally,” he winked. To coax him into performing his unique stretch on video, I offered him a floating mulligan, which he accepted and promptly redeemed.

Riding up the 18th at sunset, it felt more like a round with a fun uncle, not a dignitary.

Though as he sank a putt for a gritty net par to finish our match square, I remembered one thing Sadhguru said to me during the back nine, a response to some inane question I’d cobbled about the cosmos. “The purpose of life is to explore one’s own life to its fullest, to explore all dimen-

abilities and athleticism.

After just six lessons, she was eager to get out on the course.

One afternoon, Unni asked if we could skip our planned putting lesson and play a hole or two on the par-3 course at Cypress Links in St. Petersburg, Fla. We hadn’t worked much on putting yet, but I said OK. Stepping up to the first tee with a range ball in hand, Unni was frozen.

I talked her through what

sions. Forget the galaxies.”

Golfers everywhere can take comfort in the fact that an enlightened individual is concerned with the same 4¼-inch black hole.

O epilogue

nly one week after the retreat, back in the throes of early-morning commuting, endless diaper changes and all the rest, I fell off the path by neglecting my Shambhavi Kriya practices.

Barricading 21 quiet minutes daily felt impossible, even if it wasn’t. The reality of my failure and lack of spiritual discipline set in at Chuck E. Cheese on a Saturday for a child’s birthday party. Between the warm soda, greasy pizza, dirty carpets and cacophony of arcade games stoking frenzied desire, it occurred to me this was the worst collection of all possible inputs.

If we truly are an accumulation of all perceived through the senses, I was doomed. But then I remembered a line from Sadhguru I hadn’t written down.

A trumping wisdom for raising consciousness: “No matter what you do, do it willingly.” So I toured my daughter around to every stupid game and proceeded to have way more fun than if I’d played golf.

to do and helped her set up. Without a practice swing, she took a whack.

The ball went about 75 yards, avoided a bunker on the left, bounced onto the green and rolled into the hole.

I let out a yell—I couldn’t believe that this woman made a hole-in-one on her first hole of golf. Unni didn’t believe it, either, until I brought her to the green, pointed in the cup and said “See?

There’s your range ball.”

There were a handful of kids from The First Tee practicing nearby who had heard me yelling and were now cheering. It took a minute for Unni to fully understand her accomplishment.

“How do I top that?”

Unni asked as we went to the next tee. “You’re only going downhill from here,” I said.

—rick sopka with brittany romano

october 2017 | golf digest india

29

After the earthquake, how one man rebuilt golf in Haiti by hand

the persistent s y lva i n c o t e led the effort t o s a v e t h e o n ly course in haiti.

Photographs by Dom Furore

SISYPHUS WINS

by Adam Schupak

october 2017 | golf digest india

31

Sylvain Cote was in the frozen-food aisle

Cote climbed over debris and crawled out of Olympic Market into a cloud of dust from fallen structures. It took him over four hours to drive five miles. He found his home standing, and his wife and then-3-year-old daughter unharmed. Not everyone was so lucky. More than one million people were left homeless, bringing more suffering to a nation that is already the hemisphere’s poorest and most disaster-prone. The earthquake was the worst in the region in more than 200 years.

Fearing more falling buildings, thousands of people streamed onto the fairways of Petion-Ville Tennis and Golf Club, which sits in a hillside commercial zone. In a matter of days, more than 55,000 people occupied the private nine-hole course, where Cote is a member, and converted it into the country’s largest “canvas village” of tents. The homeless improvised, grabbing whatever they could find—bed sheets, tarps, tires, plywood, sheet metal—as a means of shelter, and lined up to pay the equivalent of eight cents for a bucket of water.

Cote had originally moved to Haiti in 1998 from his native Canada for a short-term business project. The work became full-time, and before long he had a regular game—and caddie—at Petion-Ville, which is the second-oldest golf club in the Caribbean, dating to 1934.

The earthquake was felt across the border in the Dominican Republic, where courses like Casa de Campo and Punta Cana attract players from all over the world. Petion-Ville, conversely, is Haiti’s only place to play.

The roughly 300 members of Petion-Ville realized it would be impossible—not to mention inhumane—to evict all the displaced people. “We

A VERY BAD DROP

I

was playing golf with my wife, Dona, and our friend Ismael at the Arroyo Course at Palmilla in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. The eighth hole is a long par 3 with a carry over a ravine. I didn’t take enough club. Not seeing a designated drop area, I dropped according to line of sight. As I prepared to pitch on, I inadvertently took a step back. I remember

32 golf digest india | october 2017

had never seen such despair,” Cote says. For several years, the club’s 56 acres would serve the greater good. The pool was drained, and the eight tennis courts functioned as a warehouse for food, water and medical supplies. Actor and activist Sean Penn, through his nonprofit, J/P Haitian Relief Organization, brought a semblance of order. Penn’s temporary office was next to the ninth green, not far from a makeshift pharmacy. Church

tripping down the rocky edge of the ravine and then basically freefalling the rest of the 234 feet—the equivalent of 10 stories—to hard sand.

Frantic voices above.

Half-conscious, I tried to shout, “I think I’m alive.”

Dona ran to the clubhouse while Ismael scaled down to me.

The sand was compact, like rock. I was flat on my back, and Ismael kept telling me to stay still. It would be 2½ hours until the EMTs were carrying my stretcher up to the second hole, where the ravine was less steep.

I couldn’t help but smile.

I was alive.

It was dark when we got to a hospital. They cut me out of one of my

services were held under a blue-and-white-stripe circus tent on No. 4. An elementary school formed at the fifth, and along what was the second fairway formed a temporary hospital, bank, barber shop and a nail salon.

Thoughts of resuming normal club activity started to flicker in 2013. With support of the International Organization for Migration and Haitian authorities, internally displaced people were given a $500 relocation stipend and a roof over their head. It took 18 months to move every family and dismantle the camp.

The golf course was left in ruin. The club’s board of directors decided not to rebuild it.

Too onerous a task, they said.

Cote pitched the board’s president to let him lead its restoration at his own expense.

The board’s response: “Go

favorite golf shirts. I was treated for a broken clavicle, a sprained right ankle, significant scrapes, and a deep puncture by my left ankle that required immediate surgery. None of the doctors spoke English.

I awoke with my neck in a brace that made me very claustrophobic.

When the head golf pro at a nearby course heard about my fall, he arranged for Dr. James McAllister, an Americantrained doctor practicing in Mexico, to check in on me. Dr. McAllister arranged for my air evacuation to the trauma center at UC San Diego Medical Center.

Two days later, I was discharged. Breathing

with seven broken ribs hurts. For the next 10 weeks, I was treated by Dr. Jeanne Scanland and Dr. Jad Dorizas and received physical therapy in our home in Ringgold, Ga. I should have been dead from that fall, yet I made it out without a brain or spinal-cord injury. I played golf with Dona and our two sons-in-law just 77 days after. The date of my accident, by the way, was the birthday of my late mother. I attribute my survival not only to the excellent care I received on both sides of the border, but to divine intervention.

—joe robinson with claire rogers

IlluSTrATIoN bY PETEr ArklE

of his local grocery story when the ground shook. Harder. Faster.

He’d experienced smaller tremors twice before, but nothing of this magnitude. Once the building swayed from side to side, he knew it was a big one. He leaned against a column under a metal beam near the meat counter and waited.  “The longest 45 seconds of my life,” he says.  On Jan. 12, 2010, just before 5 p.m., an earthquake registering 7.0 on the Richter Scale rocked Haiti, killing 300,000 and injuring countless more. Its epicenter was about 16 miles southwest of the capital in Port-au-Prince, not far from where Cote lived.

TENTS: GETTY IMAGES

ahead and do what you want, but don’t ask for our help.”

Cote refused to watch golf in the country die. He organized a skeleton crew of a dozen caddies and former course workers to rebuild the course by hand, one hole at a time.

The process began by collecting and burning trash and trucking away piles of discarded metal and rubber.

Every Saturday for more than three years, Cote arrived at the course at 8 a.m. and doled out assignments. When the rest of the workers saw him pick up a shovel and fill a wheelbarrow, they knew he was serious. “It was our project,” Cote says.

“The guys were so dedicated and proud to contribute to restoring golf. They did the hard work—I was just leading them.”

On weekdays, while Cote was at work, the longtime caddiemaster supervised and followed Cote’s instructions.

They started at the ninth hole, which sits atop a plateau closest to the clubhouse. Two feet of gravel covered the fairway, which had served as a parking lot. They used a backhoe, their only piece of machinery, to scrape away the rocks and remove piping that had transported water, as well as three large cement blocks that had held lampposts. This

refugees displ aced by the earthquake.

tradition of “island time.”

There was never a timetable for completion, rather faith in a perpetual forecast of sunny days to work. In the three years it took to repair the course, Cote kept his guys motivated with the promise of a steady paycheck, and the possible return of their former jobs. He invested $30,000 of his money and raised another $10,000 from other supporters. In addition to getting back a place to play golf, he saw rehabilitating the course as something of a social experiment that bonded a group of men in a common purpose.

“The project kept me going and gave me a reason to stay in Haiti,” he says. The club is once again the social hub of his life. “The members and staff are like a big family,” Cote says. In addition to playing more than 50 rounds a year, he swims laps in the pool and reads in the library.

hole alone took nearly a year to complete.

Rather than re-create the layout, Cote let out the shaft on his imagination. Having lost some land at the former first and second holes, Cote erected a double green. Another green was seeded with bentgrass purchased at a Miami hardware

When Petion-Ville’s golf course reopened in May 2016, the club hosted a scramble tournament to which all the workers had free entry.

During the celebratory barbecue, a club member approached Cote. “I never thought you’d do it,” he said.

Cote just smiled.

s y lva i n c o t e w i t h t h r e e c a d d i e s w h o h e l p e d rebuild petion-ville’s golf course by hand. for three years the course was home to 55,000

store. Otherwise, they transplanted native grass. All told, they added four new tee boxes, including a stone wall at the ninth and a bunker guarding the green at the finishing hole.

Par is 64. Cote’s best round, now age 50, is 66.

Cote and his crew breathed new life into the Caribbean

october 2017 | golf digest india

33

gutter credit tk

DIVINE IN CON

Illustration by Nicolas Ortega

NTENTION T

gutter credit tk

The top-10 moments in pro golf that turned supernatural by Guy Yocom

he last thing a pro would seem to need is a miracle.

They are blessed with so much already—actionfigure physiques, swings issued straight from heaven, and as video replays show daily, a surfeit of good bounces. In truth, the astounding things that have happened to them over the years are for our benefit as much as theirs. They instill a sense of wonder, add to the lore, and suggest we might be on the receiving end next.  What qualifies as a miracle, anyway? The criteria is rubbery, but it begins with an event that indisputably is a one-off, something that could never happen again. Four players making aces on the same hole on the same day at a U.S. Open, as happened in 1989? Not quite; the cup was cut where balls funneled, making it more fluke.

But Arnold Palmer’s aces on the same hole on consecutive days?

What a combination of a place, person and time. When Fred Couples’ ball hung on the bank at the 1992 Masters, it was as though providence was tapping Freddie (and millions of fans) on the shoulder and whispering, I’m here.  Herewith, the top-10 miraculous events that have happened to those who play for pay.

later recounted. “My advice to you is, don’t ever concede your opponent a putt—not even a two-incher!”

BOBBY JONES WALKS ON WATER 1930

D

uring the second round of the 1930 U.S. Open at Interlachen Country Club outside Minneapolis, Bobby Jones attempted to reach the par-5 ninth hole in two. Just as he began his downswing, Jones saw out of the corner of his eye two young girls sprinting into the fairway.

Jones flinched, and his ball, badly hit, seemed destined to go only halfway across a lake in front of him. The ball, however, struck a lily pad and bounded forward, free of the water and only 30 yards short of the green.

This dose of Jones magic—and the fairly routine birdie that resulted—was consequential.

He won that U.S. Open, his fourth, by two strokes over Macdonald Smith.

BOBBY CRUICKSHANK’S COMEBACK 1932

I

n a 36-hole, first-round match at the 1932 PGA Championship, Al Watrous, a successful tour player and later head pro at Oakland Hills, led Bobby Cruickshank, 9 up, with 13 to play. Watrous, feeling sorry for Cruickshank, conceded a six-foot putt for a halve on the sixth hole. Big mistake. Cruicky, mainly through spectacular putting, which included a 70-footer on the 15th hole, came back and tied the match in regulation, then won on the fifth extra hole. “I played well,” Watrous

HOMERO BLANCAS’ 55 1962

N

ow 79, Homero Blancas was an excellent PGA Tour pro who excelled as a senior. But as a young amateur, Blancas produced what is perhaps the most phenomenal round in golf history. In 1962, at a Texas barbeque-circuit event known as the Premier Invitational, Blancas shot 55, an incredible 15 under par. The par-70 course was just over 5,000 yards and consisted of a single nine holes using two sets of tees. Still, he made 13 birdies and an eagle.

Detracting from the miracle not at all was the fact he missed a three-footer. The score to this day has never been bettered, though in 2012 an Australian pro, Rhein Gibson, equaled it in a non-competitive setting.

NICK PRICE’S ULTIMATE UNPLAYABLE LIE 1977

U

pon finishing a twoyear stint in the Rhodesian Air Force in 1977, Nick Price’s first order of business was to get his game in shape to join the European Tour. Playing a course named Elephant Hills in what is now Zimbabwe, Price was preparing to drive when he saw a family of bush pigs—stout, shorthaired animals common in South Africa—trotting away

october 2017 | golf digest india

35

diagonally a short distance from the tee. Price hit anyway but, out of practice, thinned the shot, the ball never rising more than 18 inches off the ground. The ball struck one of the bush pigs in the hind quarters, disappearing below its small tail. Call it a plugged lie or a distant cousin to the hole-in-one, one thing is for certain: The shot will never be duplicated.

BEN CRENSHAW AND THE HARBINGER OF DOOM 1984

A

mateur Billy Joe Patton was leading the 1954 Masters when he went for the green on his second shot at the par-5 13th and 15th holes. Both times he found water, and he eventually missed the Sam Snead-Ben Hogan playoff by one. It was the ultimate cautionary tale of overly aggressive play. Fastforward to the 1984 Masters.

Ben Crenshaw, holding a threestroke lead on Sunday, drove at the 13th squarely into go/no-go territory. While debating what to do, Crenshaw glanced at the gallery and saw in the sea of faces none other than Patton, then a 61-year-old member at Augusta National. This chance sight was all Crenshaw, a golf historian and “big believer in fate,” needed. He laid up and went on to win by two.

ARNOLD PALMER’S DOUBLE 1986

O

n a Tuesday preceding the 1986 Chrysler Cup, Arnold Palmer made a hole-in-one on the 187-yard 12th hole at TPC Avenel in Maryland. Delirium ensued.

The next day, Arnie came to the same hole and, wielding the same 5-iron, aced it again, this

time on the fly. Odds of a pro golfer making a hole-in-one: 2,500-to-one. On the same hole in consecutive tournament rounds: Actuaries struggle, but one estimate puts it on the order of 10-million-to-one.

Roughly impossible—unless you’re Arnold Palmer.

FRED COUPLES DEFIES GRAVITY 1992

B

y 1992, Fred Couples was a living miracle already, his dreamy swing, fame and good looks more than should be endowed on one person. In the final round of the Masters, it went to another level. Holding a threestroke lead, he went at the flag on the right side of the 12th green. His ball came up short, slamming into the front bank.

But instead of rolling back into Rae’s Creek, as we’ve seen happen scores of times, it hung up. He chipped to within a foot, saved par and, two hours later, slipped into the green jacket.

3 ACES, 1 ROUND

T

he Summer Solstice event at Laurel Hill Golf Club in Lorton, Va., is always a good time. You tee off when the sun rises and play three rounds of golf—from successively shorter tees—before it sets. In 2015, I was paired

36 golf digest india | october 2017

T

he famed teacher Davis Love Jr. and his son Davis Love III were as close as a father and son could be. The elder Love taught, nurtured and advised his son well into adulthood. Thus, when Davis Jr. died in a plane crash in 1988, the loss to Love III was incalculable. At the 1997 PGA Championship at Winged Foot, as Love III putted out for his first majorchampionship victory, a moisture-laden cloud and sunlight conspired to produce a rainbow, which disappeared only moments later. Meteorological happenstance or a late father’s affirmation to his son?

Is anyone cynical enough to assume the former?

ANDREW MAGEE’S UNBELIEVABLE ACE 2001

N

ever a particularly long hitter, Andrew Magee took aim at the 332-yard, par-4 17th hole at TPC Scottsdale during the 2001 FBR Open while Steve Pate, Gary Nicklaus and Tom Byrum were still on the green.

Magee’s drive gamboled onto the green, caromed off Byrum’s

with my friend Pat Wills and his two sons. Pat, a retired Marine, carries a plus-4 handicap and is a very well-known player in Virginia, though he would never tell you that.

The second round we played from the white tees at just over 6,000 yards. Pat started with four birdies in the first six holes. At the seventh, a par 4 playing about 275 yards, Pat powdered his drive at the pin. We were looking for it over the green when his son Christopher and I discovered the ball was

putter and rolled in. A stunned official reacted by lifting his arms to signal a touchdown.

It remains the only ace on a par 4 in the history of the PGA Tour. Given time, the feat will almost surely be equaled, but the nature of it—the ball making contact with two clubfaces on one shot, then winding up in the hole—was a reminder that the world of golf spins on a slightly tilted axis.

TIGER WOODS’ GREATEST U.S. OPEN VICTORY 2008

A

double stress fracture of his left tibia. A torn anterior cruciate ligament. Excruciating pain on practically every swing from start to finish. Tiger Woods’ triumph over Rocco Mediate in a Monday playoff to win the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines slowed trading in the financial markets, but there was far more to it than Tiger playing through pain. At key points in the 91 holes (which included a good 25 miles of walking), Tiger’s play included chip-ins, monster putts and clear routes to the green when his drives went awry. When you combine positive nods from the golf gods with a big stage and Tiger’s force of will, the result is a historical aberration.

in the hole. I’d never seen an ace, so I was excited, but the always-modest Pat just gave a little grin and a few high-fives.

Three holes later, Pat’s tee shot found the cup again on a par 4 of about 315 yards.

When we told him, Pat didn’t believe us. I was elated, but it was a most subdued celebration from Pat and his sons.

My game was shot; I could barely take the club back anymore. Pat wasn’t affected. He knew exactly what this meant for his score—he’d shot

a 58 in this tournament before—and he headed to the next hole more focused than ever.

Dozens of golfers have made two aces in the same day, but three?

We witnessed Pat complete the feat on the 198-yard 14th. I remember the clank of the ball hitting the pin.

He shot a 14-under-par 57. You might not believe it, but I know what I saw.

No one questioned Pat in the clubhouse.

He’s just that good.

—matt ghormley with brittany romano

IllustratIon by Peter arkle

ACTUARIES STRUGGLE, BUT ONE ESTIMATE PUTS IT ON THE ORDER OF 10-MILLION-TO-ONE. ROUGHLY IMPOSSIBLE—UNLESS YOU’RE ARNOLD PALMER.

DAVIS LOVE III AND A TIMELY RAINBOW 1997

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Newsmakers

Golfer SSP Chawrasia receives the Arjuna Award from honourable President of India Ram Nath Kovind

With Arjuna in his bag, SSP looks to excel in Europe

L

eading golfer SSP Chawrasia’s long, arduous wait for the Arjuna Award got over when he was honoured by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind on August 29, also celebrated as National Sports Day to commemorate the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.

Chawrasia was expected to clinch the prestigious award way back in 2008 when he triumphed at the Delhi Golf Club, pocketing the inaugural $2.5 million EMAAR-MGF Indian Masters thereby creating European Tour history by becoming the first player to win on his maiden appearance as an Affiliate Member.

“When I expected it, I didn’t get it. I think this is the best time to get the Arjuna.

Whenever you get an award like that it’s great,” Chawrasia told Golf Digest India on the sidelines of inaugurating Chimmy’s Club Fitting Studio at the Qutab Golf Club in New Delhi.

Chawrasia had to skip the Euro 1 million D+D Real Czech Masters on the European Tour to receive the award. The Kolkata pro also became the 19th Indian golfer to bag the Arjuna, which makes it extra special.

38 golf digest india | october 2017

“It’s a very proud and happy moment for me to be honoured with this award. I am proud to be among 19 golfers who have won the Arjuna. But I will be happier if the number of such awardees keeps increasing every year,” said the 39-year-old, who was nominated for the award by the Indian Golf Union (IGU) along with ladies professional Aditi Ashok while well-known coach Vijay Divecha was nominated for the Dronacharya Award.

However, neither Aditi nor Divecha were shortlisted in their respective categories by the Sports Ministry this year. Further, no golfer has won the Khel Ratna till now.

“I can only say that I will try my best to get to a position where I will be considered for Khel Ratna. I am already working on

THE KOLKATA PRO ALSO BECAME THE 19TH INDIAN GOLFER TO BAG THE ARJUNA AWARD, WHICH MAKES IT EXTRA SPECIAL

improving my game and I am sure if I keep performing consistently, clinching a Khel Ratna will not be impossible,” a motivated Chawrasia said.

Chawrasia’s career saw a massive turnaround in the last two years where he not only clinched the Hero Indian Open for two successive seasons but also won his maiden overseas title at the Resorts World Manila Masters.

The ever-smiling professional credited long-time friend and manager Sundeep Verma for the change in fortunes.

“I have been working with Sundeep for more than a year and it has helped improve my game besides, of course, my hard work and support from family. Family support is a must as it keeps you in a positive frame of mind and that helps you during tough conditions.”

Talking about his target for the season, the four-time European Tour winner said: “Target for this season is to end on top of the Asian Tour Order of Merit. I am playing three co-sanctioned European Tour events next to help boost my world ranking. That is going to help me get more invitations to premier tournaments.”

— Rohit Bhardwaj

Image: the tImes of IndIa

PLAYERS IN THE NEWS

Newsmakers

PGTI confers Lifetime Membership upon Lahiri

Price selects Anirban for Presidents Cup

A

nirban Lahiri will make his second appearance at the Presidents Cup later this month after International Team Captain Nick Price named the Indian as his captain’s selection.

Lahiri, the 2015 Asian Tour No. 1, will look for redemption when he represents Team International at the Liberty National Golf Club in New York from September 28 to October 1, 2017.

Lahiri made his Presidents Cup debut in 2015 and was left heartbroken when his birdie putt from three-feet, which would have earned his International Team a half point, lipped out on the 18th hole. The United States eventually claimed a 15.5 to 14.5 victory.

“Yeah, it’s been two years waiting… Obviously I’ve been wanting to get back on team ever since that day in Korea,” said

Lahiri. “I felt like I let the team down, and I feel like I need to go back out there and contribute to the winning cause… I feel like in the last two years, I’ve kind of grown as a player. I’ve definitely learned a lot, after having moved here, played here, and I feel like I’m ready to go back out there and make a positive difference to the team.

“I know personally what to expect. Because you have to experience it before you go out

“ANIRBAN, HE BRINGS AN AWFUL LOT TO THE TEAM. HIS CAMARADERIE AND SPIRIT AT THE LAST PRESIDENTS CUP WAS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL TOOK NOTICE OF “

— NICK PRICE, INTERNATIONAL TEAM CAPTAIN

there. So when you get to that first tee, it’s not a Thursday morning… It’s like the back nine on a Sunday when you’re in contention right from the first tee shot on Thursday. That’s the difference in attitude that you must have, and that’s what I have learned as well from my past experiences,” added Lahiri.

International Team Captain Price said Lahiri will play a pivotal role in the International Team.

“Anirban, he brings an awful lot to the team. His camaraderie and spirit at the last Presidents Cup was something that we all took notice of. He was wonderful in the team room and very enthusiastic, and he’s got a great heart. Honestly, it didn’t take us long to make the second decision, and probably one of the shortest conference calls I’ve ever been on in my life,” said Price.

The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) has conferred PGA Tour regular Anirban Lahiri with an Honorary Lifetime Membership. In a letter addressed to the 30-yearold golfer (a copy of which is with Golf Digest India), PGTI president Gautam Thapar wrote: “We greatly acknowledge your excellent achievements over the past several years in the field of golf, both within the country and internationally... on behalf of PGTI, with great pride and admiration, we are delighted to honour your dedicated service and commitment with the Honorary Membership of the association.”

Lahiri is the fourth golfer after Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal and SSP Chawrasia to be awarded an Honorary Membership

by PGTI.

Lahiri Leaps To 51st Spot In FedEx Cup Standings PGA Tour regular Anirban Lahiri jumped to an unprecedented 51st spot in the FedEx Cup standings following his tied ninth finish in the $8.75 million BMW Championship. Lahiri collected $236,250 (Rs 1.5 crore) for his effort but failed to qualify for the finale of the

FedEx Cup Playoffs that offers a $10 million bonus to the overall winner, spread across four events. The 30-year old also moved up 7 places to the 68th position in the Official World Golf Rankings.

No Indian has ever reached such a rank on the PGA Tour,

including Arjun Atwal, who became the first from the subcontinent to win in the US in 2010 (the Wyndham Championship). Lahiri has also made a huge improvement as a pro in his second year on Tour as he finished the 2015-16 season ranked 119th.

Earlier, Lahiri had sneaked into the BMW Championship by virtue of being in the top-70 of the FedEx Cup standings following a tied 56th finish in the Dell Technologies Championship. The result helped him earn US$19,600 (approx. Rs 12.56 lakh).

october 2017 | golf digest india

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Newsmakers 1982 Asian Games gold medallist Rishi Narain played steady golf to make a welcome return to the sport and win the selection trials for the Asia-Pacific Senior Amateur Championship to be held at the Royal Adelaide Golf Club from October 18 to 20.

The 55-year-old played rounds of 74, 75 and 76 (225) to win the qualifiers at the Greg Normandesigned Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort in Greater Noida, two strokes ahead of nearest competitor Gangesh Khaitan (227; 74-78-75).

The qualifier was open to the top15 finishers from the IGU All India Senior & Mid-Amateur tournament that took place at Prestige Golfshire in Bengaluru in June.

Rishi along with Gangesh, Vijay Kumar Bhadana (234), Sanjiv Kalra (239), Capt. KS Cheema (242) and Anil Jule (244) will represent the country at the multi-nation tournament.

Rishi tops qualifiers to book Adelaide ticket

Gangesh Khaitan

Rishi Narain

Asia-Pacific Senior Amateur, Adelaide, October 18-20 The 6-member Indian team qualified for the multi-nation event through the 3-day selection trials conducted by IGU at the Jaypee Greens, Greater Noida

KS Cheema

Anil Jule

40 golf digest india | october 2017

Vijay Bhadana

Sanjiv Kalra

Newsmakers Women’s Golf

Saaniya ends 25-month title drought Saaniya Sharma ended a 25-month long title drought by claiming the 11th leg of the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour last month.

The 31-year-old Chandigarh golfer, who is now among senior pros on the Indian women’s Tour, overcame a nervous patch at the start of the back nine before she steadied herself with a birdie amongst a series of pars in the last five holes. She carded two-over 73 for a total of five-over 218 at the challenging Hyderabad Golf Association course.

Saaniya, who is in her tenth year as a pro, was four shots clear of Amandeep Drall (75), whose second place helped her displace Gaurika Bishnoi from

the top of the Hero Order of Merit. Gaurika skipped the event this week.

It was Saaniya’s first win since the Coimbatore leg in August 2015 and also saw her rise to fourth place on the Hero Order of Merit.

GURSIMAR MAKES IT TWO IN A ROW Gursimar Badwal overcame a shaky start to register a second successive win in as many weeks as she won the Hero-KGA Women’s Pro Golf Championship on Friday. The 25-year-old Kapurthala golfer, who was two-over through the first six holes, completed a final day’s card of one-under 71 to finish her 54 holes in three-over 219 and win the title by three shots over amateur Pranavi Urs (70). Siddhi Kapoor (69) who had the day’s best card was third at 224.

Gursimar won last month at Prestige Golfshire and her win at the KGA makes her the third multiple winner on the Hero WPGT 2017.

Professional Golf Tour of India

Shamim Khan snatches victory with a sublime display

Seasoned professional Shamim Khan gave glimpses of his experience when he carded a sublime 7-under 63 in the final round to stay ahead of a bunched up leaderboard, including overnight leader Vikrant Chopra, and clinch the inaugural Jaipur Open presented by Rajasthan Tourism.

39-year-old Khan totaled 20-under 260 for the week to bag his second title of the season and extend his lead in the PGTI Order of Merit.

Honey Baisoya delivered an error-free final round of 65 to finish a stroke behind in the Rs 30 lakh event.

Vikrant Chopra, the leader for the first three rounds, entered the final round with a two-shot advantage and missed out on his maiden title after a last round of 69 that saw him drop to tied-third at 18-under 262.

Kolkata’s Viraj Madappa, who recorded the tournament’s best round of 9-under 61, and Lucknow’s Sanjeev Kumar (67), also took a share of third place.

Shamim, who won his 14th professional title in the Pink City, said, “I had a great start with couple of birdies on the first three holes. I then knew that a score of 7 to 8-under was possible and I did have a chance of climbing into contention.”

SHANKAR DAS RETURNS TO WINNING WAYS

Kolkata’s Shankar Das delivered a resolute final round performance of one-under 71 to triumph by one shot at the Kensville Open 2017 presented

by PGTI. Das, who signed off with a tournament total of 13-under 275 at the pristine Kensville Golf & Country Club in Ahmedabad on Friday, returned to winning ways after almost two years.

Noida’s Amardip Sinh Malik finished a close second at 12-under 276 having posted a fourth round score of one-under 71 at the Rs. 40 lakh event.

Delhi’s Shamim Khan (68) and Chandigarh’s Ajeetesh Sandhu (71) shared third place at nine-under 279.

Classy Udayan clinches TAKE Classic

Udayan Mane carded a classy 7-under 65 to stay clear of overnight leader Mukesh Kumar and Ajeetesh Sandhu to clinch the Rs 50 lakh TAKE Classic title on the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) circuit last month.

The Bengaluru lad, who recently shifted his base to the Kalhaar Blues & Greens golf course in Ahmedabad, walked away with his second title of the season with an overall total to 14-under 274. He collected Rs 7.5 lakh as his reward.

Chandigarh’s Ajeetesh Sandhu, who seemed a favourite for a major part of the final round, fell short by a stroke after posting 4-under 68.

Mhow veteran Mukesh Kumar slipped to third at 10-under 278 after shooting a last round of one-over 73.

Kolkata rookie Viraj Madappa claimed fourth place at 6-under 282. october 2017 | golf digest india

41

Newsmakers

Golden Eagles Set For Glamourous Return

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he Krishnapatnam Port Golden Eagles Golf Championship returns in 2017 with a bigger, more glamourous tour covering four cities, namely Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad and Delhi.

Launched in 2015, this exclusive, invite-only event will bring together Krishnapatnam Por t par tners, customers and business associates for a few memorable hours of sportsmanship.

The tournament will commence at the Prestige G olfshire, B engaluru, on November 4th, before moving to Oxford Golf Resort & Country Club, Pune, on the 11th, the Hyderabad Golf Association, Hyderabad, on the 18th, and then finally to Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort, Delhi, on December 3rd. Events in Pune, Hyderabad and Delhi will be followed by a gala dinner.

Golf and glamour have always gone hand-in-hand and our celebrity guests will embellish the occasion with their presence. 12-time Women’s Professional Golf Tour of India winner Sharmila Nicollet, television presenter Mandira Bedi, actor R. Madhavan, and India’s 1983 Cricket World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev will be attending the Championship this year.

R. Madhavan

Sharmila Nicollet

Kapil Dev

Mandira Bedi

Schedule November 4 Prestige Golfshire, Bengaluru November 11 Oxford Golf Resort & Country Club, Pune November 18 Hyderabad Golf Association, Hyderabad December 3 Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort, Delhi

Golfers will have the rare opportunity to play alongside Sharmila Nicollet in Bengaluru and Hyderabad while Mandira Bedi, R. Madhavan and Kapil Dev will be present at all four venues

42 golf digest india | october 2017

Newsmakers

Faldo Series India Primed For January Date ELIGIBILITY The top 10 ranked players on the IGU Merit List in each of the following categories (Boys: Under 16, 18 & 21.

Girls: Under 16 & 21) will compete for a coveted spot to represent India at the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final at Danang, Vietnam in March 2018.

Rashid Khan

T

Abhijit Chadha

he Faldo Series has announced it will hold an independent 3 round tournament January 8-11, 2018, at the Karnataka Golf Association Golf Course,Bengaluru as the Indian qualifier for the Asia Final. After many years of selection for the Faldo series being done from other IGU categorized events, this time it will be a stand-alone event and unique as boys & girls will compete at the same venue in keeping with practices followed in ever y other country. The tournament is sanctioned by IGU and will be technically conducted by IGU in all respects.

The Faldo Series is a leading junior program conceptualized by Sir Nick Faldo- one of golf ’s greatest champions. More than 7,000 young, talented golfers benefit

Arjun Prasad

“The Faldo Series Asia was my first international victory. That gave me a great platform to start my professional career the following year. The Faldo Series is a great initiative for young golfers to compete against the best amateurs in the world.”

— Abhijit Chadha from the program each year through a unique combination of tournament experience and expert advice from Sir Nick Faldo.

INDIAN WINNERS OF THE FALDO SERIES RASHID KHAN Rashid Khan is one of India’s budding golf talents. A regular on the Asian Tour, Rashid has clocked 2 wins and has won the PGTI Order of Merit on two occasions. He was part of India’s Asian Games Team which won a silver medal at the Asian Games.

ABHIJIT CHADHA Abhijit Chadha won the event in 2011 and it proved to be a

“The KGA is proud to host the Faldo Series – India Qualifier in January 2018. The KGA has had the privilege of playing host to prestigious tournaments like the Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy, The Indian Open, Louis Philippe Cup to name a few. We are confident that the challenging conditions of our course will be an ideal platform for these young golfers to prepare them to play at the Asia final. Wishing the future champions Happy Golfing at KGA.” — KGA President Sandeep Madhavan R

step in the right direction for him to embark on a successful professional career. Abhijit is a regular top-10 in the PGTI year-end Order of Merit.

Abhijit was Rashid Khan’s team mate when they won the silver medal at the Asian Games in 2010.

ARJUN PRASAD Arjun Prasad started playing golf at the Army Golf Club, New Delhi, and has embarked on a promising golfing career.

Winner of the Faldo Series in 2015, Arjun has since turned professional. In his first attempt on the Asian Tour this year, Arjun managed to break into the top-40 at the Q-School. He is playing on the Asian Tour and PGTI.

“We are pleased to announce that the Faldo Series India qualifier will be taking place early next year in Bengaluru. Many thanks to the Indian Golf Union for their support in promoting junior golf and the Karnataka Golf Association for hosting the event. Given how well Indians have fared in the past, we are looking forward to see this fresh talent pool showcase their golfing prowess” — Matthew Faldo

The series is supported by golf’s governing bodies the R&A, European Tour, Ladies European Tour, Asian Tour and Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation; 40 annual national qualifying tournaments now take place across 30 countries worldwide, across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North and South America.

Over the years, Indian junior golfers have tasted success at the Faldo Series. Rashid Khan won the Asian Finals twice, in 2007 and 2009, Abhijit Chadha in 2011, and - most recently Arjun Prasad in 2015. Notable winners of the Faldo series over the years have been superstars Rory McIlroy, Yani Tseng on the LPGA Tour, & young sensation Carly Booth.

The Faldo Series Asia will be marketed by Rishi Narain Sports Marketing.

“Faldo Series has become an important event in Asia.

With the enhance stature of the tournament in the region, it was time to make it a stand-alone event. The IGU is pleased to announce that the Faldo Series Asia will be a stand-alone tournament on the IGU categorized calendar with higher WAGR points. India has done well in the past editions of the FSA; where Rashid Khan, Abhijit Chadha and Arjun Prasad have all won. One day we expect to conduct the grand final in India which will provide a great opportunity for the juniors to interact with legendary golfer Sir Nick Faldo. “ — IGU President Wg. Cdr. Satish Aparajit

Kshitij wins Nomura Cup qualifiers Chandigarh’s Kshitij Naveed Kaul carded a best-of-five total of 13-under 347 at the par-72 Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort in Greater Noida to win the Indian Golf Union (IGU)-conducted selection trials for the Nomura Cup Amateur Team Championship

which will be held from November 9-12 at the Sungai Long Golf & Country Club in Malaysia.

The 17-year-old posted 10-under 422 (67-68-70-69-75-73) across six days. He was followed

by Varun Parikh 430 (74-67-7270-75-72) in second place. Aalap

IL won the third place in a threeway playoff with Kartik Sharma and Yuvraj Sandhu after the three scored a best-of-five tally of 361.

The IGU selection committee will select a four-member team for the Nomura Cup in due course of time.

Please read this space. october 2017 | golf digest india

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Junior Golf

Rayhan fires 9 straight birdies to equal world record

D

ubai-based Indian amateur Rayhan Thomas is shattering one record after the other. The 17-year-old added another milestone to his already illustrious CV when he shot nine consecutive birdies on the MENA Tour to equal the world record for an Official World Golf Rankings event.

The teenager began the birdie stretch at the second hole at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club during the second round of the Dubai Creek Open – a tournament where he is defending champion.

Eventually, Thomas carded a 10-under par 61 to equal the course record on his home track – the mark was set the previous day by Dubai resident MG Keyser.

Thomas’ nine birdies on the bounce equals the world record set by American Mark Calcavecchia at the 2009 RBC Canadian Open. Earlier this year, Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger fired nine consecutive birdies in the second round of the 2017 Maybank Championship in Malaysia but it was not officially recognised since preferred lies were in play because of wet conditions at Saujana Golf and Country in Kuala Lumpur.

Earlier, Rayhan also earned a spot in the inaugural Junior Presidents Cup by virtue of being a semifinalist at the US Junior Amateur. He led the International Team rankings for a decent period. The Junior Presidents Cup will be staged at Edison in New Jersey from September 24 to 26.

Meanwhile, Rayhan became the first Indian to make it to the last four stage of the US Junior Amateur - organised by the United States Golf Association (USGA) and previously won by Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth - before losing to Noah Goodwin in the semifinals.

No Indian player has ever made it this far in the tournament in the past.

ARAVVIR CONTINUES GOLDEN RUN Aravvir Bachal continued his golden run in the Little Master Junior Golf Tour 9-Hole Series Challenge after winning in the boys 7-8 category at the Tarudhan Valley Golf Resort in Gurgaon. He defeated Anay Bhattacharya to top the overall Medal Position in the tournament.

A total of 23 players

competed in the event organized by popular junior coach Faisal Qureshi in age divisions 7 to 14.

Purnayush Mangal won in the boys 11-13 section while Palakshi Sehrawat clinched top honours in the girls 9-10 class by virtue of sinking the maximum number of birdies on the day.

44 golf digest india | october 2017

Junior Presidents Cup Team USA: Garrett Barber, Akshay Bhatia, Jacob Bridgeman, Prescott Butler, Canon Claycomb, Noah Goodwin, Cole Hammer, Joe Highsmith, Eugene Hong, Turner Hosch, William Mouw, Trent Phillips.

Team International: Josh Armstrong (AUS), Luca Filippi (RSA), Garrick Higgo (RSA), Christo Lamprecht (RSA), Fred Lee (AUS), Sean Maruyama (JPN), Naraajie Emerald Ramadhan (IDN), Jayden Schaper (RSA), Rayhan Thomas (IND), Karl Vilips (AUS), Atiruj Winaicharoenchai (THA), Wocheng (Aden) Ye (CHN).

Junior Golf

KRISH, KRISHIV EXCEL IN WESTERN INDIA SUB-JUNIORS

Krish Patel and Krishiv Tekchandani impressed with their performances during the fourth and fifth legs of the IGU Western India Sub-Junior and Feeder Tour organised by Evolution Sport.

Krish defeated Mohnish Shah in a playoff to emerge winner in the boys category at the Gaekwad Baroda Golf Club. Both the kids were locked at 151 after two rounds.

Tanasha Patel took the honours in the girls category with an overall tally of 159. A total of 55 kids participated across various age groups.

At the Gulmohar Greens Country Club in Ahmedabad, Krishiv signed off with a total of 155 to emerge winner while Chelsea Thakkar was adjudged the girls category winner with a 2-day total of 171. 62 children took the challenge in the Gulmohar Greens event.

Top: Krish Patel pumps his fist after making the winning putt during his playoff against Mohnish Shah. Left: Winning kids in different age groups after completion of the IGU Western India Sub-Jr Meet at the Gaekwad Baroda Golf Club in Vadodara

Promising Junior

NISHNA PATEL

Nishna Patel began playing golf at the age of 7 at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club (BPGC) near her residence in Chembur. The 11-yearold has won 45 tournaments till date in various age groups with her latest triumph coming at the Albatross event at Prestige Golfshire in Bengaluru two months back following a brilliant overall score of 2-over par.

Nishna has been awarded the BPGC Ladies Golfer of the Year award for two consecutive seasons (2015-16 & 2016-17) for her consistent performances.

Coached by former women’s professional Mita Gowande, Nishna has not looked back and has won many club and local tournaments including Western India Golf Association, Albatross, medal rounds and feeder tours.

She also had an opportunity to play as a team with pros like Sharmila Nicollet & Amandeep.

Last year she played in ‘D’ category at IGU Nationals & was ranked No.1 in her category.

The youngster practices for around 15-20 hours a week and follows it up with nutrition and fitness.

The St. Gregorios High School student also excels in Kathak, Classical Singing and painting.

11-year-old Nishna has won 45 tournaments till date in various age categories

october 2017 | golf digest india

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Across The Country

CLUB ROUND UP To share news on your club or updates from across the country, please email rohit@teamgolfdigest.com

Serving Golfers Better

Qutub GC gets new Club Fitting Studio The National Capital got its first-ever Club Fitting Studio last month when four-time European Tour winner SSP Chawrasia inaugurated the facility at the Qutub Golf Club in Lado Sarai.

The two-time Hero Indian Open champion made a short visit to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) managed public course just after receiving the Arjuna Award by President of India Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The Studio is being operated by his long-time friend Sundeep Verma, who was also his manager during the Rio Olympic Games last year. Verma has been fitting clubs for some of the top Indian pros including the likes of Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa,

Shiv Kapur, Anirban Lahiri, Himmat Rai and Gaganjeet Bhullar.

Chimmy’s Club Fitting Studio, located right next to the driving range at Qutub GC, will offer a golfer the ultimate custom fitting experience. The facitlity uses Mitchell Clubfitting and club making equipment to customize clubs besides using the services of Trackman, foresight and flightscope launch monitors.

The studio also offers repair services – regripping, reshafting,

frequency matching golf shafts, swing weight customization and spine alignment of golf shafts etc.

Top brands like Calllaway, TaylorMade, Ping, Titleist, PXG, Mizuno, etc. are available.

Speaking about the increasing interest about club fitting among professionals, Chawrasia said: “Club fitting was relatively unknown when I started playing as a pro. As more and more professionals competed overseas, their knowledge improved. If such a thing existed

CHIMMY’S CLUB FITTING STUDIO, LOCATED RIGHT NEXT TO THE DRIVING RANGE AT QUTUB GC, WILL OFFER A GOLFER THE ULTIMATE CUSTOM FITTING EXPERIENCE BESIDES REPAIR SERVICES...

20 years ago, our golfers would have performed far better internationally.

“It’s a great thing to have a Club Fitting studio in Delhi.

To compete with top pros you need to have customized clubs.

The weight of the stick and the length of the shaft etc. should be modified according to one’s swing, posture and body weight.

All these things help you drive better and achieve better results.”

The 39-year-old has started a foundation in his name at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club to support talented kids. Chawrasia had also sponsored return tickets to USA for kids who had qualified for the US Kids World Golf Championship (held at Pinehurst, North Carolina).

Girl Power

Hero Women’s Indian Open returns to DLF Golf & Country Club

The Gary Player-designed DLF Golf & Country Club is set to stage the prestigious US $400,000 Hero women’s Indian Open from November 10 to 12. Last edition of the event saw a worthy Indian winner in Aditi Ashok, who went on to qualify for the lucrative LPGA Tour in America.

A star-studded field of Ladies European Tour players will showcase their skills on the Black Knight course.

46 golf digest india | october 2017

Across The Country

Travel Diary

DLF course member enjoys Hawaii outing

DLF Golf & Country Club member Mukta Malhotra had the opportunity to play two prestigious courses Wailea Golf Club in Maui and Kapalua Plantation Course during her recent visit to the island of Maui in Hawaii. Over the course of her 6-day stay in the tropical nation, she enjoyed lo cal cuisine s and playing on both the scenic courses.

DLF Golf & Country Club member Mukta Malhotra

Wailea Golf Club on the Hawaii island of Maui is one of the most scenic course in the region

Fanfare

7th edition of Panasonic Open to be staged in November

The historic Delhi Golf Club will stage the US $400,000 Panasonic Open India from November 2 to 5. The seventh edition of the popular event, sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), is likely to witness a strong Indian presence.

The event has produced 5 Indian winners since the inaugural edition in 2011 including the likes of Anirban Lahiri, Digvijay Singh, Wade Ormsby of Australia, the only international player to win the tournament, SSP Chawrasia, Chiragh Kumar and the defending champion Mukesh Kumar.

As part of the second leg of the Panasonic Swing, which is an aggregate points race that spans five events – in Thailand, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan – the Asian Tour players have an opportunity to shoot for a share of the lucrative bonus pool.

Varun Khanna of Digraj Golf (extreme left) and Anirudh Arun of Golfication (2nd from right) with the winners of the New Golfers League second round

Welcome Initiative

Gurgaon clubs host New Golfers League

Defending champion Mukesh Kumar became the oldest golfer to win a Asian Tour title last year at the age of 51 years

Golden Greens Golf Club and Classic Golf Resort hosted the first-ever New Golfers League last month launched by Golfication and Digraj Golf. The league is aimed at providing playing opportunities to golfers who’ve just learnt the sport.

The event aspires to help new golfers ease into the world of golf by providing a fun, non-judgmental, yet educative golfing environment. Played on top courses, the league will also offer them a chance to make new friends while experiencing their first taste of competitive golf.

The trial “pay and play” games held at the Golden Greens GC and Classic Golf Resort were well received by the participants. The players experience included a presentation on basic rules, etiquette, protocol and courtesies associated with the sport.

Just before the round they received basic warm-up and golf specific drills from fitness specialist, Gautam Malhotra. The round on the course included skill based encouragement prizes and also score based awards for juniors, beginners above 18 years of age, and also those who have managed to get a handicap. october 2017 | golf digest india

47

Business of Golf

Bombay Presidency Gets A Big Makeover

The 11th hole after undergoing renovation

Bunker renovation on the 11th hole

T

he Bombay Presidency Golf Club (BP GC) got a huge makeover when five of its 18 holes were re-laid to put its waterlogging problems to rest. The issues of poor drainage and soggy fairways have long been encountered by BPGC which contributed to poor playing conditions, either with balls plugging in the muck or thin and unhealthy turf on the surface.

In the able leadership of captain A s h i s h C h e m b u r k a r, t h e B P G C management decided to relay the fairways for Hole No.s 11, 12, 13, 14 & 15.

Following the work, the establishment of the playing areas took place during monsoon. Rolling of areas and topdressing was done vigorously to aid in a smooth finished surface.

At the same time BPGC added other

48 golf digest india | october 2017

Layer of gravel being applied for better drainage during rains

The solution provided was the following: • Each hole was surveyed and each poorly draining area identified • In the areas of play the turf was removed to the side • The surfaces were restored to the required contours for slope and surface drainage 180mm below finish grade • A 50mm layer of gravel was laid on the restored base • A layer of coir mat was applied over the gravel for stabilisation • A sand layer was installed over the coir mat at a depth of approximately 170mm • The turf was then replaced over the area restored

improvements in this area such as: bunker renovation, planting 200 trees, adding additional landscape features and making improvements to the halfway hut.

The entire project took 3 months to complete. Independent golf designer and consultant David Brinkle and BPGC greenkeeper Dr RP Singh led the project to completion. The landscaping was done by architect Vinay Gajakos with Continental Constructions undertaking the earthwork and grading.

“The newly laid course drains water within 45 minutes after a heavy downpour. It allows heavy maintenance machinery on the course within 24 hours of rain. Provides better lies for golfers and also provides a healthier medium for the turf,” Chemburkar told Golf Digest India.

Business of Golf

Live Coverage for World Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

T

he World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum’s 2017 Induction Ceremony is to be staged at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City the week of the Presidents Cup. The event on September 26 will be emceed by Golf Channel host Cara Robinson.

The Induction Ceremony will be televised live on Golf Channel within Golf Central’s Live From the Presidents Cup. Five members will be inducted to the Hall of Fame

Davis Love III

during the ceremony – Davis Love III, Meg Mallon, Lorena Ochoa Reyes, Ian Woosnam and the late Henry Longhurst.

Love is a former PGA champion with 20 career PGA Tour victories. Mallon won

THE INDUCTION CEREMONY WILL BE TELEVISED LIVE ON GOLF CHANNEL DURING THE PRESIDENTS CUP FIRST ROUND. Lorena Ochoa

Vadodara to get new golf course in March 2018 One of the most historic cities of Gujarat, Vadodara, is all set to get its first nine-hole par 36 golf course next March. The Kensafari Golf Course, a residential golf project, is designed by Bob Hunt of UK - IDG (International Design Group). It will be a challenging 3100 yards golf course strewn with water bodies, bunkers roughs and

a lake spread over 2 lakh sq. ft.

Kensafari Golf Course will house various facilities to cater to the needs of the avid golfer. There will be multiple driving bays for the player to warm-up and a coach will be present too. There’s also a spacious clubhouse with a fully stocked Pro Shop that will cater to everyday needs. Furthermore, for the busy golfer, night golfing facilities are available.

18 times on the LPGA Tour, including four Majors. Ochoa won 27 times and two Majors when she retired at No. 1 in the world. Woosnam is a former World No. 1 who won the Masters in 1991. “ We a r e t h r i l l e d t o announce Cara Robinson as the emcee for the 2017 Induction C e r e m o n y, which will be held in one of the world’s most electric, international cities,” said Jack Peter, President of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Ian Woosnam

LPGA FORCED TO CANCEL CHINA TOURNAMENT The LPGA has been forced to cancel a tournament in China less than one month before its scheduled start after failure to receive approval from the local government.

The Alisports LPGA tournament was scheduled to take place from October 5-8.

Mike Whan, the LPGA Commissioner, released a statement which said: “Unfortunately, we have just received word that the tournament was unsuccessful in obtaining approval from the local district government.

“The hardest part about this news is that we have a title sponsor, a tournament operator, a TV production group and a host venue all set to go.

“However, in China, sporting events of this nature cannot take place without approvals at multiple levels – and the local approval was denied.”

It’s the second time in three years that the tournament, previously known as the Reignwood LPGA Classic, has been cancelled.

TOURISM MINISTER RECEIVES GIA REPORT

L-R: Minister of Tourism (State - Independent Charge) Alphons Kannanthanam receives the Golf Industry Association (GIA) Research Report from GIA Board Members Anit Mehrotra, Karan Bindra and PK Bhattacharya

october 2017 | golf digest india

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Business of Golf

India Golf Expo Moves To Bengaluru

Glimpses of the 6th Annual India Golf Expo which was held on April 20-21 at DLF Club 5 in Gurgaon earlier this year

T

The 7th edition of the annual India Golf Expo will be staged at the Lalit Ashok in Bengaluru on April 19 & 20 next year.

Over the years, the event has witnessed more than 500 delegates, over 2500 visitor walk-ins and more than 50 national/international exhibitors.

The two - day event is organized under the aegis of Golf Industry Association (GIA) and is sanctioned by the Indian Golf Union (IGU). Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) and Golf Course Superintendents & Managers Association of India (GCS&MAI) have also lent their support to the Expo.

During the event a

50 golf digest india | october 2017

large panel of experts from various parts of the world will participate in several seminars and conferences.

Workshops will be organized on maintenance techniques, turf grass science and club management.

The o ccasion is als o utilized to recognize t h e e f f o r t s o f va r i o u s organisations working

towards the growth of the Indian golf industry through the GIA Awards.

Heavy maintenance golf product brands like TORO, Greenman, John D eere, Jacobsen, Redexim, and RainBird will be present during the Expo along with top course design firms like Pacific Coast Design, Ernie Els Design and SGDC.

Growing The Game

Golf Bodies, Clubs, Coaches and Star Players come together for India Learn Golf Week

F

or the first time in the history of Indian Golf, as many as five industry bodies, star Asian Tour professionals like Gaganjeet Bhullar and Rahil Gangjee along with 28 golf clubs across 16 Indian cities, have come together to lend their support to a unique initiative that will help grow the sport in the country.

The India Learn Golf Week (ILGW), a weeklong programme scheduled between September 25-October 1, 2017, will be an initiative of the Golf Industry Association (GIA) in partnership with the Indian Golf Union (IGU), the Women’s Golf Association of India (WGAI), the National Golf Association of India (NGAI), Golf Course Superintendents and Managers Association of India (GCS &MAI) as well as the globally acclaimed Professional Golfers Association (PGA) of America.

52 golf digest india | october 2017

The ILGW will aim to initiate 28,000 new golfers to the game, making it the largest such initiative to infuse new talent into the sport at one go.

THE ILGW WILL AIM TO ATTRACT

100,000

NEW GOLFERS OVER A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS

How it will play out

Participating clubs will assign coaches for each of the seven days to deliver introductory golfing lessons from curricula approved by the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) of America. Each coach will have five students in a session and will conduct five sessions in a day. The ILGW will be open to all interested.

Registration process For online registration you can click on: www.totalgolfhub.com/events/ilgw

Golf has seen considerable growth in the country in recent times - international successes and inclusion in the Olympic games have helped raise the profile of the game considerably. At the moment, there are about 300 professional golfers who play under the Indian flag at various levels.

Growing The Game

Participating Clubs September 25 to October 1

supported by

2 1. L-R: WGAI COO Vivek Sharma, GIA director Anit Mehrotra, IGU Hony. Secy. Lt. Gen. AKS Chandele, NGAI director Karan Bindra and RNSM MD Rishi Narain.

2. IGU Hony. Secy. Lt. Gen. AKS Chandele interacts with the media after the conference.

1

3. Media gathering for the India Learn Golf Week launch conference at the Press Club in New Delhi

3

All the Industry bodies have had a plan to work together for a while now and we are glad that the India Learn Golf Week has given us this opportunity finally. I hope that we can make it a big success. We are trying to build this proposition as a strong base for finding golfing talent in India.

— Devang D. Shah, President, GIA

This initiative is also going to help in the growth of women’s golf in the country. We have one Aditi Ashok in our country and ILGW will create the platform for more youngsters to come and join the game.

—Vivek Sharma, COO, WGAI

At the time of going into print

Name of Golf Club/Golf Facility

City

Gulmohar Greens Golf & Country Club

Ahmedabad

Kalhaar Blues & Greens

Ahmedabad

Kensville Golf & Country Club

Ahmedabad

Eagleton Golf Resorts

Bengaluru

Karnataka Golf Association

Bengaluru

Prestige Golfshire

Bengaluru

Zion Hills

Bengaluru

Bhubneshwar Golf Club

Bhubaneswar

Golden Greens

Gurgaon

Hamoni Driving Range

Gurgaon

DLF Golf and Country Club

Gurgaon

Tarudhan Valley

Gurgaon

Karma Lakeland

Gurgaon

Hyderabad Golf Association

Hyderabad

Rambagh Golf Club

Jaipur

Royal Jaipur Golf Club

Jaipur

Golmuri Golf Club

Jamshedpur

Eco Park Driving Range

Kolkata

The Palms Golf Club and Resort

Lucknow

Imperial Golf Estate

Ludhiana

Bombay Presidency Golf Club

Mumbai

Golden Swan Country Club

Mumbai

Karnataka Golf Association

Bengaluru

Siri Fort Driving Range

New Delhi

Jaypee Greens Golf Resort

Noida

Panchkula Golf Club

Panchkula

Oxford Golf & Country Club

Pune

Poona Golf Club

Pune

Shillong Golf Club

Shillong

There has been overwhelming response to the Golf Week from across the country and we are now working to exceed the target.

I think with the success of players like Anirban, SSP, Aditi and Ganganjeet in recent times, the excitement around the sport is at an all time high. The ILGW will be a great opportunity for youngsters to ride this wave and bring glory to the country.

— Wg. Cdr. Satish Aparajit, President, IGU

India Learn Golf Week is a great initiative for introducing players to the game. Being a catalyst for growth of golf, undoubtly there will be a surge of Olympic aspirants in the game for all age groups and sports persons from other sports as well

— Champika N Sayal, Secretary General, WGAI october 2017 | golf digest india

53

Corporate Digest Mashal Sports founder and commentator Charu Sharma (L) & ex-cricketer Syed Kirmani

Founder Antonio, PurpleYo Coerji, Eva and Chairman Amit Ban and & PurpleYo Co-Founder n Chopra Managing Director Kara

ITC Gardenia F&B Manager Bikram S. Bajwa & ITC Gardenia General Manager Amaan R. Kidwai

SIZZLING GOLF NIGHT IN BENGALURU

T

Praveen Sood & Vinita Sood

54 golf digest india | october 2017

he who’s who of Bengaluru enjoyed a sizzling golf night with the live telecast of the final round of the 146th British Open Championship, the oldest Major, on a giant LED screen. The British Open, a US $9.3 million event, is the ‘Wimbledon’ of golf.

The 9th edition of the annual golfthemed wine & dine event in Bengaluru called After Hours Golf was staged at ITC Gardenia by Amaan R. Kidwai, General Manager (ITC Gardenia) and PurpleYo co-founders Karan Chopra & Amit Banerji.

Jaya Virwani & KGA president Sandeep Madhavan Prominent personalities in attendance included Commissioner of Police Praveen Sood, honourable Consul General of Netherlands Irfan Vazirally, Mashal Sports founder and le ading commentator Charu Sharma, HewlettPackard’s Naresh Shah and legendary cricketer Syed Kirmani amongst others.

It was a fun filled evening with lots of lucky draw prizes for the Consul General of Netherlands Irfan Vazirally (L) guests, good food and & Featherlite Director Kush Jawahar great company!

Corporate Digest L-R: Venita Vohra, PurpleYo Director Anamika Gupta & Karan Chopra

Anjanna Lamba & Sabrina Khergamwala L-R: ITC Gardenia GM Amaan R. Kidwai & RNSM MD Rishi Narain

& Lina Chanchani Lalita Shahani, Arti Sud Naresh Shah with his wife

L-R: Indur Hirani, Suresh Hinduja & V. Prakash

NetApp President India and SAARC region Anil Valluri (L) & Mohit Gupta

Venu Madhav A. (L) & Anand Menon

L-R: Amit Banerji, Anamika

Gupta & Karan Chopra of PurpleYo

october 2017 | golf digest india

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Corporate Digest

J&K Tourism ignites golfing passion in The Valley (L-R) Altaf Kaloo, MLA Pahalgam Naeem Akhtar (L-R) DP Singh, Mushtaq Burza, MY KHan, Shafi Trumboo, Hussain Malik, Mahmood Shah, JJ Singh, Anupama Singh, Shabir Bhat

A

ll apprehensions about security were put to rest when golf returned to Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) with much fanfare and hoopla with the two-day ‘Golfing In Paradise’ event organized by J&K Tourism and SARA Group.

The event saw 50 corporate golfers travel to Kashmir to participate in the event

which included rounds at the picturesque Pahalgam Golf Club on August 26 and Royal Springs Golf Club in Srinagar the next day.

The participants gorged up on lavish Kashmiri cuisines like Rista, Goshtaba, Modur Pulav, Waazwan and Dum Aloo besides enjoying an enchanting folk musical evening in Pahalgam.

(L-R) SL Kapur, Deepak Gupta, Balwinder Kumar, Mukhmeet Singh Bhatia, Virender Ganda

56 golf digest india | october 2017

l-R0 Maninder Singh, YP Mahajan, Inderjit Singh, HS Bhullar

Corporate Digest Golf Clinic

The prominent personalities who graced the event were former Chief Minister of J&K Farooq Abdullah, current J&K Minister of Public Works Naeem Akhtar, Mushtaq Simnani (CEO, Pahalgam Development Authority), Mushtaq A Burza (Pre sident, J&K Tourism Association), Sarmand Hafiz (MD, J&K Tourism Development Corporation), Pradeep Jain (Chairman, Silverglades), Ramesh Bawa (MD & CEO, IL&FS Financial Services), Gurnam Arora (Joint MD, Kohinoor Foods Ltd.) and SARA Group MD D.P. Singh.

The competitors had a luxurious stay at the ITC Pine N Peak in Pahalgam and in Srinagar at the ITC Fortune and Four Points by Sheraton Hotels.

HGS Dhaliwal

(L-R) Vipin Malik, HGS Dhaliwal, Charu Narain, Vicky Shaw, Shiv Kapur, Ravinder Zutshi (2)

(L-R) JJ Singh,RK Khanna,Pradeep Jain, Abha Jain, Madhu Arora, Gurnam Arora, Asha Kiran, RC Bawa (L-R) Deepit SIngh, Aman Sawhney, Rishi Narain

october 2017 | golf digest india

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Corporate Digest

L-R: Priya Sethi, Minister of State for Tourism, Jammu & Kashmir.

Artists presenting folk music during the ‘Golfing In Paradise’ event in Pahalgam. Former Chief Minister of J&K, Farooque Abdullah, renders a Ghazal in his silken voice

PAHALGAM GOLF CLUB RESULT Prize Category

Names

WINNER CAT - A (2-14)

KHURRAM KURSHID

WINNER CAT - B (15-24)

SHEIKH NASEER

RUNNER UP CAT - A (2-14)

YP MAHAJAN

RUNNER UP CAT - B (15-24)

INDERJIT SINGH

BEST LADY GOLER

ANUPAMA SINGH L-R: DP Singh, Abha Singh & Abha Jain

Naeem Akhtar(L) & M Y Bhat

ROYAL SPRING GOLF COURSE RESULT Prize Category

Names

WINNER CAT - A (2-14)

ZUBAIL ZARGAR

WINNER CAT - B (15-24)

RAVI BURMAN

RUNNER UP CAT - A (2-14)

M. K. TRISAL

RUNNER UP CAT - B (15-24)

B B SHARMA

BEST LADY GOLER

ABHA JAIN

Naeem Akhtar(L) & Mushtaq Burza

RNSM MD Rishi Narain (R) presents the GIA Research Report to J&K Tourism officials Mahmood Shah (C) and Rizwan

58 golf digest india | october 2017

DP Singh(L) & Mohd. Hussain Malik (Commissioner of J&K Tourism Department)

DP Singh(L) & Sarmad Hafiz

Naeem Akhtar(L) & Shiv Kapur

Corporate Digest

Volvo World Golf Challenge Returns With 9 City Series

T

he Indian corporate golf season is more hectic than ever before: come October, and its time for the Volvo World Golf Challenge - India. The much-awaited tournament, now into its fifth season, will add rounds in Jaipur, Lucknow and Pune.

The event will tee off in Jaipur - Rambagh Golf Course is where the first leg scheduled to be staged - and the format of play has been changed to “Double Peoria”; handicaps will be adjusted on the “Double Peoria” System using “12 hidden holes”.

This promises to be a memorable year for Volvo, the premium car manufacturer, who celebrate their 90th anniversary. The first Volvo car drove out of the factory gate in Gothenburg, Sweden, on 14 April 1927. Today, Volvo is one of the most reputed and respected brands in the world, with the safest cars ever made, and sold in about one hundred countries.

Two winners from the qualifying round in each city will compete in the National Final in Bengaluru while two winners from the National Final will represent Team India in the World Finals that will be held in South Africa.

VOLVO WORLD GOLF CHALLENGE - 2017 Proposed Event Dates DATE

CITY

CLUB

7th Oct

Jaipur

Rambagh Golf Club

13th Oct

Delhi/NCR

Jaypee Greens Golf Resort

3rd Nov

Chandigarh

Panchkula Golf Course

10th Nov

Lucknow

18th Nov

Ahmedabad

24th Nov

Pune

Palms Golf Club & Resort Kalhaar Blues & Greens Oxford Golf Resort

1st Dec

Mumbai

8th Dec

Hyderabad

Hyderabad Golf Association

15th Dec

Bangalore

Prestige Golfshire

16th Dec

NATIONAL FINAL

Volvo S90

Willingdon Sports Club

BANGALORE

Volvo XC90

Volvo V90 Cross Country

october 2017 | golf digest india

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Hi-Life Lifestyle

To share news on your products or updates on new launches, please email rohit@teamgolfdigest.com

EYEWEAR

ADD THRILL TO YOUR STYLE

The world’s most popular eyewear brand, Ray-Ban, have come up with a Formula One range of sunglasses after signing a high-profile sponsorship agreement with Scuderia Ferrari. The Ray-Ban logo now appears on the Ferrari SF70H racing car. Ferrari drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel will be seen sporting the collection during the remainder of the 2017 Formula One season.

Tackling the curves from the inside, this unique collection echoes the aerodynamic design, materials and the colours of the Scuderia Ferrari, transforming the blazing Ferrari red and Modena yellow, gleaming metal and black rubber of the racing legend’s cars into a signature eyewear range. From the world’s most advanced lenses to ultra-light carbon fiber, super strong steel and impact absorbing rubber, these frames have everything it takes to reach top performance.

Live the passion and power of Formula One with the legendary Prancing Horse.

Price: Rs 8000 to Rs 16000 Availability: Sunglass Hut and Ray-Ban.com

ACCESSORIES

BIT OF GLITZ & GLAM

Women golfers have been waiting for such a collection to enhance their appearance off the course. The Victoria Collection of adaptable day bags for women from Victorinox is adorned with a chic metallic look. The striking new colours of rose gold, silver and gold are set to appeal to women who like to stand out from the crowd and celebrate life with a stylish touch of glitz.

The ultra-feminine woman may go for rose gold, the elegantly cool for silver and the bold for gold.

Whatever the choice, the metallic hues provide a sparkling wake-up for all fashion ensembles.

What’s more, metallic does not need to be color coordinated with one’s wardrobe. They are a perfect match for any outfit.

Price: On request Availability: Gute Reise Stores

60 golf digest india | october 2017

L-R: Ferrari F1 drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel

Lifestyle

Specifications Display

16.05cm (6.3”) Quad HD+ Super AMOLED, 2960x1440 (521ppi)

Camera

Rear: Dual Camera with Dual OIS, Wide-angle 12MP Dual Pixel AF, 2X optical zoom, up to 10X digital zoom Front: 8MP AF, F1.7

AP

Octa core (2.3GHz Quad + 1.7GHz Quad)

Memory

6GB RAM (LPDDR4), 64GB

SIM Card

Hybrid: one Nano SIM and one Nano SIM or one MicroSD slot (up to 256GB)

Battery

3,300 mAH

OS

Android 7.1

Price: Rs 67,900 (Cashback Rs 4000 if purchased using HDFC Credit Card) Availability: Samsung Retail Stores & Amazon.in

GADGETS

NOTE WORTHY SMARTPHONE Two electronic giants – Apple and Samsung – are going head-tohead in terms of innovation and multimedia features to capture the sub-continent’s market share with their offerings. Samsung Electronics have launched the Note8 version to counter Apple’s

iPhone8 and X. Samsung will also introduce Bixby Voice capabilities with ‘Make for India’ innovations in its intelligent interface Bixby in the next few weeks. Bixby will be available on Galaxy Note8, Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ devices.

With Galaxy Note8, consumers get a big, immersive Infinity Display that fits comfortably in one hand, S Pen to communicate in more personal ways, and Samsung’s best-ever true Dual Camera with dual Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) to capture

stunning photos in all conditions.

The incredible Note series will also come with Samsung’s defense-grade security platform Samsung Knox, making it the most desirable smartphone available in the market. Note8 has wireless charging capabilities too.

FASHION

NEW GOLF CLUBWEAR RANGE LAUNCHED

Christine Storm, the famed recording artist and designer, launched her signature golf & resort women’s wear collection in the national capital last month. The event co-hosted by Rajeev Anand witnessed prominent names from fashion & sports industry in attendance.

The guest list for the evening comprised of personalities from different fields such as artist Sudip Roy, socialite Neelam Pratap Rudy, former India Women’s cricket team captain Anjum Chopra, Kathak dancer Shovana Narayan, Consul General of the Comoros K L Ganju, make-up artist Aashmine Munjal, interior designer Punam Kalra, choreographer Liza Varma and oncologist Dr. Meenu Walia to name a few.

The signature golf and resort line comprised dresses, trousers, shirts in varied colours and cuts which can be worn both on the course and during an evening get-together. But what differentiates her line is the use of shimmer to up the glitz quotient at the clubhouse.

For info & pricing, please visit www.christinestorm.com

L-R: Socialite Neelam Pratap Rudy, designer Christine Storm and former India cricket captain Anjum Chopra during the launch

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On the Asian Tour Gaganjeet Bhullar won two titles on the Asian Tour last season

For Bhullar Asian Tour is his ‘home’ I Indian star Gaganjeet Bhullar is proud to call the Asian Tour his ‘home’, the Tour which gave him the platform to rise in his career.

Bhullar joined the Asian Tour in 2006 and enjoyed a highly successful career where he notched five Asian Tour victories before the age of 26. A ligament tear in his left wrist in 2014 curtailed his career but he bounced back in style.

He ended a three-year title drought by winning the 2016 Shinhan Donghae Open.

He also won the Indonesia Open last year for his seventh Asian Tour title.

“The Asian Tour means home to me,” said the 29-year-old Bhullar. “This is the place where I started playing golf. I have competed on this Tour for the last 10 years and I have won seven times. It’s a great sense of achievement for me.”

“Everyone is so friendly and without the things that I learned on Tour, I wouldn’t have gone anywhere in my life. Playing on Tour has given me confidence and has helped

grow my game on the international level,” Bhullar added.

“The Asian Tour is no longer a secondary Tour. It’s a premier tour and I think the future is really bright. We have a lot of youngsters coming through… these guys will make some noise,” he said.

The Indian, who was also honoured with the Arjuna Award in 2013, said it his passion in golf which continues to drive him to success.

“I think it’s the passion. It’s the drive which I have to attain success and achieve my goal. I still get nervous when I step on the tee box on Thursday of tournament weeks. I enjoy that adrenaline rush. It is something which keeps me going and it is something that I have to learn to cope with for the rest of my life,” Bhullar explained.

After playing against the best in the world of golf, Bhullar believes the Asian Tour can

provide him with the springboard to play his way onto the European Tour and PGA Tour.

“You get to play with a lot of good names on the Asian Tour. You get the best players of Japan, the best players of the European Tour and with the CIMB Classic being a PGA Tour event, you get to play against players from the United States. Getting into the World Golf Championships are also great opportunities we get through playing on the Asian Tour.

“I played two solid years on the European Tour before I injured my wrist and subsequently lost my status. I am feeling confident and given the way I performed last year, gaining back my card in Europe is definitely on the back of my mind.

“But having said that, my ultimate aim is definitely to play on the PGA Tour. I am going to work really hard. I’m working really hard. I have got a new coach and a new team to support me. Everybody’s giving their hundred percent and I think now it’s time for me to deliver on the bigger stage,” said Bhullar.

BHULLAR BELIEVES ASIAN TOUR CAN PROVIDE HIM WITH THE SPRINGBOARD TO PLAY HIS WAY ONTO EUROPEAN TOUR

62 golf digest india | october 2017

On the Asian Tour

Jeunghun Wang is one of the rising stars emerging out of South Korea

WANG CREDITS RISE TO FORMATIVE YEARS ON ASIAN TOUR

T

he sky is the limit for Korea’s Jeunghun Wang.

Touted as one of Asia’s emerging stars, the talented 21-year-old has played his way into golf’s annals with several memorable victories around the world.

By securing back-to-back titles at the Trophee Hassan II Tournament in Morocco and AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in 2016, Wang became the youngest golfer in European Tour history to triumph in successive weeks at the age of 20 years and 251 days.

In achieving a career milestone, the slender Asian Tour star also became the first Asian to win back-to-back tournaments on the European Tour.

He went on to claim another huge victory at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters earlier this season to further cement his growing reputation as a player to watch on the big stage.

In addition, Wang’s trophy cabinet at his home in Seoul also includes the prestigious Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award which he picked up at the end of last season.

Staying true to his roots, Wang fondly remembers how his career flourished after cutting his professional teeth on the Asian Tour. To him, the Asian Tour is a place he

calls home as it had provided him with the platform to propel his career.

“I learnt a lot of things on the Asian Tour.

I learned from many great players. This is actually where I started from… I’m so honoured that I started from Asian Tour,” said Wang during the filming of the Tour’s #whereitsAT phase two video promo campaign.

His journey as a professional golfer did not quite start off as smoothly as he had envisioned. Numerous missed cuts and a bitter defeat at the 2014 Dubai Open where he had led with one hole remaining proved to be painful experiences. However, he used those difficult times to become stronger.

“In 2013 I kept missing cuts. That was my saddest moment,” said the Korean, who

“I LEARNT A LOT OF THINGS ON THE ASIAN TOUR. I LEARNED FROM MANY GREAT PLAYERS. THIS IS ACTUALLY WHERE I STARTED FROM… I’M SO HONOURED THAT I STARTED FROM ASIAN TOUR.” — JEUNGHUN WANG

turned professional in 2012 and is coached by his father. “Losing the Dubai Open was also difficult but it made me a better and stronger golfer.”

Many aspiring players would have been discouraged but Wang picked himself up and learned from other top players on the Asian Tour. “I like to watch and learn from the good players and watch their swings,” he said.

“I think Asian Tour players are really good. I love their short game and long game skills. I think they are really great players.

There are a lot of opportunities on the Asian Tour. I’m so honoured that I started from this Tour.”

In 2014, Wang did not miss a single cut from 16 starts and earned the captain’s pick to represent Team Asia in the 2016 EurAsia Cup. It was at the biennial team event that the likes Jeev Milkha Singh and Anirban Lahiri predicted that Wang could go on to become a Major winner. Subsequently, he broke through in Morocco and Mauritius in May. “The Asian Tour is my home Tour and I think it’s one of the best tours in the world,” he said.

october 2017 | golf digest india

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On the Asian Tour

Richard Makes Dynamic Comeback

C

anada’s Richard T. L ee completed his remarkable comeback from injuries by overcoming a two-shot deficit to win the Shinahan Donghae Open by one shot.

Lee’s final round of 5-under par 66 was enough to see him lift his second Asian Tour title at the expense of Malaysia’s Gavin Green, who had to settle for second place after he had started the day with the lead.

Lee’s career had appeared to be in freefall with his Asian Tour card seemingly lost after he suffered from a dislocated shoulder and muscle spasm and was left without a win for three years.

But his resolve to win again saw him return to Korea early to practice where he played on the Bear’s Best Cheongna Golf Club for at least six times before the tournament got underway.

Lee’s efforts were finally rewarded when he posted rounds of 68, 71, 68 and 66 to lift the Shinhan Donghae Open trophy with his winning total of 11-under 273.

“I’m going to remember this win for a very long time especially after coming off with injuries and working on my game from scratch again. So this win definitely means a lot. I started to feel right in my game after Fiji. I came back to Korea and played this course at least six times with Jeunghun Wang. I’m lucky to have a good player to practice with. I practiced really hard and I won this tournament. When I started the round today, I wanted to shoot six-under but I got the job done with five-under which was great,” Lee said later.

Green meanwhile remained optimistic about his future despite having to wait longer for his maiden breakthrough on the Asian Tour.

The Malaysian had several chances to at least force a play-off with Lee coming down the stretch but spoiled his chances by missing several costly putts.

“Richard played well and you cannot do anything about that. I admit there was a little bit of pressure especially coming down the stretch. I had my chances on 16, 17 and 18 but that’s golf. I also missed a lot of putts but I gave myself a chance, which is important. Second is not bad.

If you had told me I’ll be in second at the start of the week, I would say yes anytime,” Green said.

Zimbabwean Scott Vincent, who finished tied-second last year, enjoyed another good outing when he signed off with a 68 to share third place with Younghan Song and Hyungseok Seo from Korea.

64 golf digest india | october 2017

DID YOU KNOW?

• Richard T. Lee missed the cut at the Shinhan Donghae Open last year. Prior to his victory, he had only made the cut in four events out of 10 starts on the Asian Tour.

Leading Scores:

273 - Richard T. Lee (CAN) 68-71-68-66.

274 - Gavin Green (MAS) 68-67-70-69.

275 - Younghan Song (KOR) 67-69-72-67, Scott Vincet (ZIM) 69-73-65-68, Hyungseok Seo (KOR) 74-67-65-69.

276 - Natipong Srithong (THA) 68-71-69-68, Giwhan Kim (KOR) 70-67-69-70.

277 - Chan Kim (USA) 67-71-73-66, Sanghee Lee (KOR) 70-67-71-69.

278 - Tirawat Kaewsiribandit (THA) 68-73-68-69, Kyungnam Kang (KOR) 65-69-73-71, Jarin Todd (USA) 68-69-69-72.

• Lee’s father played on the PGA Tour and was roommate with K.J. Choi when they played together. He introduced Lee to golf and continues to coach him today.

• Lee’s last win on the Asian Tour dated back to 2014 where he also won the event by one shot.

• Despite not earning his breakthrough, Gavin Green has already secured three runner-up finishes in India, Chinese Taipei and Korea this year.

• Like last year where he finished tied-second, Scott Vincent’s tied-third finish has allowed him to safely retain his Asian Tour card for 2018.

On the Asian Tour

Korea To Stage Two New Asian Tour Events From 2018

L-R: Sang-Won Ko - KGA Secretary of International Affairs, Hyungmo Kang – KGA Vice President, Josh Burack – Asian Tour CEO, Kwang-Soo Hur – KGA President, Young-Woo Nam – Asian Tour Board Member, DongUk Kim – Asian Tour Manager

T

he Asian Tour will strengthen its presence in Korea having reached an agreement with the Korea Golf Association (KGA) for the two organizations to co-sanction the Kolon Korea Open and GS Caltex Maekyung Open tournaments from next season. These two prestigious events boast prize purses of over US$1 million and US$900,000 respectively.

The Asian Tour will receive spots for 50 players in each tournament and additional members of the Asian Tour are likely to qualify through their eligibility status on the Official World Golf Rankings.

The cooperation between the Asian Tour and KGA will be for an initial period of five years. Together with the recently concluded Shinhan Donghae Open, there will now be at least three Asian Tour events held

annually in Korea from 2018.

Asian Tour CEO Josh Burack is delighted with this important agreement and looks forward to working closely with the KGA to raise the profile of these two tournaments which in turn helps the overall profile of golf in Korea and regionally.

“We are thrilled to add the Kolon Korea Open and GS Caltex Maekyung Open onto the Asian Tour’s schedule. Both tournaments have a long and storied history. The Kolon Korea Open has been staged for 60 years and the GS Caltex Maekyung Open for 37 years. We are honoured to have our Asian Tour members joining the talented Korean players in these outstanding tournaments. Our strong relationship with the KGA will allow us to amplify these tournaments in Korea and around the globe,” said Burack.

Asian Tour Order of Merit After Shinhan Donghae Open POS

PLAYER

EARNINGS (US$)

1

Scott Hend (AUS)

416,929

2

David Lipsky (USA)

376,529

3

Gavin Green (MAS)

367,346

4

S.S.P Chawrasia (IND)

312,353

5

Phachara Khongwatmai (THA)

273,152

6

Prayad Marksaeng (THA)

243,578

7

Jazz Janewattananond (THA)

242,077

8

Richard T. Lee (CAN)

207,557

9

Jason Norris (AUS)

195,421

10

Carlos Pigem (ESP)

192,413

11

Todd Sinnott (AUS)

179,546

12

Shiv Kapur (IND)

171,365

13

Panuphol Pittayarat (THA)

149,344

14

Juvic Pagunsan (PHI)

147,303

15

Anirban Lahiri (IND)

145,150

16

Poom Saksansin (THA)

144,373

17

Younghan Song (KOR)

141,146

18

Thongchai Jaidee (THA)

132,422

19

Shubhankar Sharma (IND)

128,988

20

Nicholas Fung (MAS)

124,737

JOBURG OPEN GETS TRI-SANCTION STATUS

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he Joburg Open will make history as it becomes the first tri-sanctioned golf tournament on South African soil. It will also celebrate a new date and venue on the Sunshine Tour this year.

At the launch of the R16.5 million (approximately US$1.2 million) tournament at Soweto Country Club on Wednesday, Sunshine Tour Executive Director Selwyn Nathan announced that the Joburg Open will be played at Randpark Golf Club over two courses from December 7 to 10, 2017 and will be tri-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour, European Tour and Asian Tour.

R o ya l J o h a n n e s b u r g a n d Kensington Golf Club, the traditional

home of the tournament, is undergoing extensive upgrades to its East Course.

Former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen has also confirmed that he will play in the Joburg Open as it marks a new era in its history.

A nd t h e tour n am en t wil l once again form part of the Open Championship’s International Qualifying, offering three spots into the Major for the leading three finishers in the top-10 who are not already exempt.

The Joburg Open will also be the penultimate tournament on the Asian Tour Schedule and will be crucial in the race for the Order of Merit crown. october 2017 | golf digest india

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On the Asian Tour

On The Web

66 golf digest india | october 2017

This section showcases the social media initiatives undertaken by the Asian Tour to connect with the young and urban golf aficionados

Images: Asian Tour

On the European Tour

Bjørn - The Great Dane

THE MOST SUCCESSFUL DANISH GOLFER OF ALL TIME STARTED HIS JOURNEY TO STARDOM IN HIS HOMETOWN OF SILKEBORG, WITH THE YOUNGSTER FIRST PLAYING GOLF AT THE AGE OF THREE WITH A PLASTIC CLUB IN HIS PARENTS’ GARDEN

Years of dedication and love for the game followed, with Thomas playing almost daily, either at the Golf Club or in his garden, where he and his brother used to practice chipping by hitting a bird’s bath in the backyard.

Thomas Bjorn (centre right) celebrates another point gained with his European team mates during the opening day fourballs of the The passionate young Dane’s Johnnie Walker Ryder Cup on hole 18 at the Valderrama Golf Club in Sotogrande in Spain. promise was there for all to see, and at the age of 14 Thomas was selecthis home country at the recent Made in ed for the Danish national team for the first ith 15 European Tour wins, Denmark event, has enjoyed an illustrious time. That experience helped him grow as a 109 top-10s, three Ryder Cup career which has earned him the respect person and player, and from that moment victories from as many apof golf fans, pundits and players from on, he dominated the Danish Junior scene pearances in golf ’s biggest around the world. and was an integral part of the national team. team contest, over 20 million euros won The most successful Danish golfer of all Individual accolades followed at the in prize money and the prestige of being time started his journey to stardom in his Danish Stroke play Championship in 1990, named Ryder Cup captain for the 2018 edihometown of Silkeborg, where the youngster and in 1991 at the Matchplay Championship, tion of the biennial event at Le Golf National, took his first steps in the sport at the age of and the name Bjørn was soon being talked it’s easy to see why Thomas Bjørn - as he’s three with a plastic club in his parents’ garabout across the continent, largely thanks blazed a trail for Danish golf - is nicknamed den, and then went on to become Silkeborg to an astounding 10 shot victory at one of ‘The Great Dane’.

Golf Club’s youngest ever member at Europe’s most prestigious amateur events, Bjørn, who fittingly made his 500th the age of five. the Peugeot Open in France. appearance on the European Tour in

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Westwood: A British Master

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cumulative total of 22 weeks at the top of the world game, 23 European Tour titles, 43 titles in total in 19 different countries, two seasons as the European Tour Number One and ten Ryder Cup appearances are things which do not come easy.

For the 44-year-old Worksop native – who joined an elite list as the 35th player to reach the 500 event milestone – enjoying the grind on the range, as well as the unique lifestyle that come with being a touring professional, have been pivotal in making him one of the best and most consistent in the modern era.

“I’ve worked hard and I’ve often been the last to the range on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening, and even on tournament days. It’s been a pretty good 24 years.”

“You always do things better when you enjoy them and when you get out of bed and look forward to doing it. It’s a perfect scenario when that is the case. I try and say that to my kids, that you can’t beat doing something that you love.”

Westwood’s long and winding journey as a European Tour player had humble beginnings at the back end of 1993 when, as a fledgling pro, he battled his way through the gruelling Qualifying School to earn the fourth card on offer for the 1994 season.

Unlike many promising young stars who emerge from the amateur scene and struggle to adjust, he took to life on tour like a duck to water, claiming a top-20 in his very first start at the Madeira Islands Open before making the cut in all of his following 11 appearances.

Westwood was clearly in a hur-

68 golf digest india | october 2017

Lee Westwood and his caddie, Billy Foster celebrate his 500th appearance on tour with his playing partners Alex Noren of Sweden and Bernd Wiesberger of Austria

ry to make his mark on the game and in 1996 he began to get his first taste of being in contention down the stretch. His first experience with that kind of intense pressure did not quite go as planned.

“I had a chance in Italy in 1996 and I blew it – I made an eight on the 12th having a three shot lead, and went one behind. I got my

composure back and went one up going down the last, and then bogeyed the last to lose by one.

“That taught me a lot and the last time I got into real serious contention was the Scandinavian Masters and I didn’t make the same mistake again. I beat Russell Claydon and Paul Broadhurst in a play-off.”

On the European Tour

Major Champions to star at British Masters

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trio of Major Champions will join tournament host Lee Westwood and Masters Champion Sergio Garcia as part of the star-studded line up for the British Masters supported by Sky Sports, which will be held at Close House in Northumberland, England, from September 28-October 1.

Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell and Danny Willett, all of whom have played in the same European Ryder Cup team as Westwood, are the latest big names to be added to the field for the British Masters, with Green Jacket winner Garcia, defending champion Alex Noren, and British stars Ross Fisher, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Andrew ‘Beef ’ Johnston and Chris Wood, already confirmed for this month’s tournament.

Westwood said: “I’m delighted that Martin, Graeme and Danny will be joining me at Close House. They are obviously guys I know well and with the likes of Sergio, Alex and Beef already confirmed, we’ve got a great field for the British Masters. The north east region has really been getting behind the tournament, so everything is coming together nicely.”

Kaymer has two Major Championships to his name – the 2010 US PGA

Championship and the 2014 US Open Championship – and like Westwood, he is a former World No. 1. The German formed an undefeated partnership with Westwood in the 2010 Ryder Cup at The Celtic Manor Resort and two years later he memorably holed the putt which ensured Europe retained The Ryder Cup in the Miracle of Medinah.

Kaymer will be making only his second appearance in the British Masters.

“The British crowds love their golf so it is always very enjoyable to play in front of them,” said Kaymer. “I’ve known Lee a long time and had some great experiences alongside him in Ryder Cup teams, so it will be nice to join him at Close House for the British Masters.”

McDowell won the US Open at Pebble Beach in 2010, becoming the first European to win the title since Tony Jacklin in 1970, and he went on to secure the winning point for Europe in The Ryder Cup that year in Wales. The Northern Irishman has won ten times in total on the European Tour and finished tied fourth in last year’s British Masters at The Grove.

“Westy has done a great job with the British Masters and I’m looking forward to supporting him and the tournament at Close House,” said McDowell.”

Kaymer and Fisher added to Hero Challenge line-up

Major champion Martin Kaymer and five-time European Tour winner Ross Fisher are the latest stars to join the exciting line-up for the Hero Challenge, which returns to the British Masters supported by Sky Sports on September 26.

Tournament host Lee Westwood, the ten-time Ryder Cup player, will be joined by compatriots Matthew Fitzpatrick and Danny Willett, with Austrian Bernd Wiesberger completing half of the eight-man field that will take part in the challenge as British Masters returns to the North East for the first time in 45 years.

German Kaymer will join a stellar cast under the lights on

Tuesday September 26, to take on the European Tour’s one-hole knockout contest.

A total of eight European Tour players will go head-to-head over a specially constructed par three hole at Close House, two days before the venue - near Newcastle upon Tyne - hosts the British Masters for the first time from September 28-October 1.

Two additional stars will be announced in the coming weeks to complete the Hero Challenge field. The last man standing will be crowned winner, with four celebrities taking part in a separate challenge.

Julian Suri is currently leading the Road

The jacket Fitz for magnificent Matt in Crans

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att Fitzpatrick claimed his fourth European Tour title in dramatic fashion at the Omega European Masters, as the young Englishman overcame Australian Scott Hend on the third play-off hole in an enthralling finale in the Swiss Alps.

The 23-year-old emerged victorious from the two-man battle courtesy three pars on the 18th, but he looked dead and buried on the second extra hole as Hend had a four-footer to win before pulling his birdie effort left of the cup to the gasps of the galleries.

Hend suffered a disastrous bogey at the next time of asking, finding the fairway bunker with his drive before knifing out to the back of the green and failing to get up and down, leaving Fitzpatrick with two putts to clinch the historic title. He duly obliged to make it

three consecutive winning seasons on the European Tour.

Fitzpatrick had launched himself into contention in regulation play courtesy of a scintillating final round 64, reeling off three successive birdies down the stretch to take the outright lead before a bogey at the 17th pegged him back and gave him a nervous wait after signing for a 14-under-total.

Matthew Fitzpatrick of England poses with the Omega European Masters trophy

THE 23-YEAR-OLD EMERGED VICTORIOUS FROM THE TWO-MAN BATTLE COURTESY THREE PARS ON THE 18TH, BUT HE LOOKED DEAD AND BURIED ON THE SECOND EXTRA HOLE AS HEND HAD A FOUR-FOOTER TO WIN BEFORE PULLING HIS BIRDIE EFFORT LEFT OF THE CUP TO THE GASPS OF THE GALLERIES. october 2017 | golf digest india

69

On the European Tour

Gritty Jordan tames hillock at The Open

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oyal Birkdale was in spectacular condition for the 146th Open Championship in July of this year.

Practice days of brilliant sunshine made way for some more traditional windy and damp conditions for the Championship proper.

The final day delivered a wind that players needed to factor in to their choice of club and anything not well struck had the chance to be carried on the wind into some far distant and not very pleasant places from which to play your next shot.

Such was the tee shot of Jordan Spieth at the 13th hole. It sailed away towards the high sand hills protecting the Practice ground and despite some spectators convinced it had come to rest on the fairway side of the massive hillock, the testament of the person on the other side of said feature whose head Spieth’s ball had struck was more accurate and the ball was found to the right of the pinnacle. It was the sort of lie that the vast majority of golfers would start thrashing away with wedges in an effort to reach the correct fairway.

Not Jordan Spieth! He knew he probably couldn’t reach shorter grass with any stroke and so surveyed the scene all around him. The Referee, who had dutifully followed Spieth on his mountaineering expedition, was able to confirm with Chief Referee David Rickman of the R&A that the Practice ground, even though fenced off as a practice Range for Competitors, was indeed in bounds and Spieth’s idea of dropping back on a line keeping the spot where his tee shot had

come to rest under penalty of one stroke was a possibility.

This was all heard by me on the walkietalkie and I realized it could take some time for Jordan’s next shot to be struck. I advised

THE REFEREE’S VIEW John Paramor regularly on Tour gives me a slight advantage over many Referees and I noticed that where Jordan wanted to drop may have been wrong as the nearest side from the trucks was indeed not on the range itself but the semirough to the left of the trucks. I asked the referee if he wanted me to assist and he confirmed that that would be useful.

Due to the wind a flag attached to the truck was flying at right angles to the truck and the further away from the flag made the nearest point always to the left.

I did some pacing and found the position where the nearest point was to the right and advised Jordan that technically we should drop the ball under the unplayable ball Rule (28b) but in an effort to move things along we will proceed with the Temporary Immovable Obstruction ruling use the point inside the Truck that he would have dropped under Rule 28b.

Two drops rolling closer to the hole meant a place on the spot that the ball struck when re-dropped. Even though he would have preferred to have been slightly further away from the mountain of sand, he played a remarkable stroke which finished just short of the greenside bunker. A world class pitch and a good putt meant he had salvaged a 5 from a position where double figures for many wouldn’t have been out of the question. There is no question this proved to be the motivation for an incredible finish and the receipt of the Claret Jug.

“I FOUND THE POSITION WHERE THE NEAREST POINT WAS TO THE RIGHT AND ADVISED JORDAN THAT TECHNICALLY WE SHOULD DROP THE BALL UNDER THE UNPLAYABLE BALL RULE (28B)” Matt Kuchar that he could play his second shot and I would go and see if I could help.

The forward observer was indicating the line to the hole over the dune and it was clear that the line went through the trucks that provide equipment to the professionals which were situated on the side of the range.

Dealing with these sort of situations

BARRY CRUISES DOWN VICTORY LANE

GOLD RUSH FOR PHILIP AT WOBURN

Former Ryder Cup player Barry Lane secured his sixth European Senior Tour title as he carded a final round 5-under 67 to win the Willow Senior Golf Classic by five strokes.

The Englishman, who represented Europe at the 1993 Ryder Cup, fired the lowest round in Senior Tour history on Saturday, a 12-under 60, taking a four stroke lead over Gary Orr into the final round.

In addition to the lowest round in Senior Tour history, Lane’s 22-under par total is also the lowest 54-hole score to par - the lowest since 2010.

Philip Golding won his second title of the 2017 season as he secured the Travis Perkins Masters at Woburn Golf Club with a score of 5-under par.

The Englishman, who won the Swiss Seniors Open at Golf Club Bad Ragaz in July, fired a final round of 70, 2-under par, to win by one stroke from America’s Clark Dennis and Ireland’s Brendan McGovern.

Golding started the day 3-under par, four strokes behind overnight leader Clark Dennis who birdied four of the first five holes to move seven strokes clear. But the Senior Tour rookie’s hard work was undone by a bogey and double bogey on the eighth and ninth holes.

Golding birdied the first and the

70 golf digest india | october 2017

fifth before a bogey on the seventh hole, yet the 54-year-old remained calm as he birdied the tenth.

As Dennis ran in to further trouble on the back nine, Golding cancelled out a bogey on the 13th with a birdie on the 16th and parred the final two holes to win his fourth Senior Tour title.

On the European Tour

FITNESS

WARM-UP FOR A BETTER GAME OF GOLF In its simplest form a warm-up is designed to ‘warm you up’! It should involve a short period of light exercise that gradually builds up intensity, involving a variety of different exercises and movements suitable for the activity you are about to undertake. It will increase the temperature of your body’s tissues, blood flow and heart rate.

Why do a warm-up?

You wouldn’t expect a sprinter to simply get out of a car after a 30 min drive and then go straight to the start line and start a race without getting their body ready for the race. The same goes for golfers.

The golf swing is an explosive powerful movement that places huge stress on the body and not being ready before you start can lead to reduced performance and injury risk.

The golf swing requires flexibility and mobility of multiple areas but at the same time stability and control of movement through these ranges. Particular areas that need mobility and more focus in the warm-up include the back, shoulders, hips/pelvis and any other areas that you may have any restriction or problems with.

Some exercises should then be performed that aim to get the body’s tissues primed, switched on & ready for activity that stimulate the neuromuscular systems of the body for the explosive/ coordinated activity of the golf swing.

What warm-up exercises should I follow?

Evidence is emerging that suggests whilst flexibility of musculoskeletal structures in certain parts of the body is important for the golf swing, the immediate effects of passive sustained stretching has been linked with an immediate reduction in specific sports performance - including golf. These are stretches where you hold the stretch for 30-60 seconds and longer. While this used to be thought of as a good way to warm-up it has now been demonstrated that there is an immediate reduction in strength immediately after passive stretching. Which in turn has been shown to reduce immediate performance.

However an improvement in performance of the golf swing has been shown when eliminating static stretching and only performing active dynamic stretches during warm up.

It has also been shown that warm up exercises using elastic type resistance bands involving rotational movements can have benefits on golf performance, too.

How to do a warm-up for golf?

The warm up should start by gently getting the whole body ready for activity by doing some light cardio to gradually raise the heart rate and blood flow. This could be a brisk walk, cycling, jogging, star jumps or step-ups or a combination of these for about 5-10 minutes.

You may then want to work on some mobility exercises, particularly those that target key areas of tightness you may have or are typical in golfers. This includes foam roller exercises and dynamic movement stretches such as open the books, world’s greatest stretch, seated thoracic rotations. You can then progress to exercises that start to prime key muscle groups involved in stabilisation of joints and the creation of power used in the golf swing. There are a lot of such exercises to choose from and you may want to pick 4-5 and spend 60 seconds on each. This could include glute bridges, squats, lunges, supermans (in 4 point kneeling) and even medicine ball throws.

Text: Nigel Tilley, European Tour Performance Institute & Physio Unit october 2017 | golf digest india

71

On the European Tour

TOUR SNIPPETS Sensational Suri secures Denmark title Indian-origin golfer Julian Suri claimed his maiden European Tour title after seeing off the challenge of David Horsey in a thrilling final round at the Made in Denmark.

American Suri produced a flawless 64 on Sunday to finish the week on 19-under par and secure his first victory in just his seventh European Tour event.

Horsey was one stroke adrift of playing partner Suri as they stood at the 18th tee but finished four shots back in second after carding a disappointing triple bogey at the last.

Suri, who won the D+D REAL Czech Challenge in May, becomes the third American to win on the European Tour and Challenge Tour, following in the footsteps of Brooks Koepka and Peter Uihlein.

MATSUYAMA, JOHNSON FOR WGC-HSBC CHAMPIONS Defending champion Hideki Matsuyama and 2013 Champion Dustin Johnson have confirmed their participation in the 2017 WGC-HSBC Champions taking place from October 26 to 29 at Sheshan International Golf Club, Shanghai.

Since Matsuyama’s triumph at ‘Asia’s Major’ last October, when he became the first Japanese player to win a World Golf Championship, he has gone from strength to strength, winning four times, including the PGA Tour’s Waste Management Phoenix Open and, earlier this month, the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. He reached a career high ranking of No. 2 in June and is currently lying in third place on the Official World Golf Rankings.

Matsuyama won last year by a cool seven shots from Henrik Stenson and Daniel Berger. His rounds of 66-65-68-66 took in as many as 29 birdies, and he is relishing a return to Sheshan.

At the top of the world rankings, Johnson became the only man to have completed the WGC-Slam when he won both the WGCMexico Championship and the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play earlier this year.

72 golf digest india | october 2017

Rahm ready for glorious homecoming

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on Rahm will make his first professional appearance on Spanish soil when the World No. 5 plays in the third edition of the Andalucía Valderrama Masters hosted by the Sergio García Foundation, from October 19-22.

Rahm will return to the European continent having claimed a remarkable victory in his last regular European Tour appearance, courtesy a six-shot triumph at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation in July.

That came after he earned a maiden professional victory on the US PGA Tour at the end of January, beginning an incredible rise to the top of the world game which has seen him peak this week at fifth place in the Official World Golf Ranking. The Spanish superstar is relishing his home debut at an event which is also sponsored by the Autonomous Government of Andalusia.

“I really look forward to playing in front of the Spanish fans,” said the 22-year-

old. “Right after the Irish Open I went to Valderrama to practice for October. I felt a big sense of anticipation as I teed up on the first hole. I want to encourage everyone to come and support us and watch some great golf. If the public enjoys it, we will enjoy it.”

On the European Tour

OTAEGUI CLAIMS MAIDEN WIN IN GERMANY

Porteous prevails in Prague

Haydn Porteous overcame Lee Slattery in a thrilling final-day battle to win his second European Tour title at the D+D REAL Czech Masters.

The South African burst onto the scene last season as he won the Joburg Open but made just two of 16 cuts between this event last year and the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

He recorded his first top ten of the season last week at the Made In Denmark and brought that form to Albatross Golf Resort, signing for a closing 69 to get to 13-under and beat Slattery by two shots.

Past master Bjørn confirmed for Nedbank Challenge

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yder Cup captain Thomas Bjørn will return to a happy hunting ground in Gary Player Country Club, the scene of his last European Tour victory, after receiving an invite for the 2017 Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player.

The Dane will make a welcome return to South Africa, where four years ago he swept aside challenges from the likes of Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, and Justin Rose to claim the 15th European Tour title of his glittering career.

Bjørn, whose 2013 triumph in Sun City was his first on South African soil, will tee it up alongside some of the world’s finest players in the $7.5 million tournament, which takes place from November 9-12 and is part of the 2017 Rolex Series – a collection of eight premium events.

“I am delighted to be returning to the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City for the Nedbank Golf Challenge,” Bjørn said. “It is a terrific event in a beautiful part of the world and I am very much looking forward to competing there once again.”

Image Courtesy: Getty Images/European Tour

Adrian Otaegui produced a stunning fightback to beat home favourite Marcel Siem 2 and 1 and win his first European Tour title at the Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play.

Siem was three up at the turn and two up with five holes to play but Otaegui won the 14th with a par and then made three birdies in a row to claim his maiden win in his 123rd event.

The Spaniard came into the week off the back of four consecutive top-20 finishes and was the form player head-

ing into the final having never been taken up the last in his five matches while making 31 birdies and one eagle in 28-under-par.

He made nine pars on the front nine as birdies handed Siem the first, fourth and eighth holes but won six of the eight holes after the turn - including the final four - making five more birdies in the process while staying bogey free.

“It’s very, very special to have my first European Tour victory here at the Paul Lawrie. I’m so happy,” he said.

European Tour Live coverage on MATCH

INDIA DATE

IST

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Day 1

05/10/17

17:30

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Day 2

06/10/17

17:30

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Day 3

07/10/17

17:30

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Day 4

08/10/17

17:00

Italian Open Day 1

12/10/17

13:30

Italian Open Day 2

13/10/17

13:30

Italian Open Day 3

14/10/17

16:00

Italian Open Day 4

15/10/17

16:00

Andalucia Valderamma Masters Day 1 Session 1

19/10/17

16:00

Andalucia Valderamma Masters Day 1 Session 2

19/10/17

19:30

Andalucia Valderamma Masters Day 2 Session 1

20/10/17

16:00

Andalucia Valderamma Masters Day 2 Session 2

20/10/17

19:30

Andalucia Valderamma Masters Day 3

21/10/17

18:00

Andalucia Valderamma Masters Day 4

22/10/17

17:30

WGC - HSBC CHAMPIONS Day 1

26/10/17

08:30

WGC - HSBC CHAMPIONS Day 2

27/10/17

08:30

WGC - HSBC CHAMPIONS Day 3

28/10/17

08:30

WGC - HSBC CHAMPIONS Day 4

29/10/17

08:30

Available on TATA Sky (Channel No. 471) and DISH TV (Channel No. 644) october 2017 | golf digest india

73

On the PGA Tour

Chinese pair look to shine on PGA Tour

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he elevator door opened, and in stepped 17-year-old amateur Marty Zecheng Dou. He was on his way to his hotel room. With his caddie in tow, Dou hadn’t even taken off his sunglasses and trademark bucket hat as he came directly from the course. The next morning, he would begin his PGA TOUR China Series career at Mission Hills Golf Club. Staying in the same hotel in Haikou, China, was Xinjun Zhang, a 27-year-old professional, who had been playing golf for 10 years.

In that inaugural PGA TOUR China Series tournament, the Mission Hills Haikou Open, Dou and Zhang were two of 56 Chinese players who were chasing a dream that previously seemed somewhat inaccessible: eventual PGA TOUR membership. The thought of Dou jumping on the PGA TOUR path by qualifying for the Web.com Tour, at least at that time, was something of an afterthought considering his

74 golf digest india | october 2017

Marty Zecheng Dou has qualified for the PGA Tour

On the PGA Tour

FROM 53RD PLACE ON THE MONEY LIST IN JULY, DOU WENT ON TO SEAL HIS PGA TOUR CARD WITH A THREE-SHOT WIN AT THE DIGITAL ALLY OPEN age and amateur status. Zhang, emboldened by how quickly his game had progressed, wanted to see what he could do.

Plenty, it turned out. Although Zhang finished 10 strokes behind another teenager, South Korea’s Jeunghun Wang, he was the runner-up in Wang’s tour-de-force triumph. This was just more validation to Zhang’s burgeoning career. In 2011, at the World Golf Championship-HSBC Champions, Zhang qualified for his first PGA TOUR tournament via his China Golf Association ranking and promptly went out and tied for 13th in Shanghai, finishing alongside notables Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood.

Zhang tasted big-time tournament golf and liked what he had sampled, and hoped that it wouldn’t just be a one-off.

tie for fifth outside Shanghai, at the Lanhai Open. By the end of the season, both players had to evaluate where they were with their games.

While Zhang finished second on the Order of Merit, behind countryman Haotong Li, giving him Web.com Tour membership,

Eventually, both players, with zero dollars earned, dropped in the player priority ranking and couldn’t get into any other tournaments. Reluctantly, they returned to PGA TOUR China for what they hoped would be just one more year.

In 2016, Zhang did his part, sneaking into the fifth and final spot on the Order of Merit. He failed to win a tournament for the first time in his three seasons on the circuit but the top-five finish again gave him Web.com Tour membership. This time he was

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wo years later at the same course, then-PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem announced the formation of the TOUR’s third international developmental circuit, this one named PGA TOUR China Series, a relative of the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Latinoamerica. Zhang’s first thought upon learning the news was he would have a place to play in 2014, a viable option where he could chase his dream.

A mere five months after Finchem’s announcement, Dou and Zhang were readying themselves for that first event at Mission Hills, the Web.com Tour just a step below the rarefied air of the PGA TOUR, awaiting if they could put strong seasons together.

They did and they would.

It just took a while.

Dou played the Series as an amateur for most of 2014 and remained an amateur through the summer so he could play amateur events in the US, most notably the US Amateur. He then turned pro in September after making four PGA TOUR China cuts (in four tries), including a second-place finish at the Buick Open in Guangzhou and a

Zhang knew only Li was guaranteed starts on the Tour that was at one time home to 75 percent of the PGA TOUR membership.

As he evaluated his game, Zhang elected to remain in China in 2015 and play one more year on PGA TOUR China rather than make the leap to America.

That second PGA TOUR season paid dividends for both players, as this time they both earned Web.com Tour membership based on their PGA TOUR China play. Zhang was third and Dou fourth. But because of PGA TOUR schedule vagaries caused by the 2016 Summer Olympics and strong fields at the early Web.com Tour events that season as players couldn’t get into PGA TOUR tournaments, Dou and Zhang only earned entry into one tournament early in the season—the Brasil Champions. Not expecting to get into that event, both had to decline the playing opportunity because they didn’t have visas to enter Brazil.

in 2011, Xinjun Zhang had finished tied 13th in the wgc-hsbc champions

ready to leave China.

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ne of the reasons Zhang didn’t record a victory was because Dou was seemingly winning every tournament on the 2016 schedule. Dou didn’t win them all, of course, but he did take home four titles and the No. 1 spot on the Order of Merit. He was on his way, as well.

On to the Web.com Tour they went, passports, visas and a hunger to ensure that 2017 would be much different, Dou making his base in Las Vegas and Zhang setting up shop in Jacksonville, practicing at nearby TPC Sawgrass. The two players planned to play the Web. com Tour early and often.

B

oth players teed it up in all 22 of the Regular Season tournaments. Of the top50 money-list finishers after last week’s WinCo Foods Portland Open, Dou, Zhang and South Korean Kyoung Hoon Lee were the only players to play all 22. In April, it became quite apparent how serious both players were about getting their 2017-18 PGA TOUR cards.

Although eligible for the big-money European Tour events in China—the Shenzhen International and the Volvo China Open—Dou and Zhang didn’t return home and instead stayed on the Web.com Tour, both knowing every dollar would count at the end of the year.

They played the United Leasing and Finance Championship in Evansville, Ind., and the El Bosque Mexico Championship in Leon.

Zhang clearly felt the same way, maybe more so since he had broken through at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open in March, where he finished second behind winner Casey Wittenberg. That high finish put Zhang’s PGA TOUR card within reach. He finally locked up his card with a tied fourth finish at the Price Cutter Charity Championship.

Dou didn’t quite have the consistency of Zhang but did explode on the scene in only his second tournament—finishing third at The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic, where his artistry around the greens was on full display.

From 53rd place on the money list in late-July, Dou went on to seal his PGA Tour card with a three-shot win at the Digital Ally Open, pushing him to 15th in the rankings. “It’s very exciting.

It’s like a dream come true since I was young, wanting to be on the PGA TOUR,” said Dou, who goes by the first name of Marty when he’s in the U.S., Zecheng in China.

october 2017 | golf digest india

75

On the PGA Tour

Star-studded field to converge for WGC-HSBC Champions W

hen Hideki Matsuyama began play at the 2016 World G olf Championship -HSB C Champions he was just another good, young player, a talented 20-something on the brink of stardom. By the end of the week Matsuyama had emerged as an international force.

Matsuyama followed his victory at the HSBC Champions with two additional victories on the PGA TOUR and finished first in the FedExCup’s regularseason standings. By the end of the season he was the No. 2-ranked player in the world.

When pundits spoke about potential major champions, M a t s u y a m a’s n a m e w a s mentioned in the same breath as Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy.

And it all started at the HSBC Champions. That should not be surprising. Since the tournament became a World Golf Championships event in 2009, the HSBC Champions has produced a roll call of exceptional winners. Four of the eight are major champions and the other four have been members of either a Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup team. Players from six different countries have won the event over the last eight years, making it truly an international tournament.

I

t’s great for the growth of the game in that part of the world. The tournament has been growing a lot in the last few years,” said 2010 HSBC Champions winner Francesco Molinari, of Italy. “More and more players from the U.S. are going over there to play. I think it’s great to go there and allow fans to experience once a year golf live, a chance to see the best players in the world.”

For his part, Molinari has found China very much to his liking. Besides his 2010 HSBC Champions’ triumph, he teamed with brother Edoardo to win the World Cup of Golf for Italy in Shenzhen in 2009.

Dustin Johnson

M

olinari will be playing in his seventh HSBC Champions, trying to dethrone Matsuyama who defends his title October 23-29 when the tournament returns to the Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai. The top players in the game will gather in China for one of the most important tournaments of the fall, one that can set the tone for the 2017-18 season — just like it did for Matsuyama. This year, the HSBC Champions will be the third of three Asian events in a row, following the CIMB Classic in Malaysia and the first-year CJ Cup in South Korea.

The HSB C Champions victory was significant in many ways for Matsuyama. In addition to a three-year PGA TOUR exemption, Official World Golf Ranking points and prize money, he became the first player from Japan — the first from Asia, actually — to win a WGC event. It tied Matsuyama with Shigeki Maruyama, one of his boyhood heroes, for most PGA TOUR wins by Japanese player, a mark that Matsuyama has since broken. “ To win the HSB C was probably my biggest achievement,” Matsuyama said.

76 golf digest india | october 2017

Hideki Matsuyama

“I was the first Asian to win that event, and to me that was a big deal.”

Matsuyama’s win at the HSBC Champions was a defining moment in his young, ascendant career. It was a tremendous victory over a field that was stacked with the best players in the world. Matsuyama opened the tournament with a 66 and never slowed. He finished with rounds of 65-68-66 to finish at 17-under. He completed the final 45 holes without a bogey and won by seven shots over Henrik Stenson and Daniel Berger, the

“TO WIN THE HSBC WAS PROBABLY MY BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT. I WAS THE FIRST ASIAN TO WIN THAT EVENT, AND TO ME THAT WAS A BIG DEAL.” —HIDEKI MATSUYAMA

third-widest margin of victory in a WGC event.

“Hideki played just unbelievable, and it was a pleasure to watch,” Berger said.

“He struck it well. He putted well. He chipped it well. He did everything well, and that’s why he won by so many.”

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atsuyama, who is married and became a father in 2017, has been forced to deal with increased scrutiny from the media, especially in his native Japan. A large corps of reporters and photographers are on hand at each event to chronicle his success. The attention has helped raise his profile in his home country to the point where he is virtually unable to go out for a meal without being recognized. It has also made him the standard-bearer for golf in Japan and elevated what fans imagine for him, a fact he recognizes.

“The expectations of people around me are high,” Matsuyama said. “I don’t really worry too much about that.

Hopefully not put too much pressure on myself.”

On the PGA Tour The triumphant PGA Tour Latinoamerica team after beating Mackenzie Tour players last year

Brace yourself for a bigger Aruba Cup The Aruba Cup will be back for a second year.

P

GA TOUR Latinoamérica and the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada recently announced the dates for the 2017 Aruba Cup, a team competition at Tierra del Sol Resort and Golf in Aruba.

The 2017 event will take place December 11-16, featuring 10 players from each Tour competing against each other in a Presidents Cup-style matchplay event, with the three competition days featuring four-ball, fours ome s and singles matches over three days, beginning December 14.

“This event is a special opportunity for players from both Tours to compete against each other and celebrate the end of a successful year in an incredibly beautiful setting,” said Mackenzie Tour President Jeff Monday. “This year’s event should be even bigger and better, and we’re looking forward to returning this December.”

“One of P GA TOUR Latinoamérica’s core missions is to provide opportunities for

players in the region to prepare their games for the highest levels of golf. Last year, our players completely embraced the opportunity, came together as a team and showed just how talented they are by playing some incredible golf,” said Jack Warfield, President PGA TOUR Latinoamérica. “It was a thrill to see the inaugural Aruba Cup get underway last year and we’re so excited to be back at Tierra del Sol Resort and Golf for another great week.”

In the inaugural event, in 2016, Team PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and its captain, Julian Etulain, prevailed 13-7 over the Mackenzie Tour and Captain Stephen Ames. Teams will be composed of the top10 available players from each Tour’s Order of Merit following the completion of their 2017 seasons, with at least two players with Latin American heritage represented on team PGA TOUR

Latinoamérica.

Captains from each Tour’s region will be announced for each team at a later date.

“I absolutely loved playing in the Aruba Cup last year.

It’s an incredible destination, with beautiful accommodations, amazing food and an incredible host course at Tierra del Sol,” said 2016 PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Player of the Year Nate Lashley, who helped his team to victory in 2016 and earned his PGA TOUR card through the Web.com Tour.

“It’s a great way to celebrate the end of a successful season by competing with and against some great players, and I know the guys playing there this year will have a great time.”

“Last year ’s inaugural playing of the Aruba Cup was a wonderful moment for us, and

IN 2016, TEAM LATINOAMÉRICA AND ITS CAPTAIN, JULIAN ETULAIN, PREVAILED 13-7 OVER THE MACKENZIE TOUR AND CAPTAIN STEPHEN AMES.

we’re thrilled to be welcoming everyone back to Tierra del Sol once again this December,” said Cisco Quant, General Manager, Tierra del Sol Resort and Golf. “Seeing so many players from last year’s event go on to achieve amazing things at the next level, including Austin Connelly’s performance at The Open Championship, has been particularly exciting for us, and we look forward to welcoming the next generation of up-andcoming players this December.”

The 2017 Mackenzie Tour season will conclude on Sept.

17 at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship, while the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica season ends on Dec. 3 at the Shell Championship in Miami.

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77

On the PGA Tour

TOUR SNIPPETS

MARY MEEKER IS PGA'S 5TH INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR

The PGA TOUR Policy Board announced that Mary Meeker, a General Partner at venture capital firm of Kleiner Perkins in Menlo Park, California, has accepted an invitation to join the Board as an Independent Director.

Meeker becomes the Policy Board’s fifth Independent Director, joining Chairman John McCoy, Victor Ganzi, Edward Herlihy and Randall Stephenson.

Meeker has been with Kleiner Perkins

since December 2010 and focuses on investing in Internet-related businesses around the world. Meeker has led KP’s investments in a number of leading technology companies, including Spotify, JD.com, Waze, Airbnb and Peloton. She is on the Board of Directors of Square, Lending Club and DocuSign. Meeker joined Kleiner Perkins after serving as Managing Director at Morgan Stanley in New York where she helped lead the Global Technology Research Team.

Meeker has been listed by Forbes as one of ‘The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women’ since 2012.

“In this dynamic, fast-changing world of media and technology, Mary’s expertise – and proven reputation as a trend-spotter – will be especially helpful as the TOUR innovates to create the best experience for our fans,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan.

Meeker has a strong, longstanding connection to golf, dating back to a summer job working as a groundskeeper and serving as captain of her high school golf team. Meeker has played golf around the world and has participated in pro-ams on both the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions, including at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

MEEKER IS THE POLICY BOARD’S FIFTH DIRECTOR, JOINING CHAIRMAN JOHN MCCOY, VICTOR GANZI, EDWARD HERLIHY AND RANDALL STEPHENSON.

ALLY CHALLENGE TO DEBUT ON CHAMPIONS TOUR PGA TOUR Champions and Ally Financial Inc. have announced a new event to be contested in Grand Blanc, Michigan, beginning in 2018. The Ally Challenge will debut the week of September 10-16 at longtime PGA TOUR venue Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, which hosted the Buick Open for 45 years, through 2009. The tournament will feature a $2 million purse, with a three-year agreement in place through 2020.

The Ally Challenge marks the sixth new event announced by PGA TOUR Champions over the past two-and-a-half years, and becomes the newest staple on a schedule that currently features tournaments in four countries and 18 states. “ We a re e xc i t e d t o welcome Ally Financial to the PGA TOUR Champions family as we usher in a new era of golf at Warwick Hills,” said PGA TOUR

Champions President Greg McLaughlin. “We are aligned with Ally in our goals to give back to this great community while creating a year-round impact through what should quickly become one of our most-popular events.”

Warwick Hills, designed in 1957 by noted architect Joe Lee, hosted the PGA TOUR’s best players for nearly half a century, delivering champions such as Tiger Woods, Billy Casper and Julius Boros, as well as current PGA TOUR Champions players Fred Couples, Vijay Singh, Hale Irwin and Kenny Perry, to name a few.

Mark O’Meara, a 16-time PGA TOUR winner who was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2015, made 18 career starts at Warwick Hills, where he notched four top-10 finishes, including a runner-up effort to Woods in 2002.

THE $2 MILLION ALLY CHALLENGE WILL DEBUT THE WEEK OF SEPT. 10-16 AT WARWICK HILLS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB.

78 golf digest india | october 2017

NETJETS EXTENDS CONTRACT AS PRIVATE JET PROVIDER

NetJets Inc., the worldwide leader in private aviation, has extended its contract as the Official Private Jet Provider of the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions through 2022, providing flights, marketing support and charitable contributions to assist the PGA TOUR, tournaments and players around the world.

Since 2014, when NetJets became the Official Private Jet Provider of the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions, the company has had the privilege of flying nine of the last 10 FedExCup winners and seven of the Top 10 world-ranked golfers.

“My time is valuable and I try to maximize every second I can get on the course and with my family. For more than 16 years, NetJets has made it possible for me to do both,” said Jim Furyk, owner of a NetJets aircraft. “They do everything possible to get me to tournaments on time, making my schedule, my safety, and my comfort their priority. I truly can’t imagine traveling any other way.”

NetJets, Inc., has more than 700 aircraft in its fleet, making it the fifth largest airline in the world. Featuring 14 aircraft types, including the Challenger 350, Global 5000 and 6000 as well as the Phenom 300, only NetJets can serve the wide-ranging needs of PGA TOUR players.

“Currently, more than 30 topranked PGA TOUR players rely on NetJets to give them a competitive advantage by maximizing their time. We are excited to work together with the PGA TOUR on tournament activations and media opportunities, as well as extending valuable opportunities to our owners,” said Pat Gallagher, NetJets Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

Images: PGA Tour

edited by peter finch

Nice Recovery The Horschels’ battle with alcoholism ther players won major championships in 2017, but no win carried more emotional significance than when Billy Horschel captured the AT&T Byron Nelson in May. The playoff victory, Horschel’s first title in more than two years, also came a year to the day after his wife, Brittany, entered treatment for alcoholism.

The couple had kept their struggle private, but the day after the tournament, Brittany shared on social media her difficult road to sobriety, and both have since sought to use their journey as inspiration for others. ▶ ▶ ▶

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october 2017 | golf digest india

79

The Golf Life Health

“To have it out there for the world to see was really freeing.”

billy horschel

brittany horschel

t was a tough road for us. Looking back now, I don’t think I realized my wife was an alcoholic. But over time you could tell she couldn’t control her drinking. Other people would be having drinks with dinner or whatever, but she didn’t know when to say “No more,” because she didn’t want to stop and feel bad. ▶ As a professional golfer, I’ve always been pretty good at compartmentalizing and shutting off whatever’s happening off the golf course so it doesn’t affect my play or practice. However, coming off the course, I always wondered what was waiting for me. Did my wife have drinks out there today? What kind of state was she in? It just wasn’t joyful. When you’re done playing golf, you want to be able to enjoy being around the people you love, and it was difficult for me to do that. ▶ It probably wasn’t until the beginning of the 2016 season that we started to realize this was a serious situation and we needed to do something about it. Brittany and I had a lot of intense arguments about her drinking, and what helped me was hearing from our friends and family who said they were seeing the same problem and they were scared for her. That’s when we got everyone together for an intervention. ▶ It’s funny, but people always think that when you’re in the public eye, it’s a really glamorous life. Yes, we’re definitely lucky. We get to travel to some great places and make a great living. I mean, after making as much money as I did in winning the 2014 FedExCup, the safe assumption is that life would be easier. But money doesn’t solve most problems.

In many ways we’re no different than people who work 9-to-5 jobs.

We’re trying to make a marriage work, trying to raise our kids.

And by sharing our story, we’re hoping people can see that as well.

here’s definitely this perception about traveling the tour, and some of that is just the world we live in. There’s this great pressure to be perfect—the perfect wife with the perfect family and the perfect house. Billy had won all this money by winning the FedExCup, and yet I never felt more inadequate. I started to lose myself into a bad depression, and that led to a lot of drinking. It was a really scary time, and all the while everyone thinks your life is a party. It was just a lot of hiding. ▶ For a while I told Billy that it was fine, that I could control it. But deep down, I was scared and really ashamed. He could sense that, and by the time he got our friends and family together to intervene, I was ready to get help. The next day I checked into a rehab facility. ▶ It was a very difficult process to go somewhere and leave our daughter behind, but what helped me through this process was a simple equation: I could give up one thing to save everything, or continue to drink and risk losing it all. That’s what has propelled me ever since. ▶ To emerge from all that and be able to put the pieces of our lives together, I eventually realized it was something I wanted to share with the world as a way to help others. I knew it was something I wanted to do, and Billy winning on the oneyear mark and having this emotional reaction afterward just felt like the right time. ▶ They say you’re only as sick as your secrets, and I felt like I was hiding who I really was, so to have it out there for the world to see was really freeing. I’m so proud of the last year and the woman I’ve become. I no longer feel this pressure to be perfect, because I know I can’t be. No one is. I struggled with getting help for so long because it’s perceived as so ugly. But when someone can share their recovery story, it’s actually really beautiful. —With Sam Weinman

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Photographs by Spencer Heyfron

Style The Golf Life

Imagine feeling as comfortable on 18 as you did on No. 1.

Tech Togs Clothes designed with a golfer’s well-being in mind oday’s golfwear offers a variety of innovative materials that allow you to move freely when you play and keep you warm when it’s cool (and vice versa). In fact, the apparel on this page is designed with so much style and technology that some might even call it miraculous. —a s h ley mayo

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1

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adidas kumacross 2.0 sunglasses, $110

The distortion-free lenses are curved, offering your eyes wraparound sun protection. ▶ rlx golf hooded hybrid jacket, $245 This stylish slim-fit hoodie is pliable and well-insulated, with an interior turtleneck for extra warmth. ▶ puma golf six-pocket pant, $80 It wicks moisture, and the ultra-stretchy fabric helps you stay cool and dry. ▶ footjoy d.n.a. helix shoes, $210 A foam collar molds to your ankle for extra stability, and the tongue shapes to your foot for breathable comfort.

2

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nike aerobill classic 99 cap, $35 This high-perfor-

mance polyester fabric stretches for a comfortable fit. ▶ linksoul heather long-sleeve full-button sport shirt, $96

With just a touch of spandex, it offers as much stretch as the techiest golf shirt and looks classic and refined. ▶ kjus ike pants, $200 Come for the waterand dirt-repelling fabric, stay for the anti-slide scorecard pocket.

3

adidas climaheat primaloft vest, $140

It’s packed with insulation to keep you warm, but its breathable fabric lets moisture escape. ▶ nike aeroreact polo, $90 This shirt’s fabric is designed to open and close as your body temperature changes. ▶ adidas

1

ultimate 365 climawarm pants, $95 Breathable, woven fabric will

keep you warm and dry, but it’s also highly stretchy, allowing for full range of motion.

Photograph by Walter Iooss Jr.

tough act to follow BILLY PAYNE GREW AUGUSTA NATIONAL’S STATURE TO A NEW LEVEL BEFORE NAMING FRED RIDLEY AS HIS SUCCESSOR

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ow that the remarkable run is over, there is no doubt. Billy Payne was special. ▶ The breadth of his accomplishments over 11 highly compressed years as chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament had been noticed but taken for granted, like an exceptional athlete steadily adding to his lifetime numbers. But since Payne surprised many in August by announcing his retirement, two months before his 70th birthday, and naming his handpicked successor, Fred Ridley, it has been fully processed.

Even the highlights presented in barebones terms make up quite a litany: ▶ Admitting the first female members in the club’s history, Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore in 2012, followed by Ginni Rometty in 2014. ▶ In 2013, establishing the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship, open to boys and girls 7-15. ▶ Giving winners of the Asia-Pacific and Latin America amateur championships invitations to the Masters. ▶ Persuading Arnold Palmer, then Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, to become honorary starters. ▶ Restoring the tradition of PGA Tour winners from the preceding 12 months earning berths in the Masters field. ▶ Vastly expanding free patron parking after the purchase of neighborhood homes. ▶ Opening an 18-acre practice facility. ▶ Creating Berckmans Place, a high-end hospitality venue. ▶ Opening an expansive media building. ▶ Buying land from the adjacent Augusta Country Club bordering the 12th and 13th holes that provides an option to lengthen the par-5 13th and perhaps enhance spectator viewing. ▶ The sheer volume, along with Payne’s willingness to be a leader on golf’s issues beyond the club and the tournament, underscore his most significant accomplishment: radically raising the perception of Augusta’s influence and power. From a position somewhere in the middle among golf’s four major championships and its governing bodies, Augusta now can be considered No. 1 for effectiveness in both categories. Payne pushed a traditionally hidebound culture into the 21st century with a vitality that, in retrospect, is stunning. And by extension, he made the chairmanship arguably the most powerful platform in the game. ▶ ▶ ▶ 82 golf digest india | october 2017

gutter credit tk

by jaime diaz

gutter credit tk

b i l ly p ay n e w a s n a m e d c h a i r m a n o f a u g u s ta n at i o n a l and the masters in 2006.

Photograph by Gregory Heisler

In sum, there is no question that Payne’s place in history will be as the most significant chairman since the original, Clifford Roberts, whose 42-year reign ended with his death in 1977.

To do so, Payne, who was the first chairman never to have known Roberts personally, studied the words and work of the founder and gleaned a mantra of constant innovation.

Such a take might seem counterintuitive to the baggage that has been attached to the club and the tournament—its location in the Deep South, where the players were white and the caddies black, and its lack of an African-American competitor until 1975, or women members, not to mention rules like prohibiting cellphones and restricting Masters competitors to only one ball off the tee and in fairways during practice rounds.

But as the late Peter Dobereiner defined the club’s simple credo: “Everything about Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters had to be the best, and if it was not the best, then it would have to be improved every year until it was.” Roberts, a remote man of many ideas but few words, would acknowledge compliments about the tournament thusly: “Thank you, but we never really get it right.”

The pace of change by the chairman slowed down in the four decades after Roberts, with Hootie Johnson’s lengthening of the golf course by far the most dramatic. But through a combination of temperament, a perspective gained by his mission to successfully bring the 1996 Summer Olympics to Atlanta, and the demand of the times, Payne did big things at a faster pace than even Roberts.

“Billy is unique in being equally great at the 50,000-foot view and the one through the microscope, and then he’ll outwork you,” says a longtime Augusta National member.

“For him, no dream is too big and no detail is too small.”

In an interview in his office at the club on the occasion of his retirement, Payne leaned back in an upholstered chair under President Eisenhower’s oil painting of the 16th hole and described the way he’s wired. “What I do is, I do my very best at everything that I attempt to do,” Payne said.

“Sometimes it might not be good enough.

Sometimes it might be misdirected. Nevertheless, I’m never going to be in the place where lack of effort was the contributing factor in failure. I’m just not gonna put myself there.”

Perhaps Payne began to feel the toll of that effort, although the former All-America defensive lineman at Georgia, who underwent a triple bypass at 34 and another in 1993, emphasized that his decision was not based on any health issues. For several years he has followed an exercise regimen of daily

84 golf digest india | october 2017

90-minute workouts, keeping his 6-2 frame at just under 200 pounds.

Payne said he used another standard to pick his exit moment. “Before I became chairman, Hootie Johnson told me, ‘Billy, your biggest decision is going to be who succeeds you.’ Relatively recently, I decided Fred Ridley is the right guy. My principal job is to put in place a chairman that is going to be better than me. And now I have identified the person I believe can take it to the next level. That therefore signals to me that it’s time to leave.”

Though hesitant to agree with those who consider him the club’s most progressive chairman, Payne is comfortable calling himself “the most collaborative.” Although Augusta for years made its decisions in a silo, many of Payne’s achievements have been built on forging working alliances, notably with the USGA, R&A, PGA Tour, PGA of America and LPGA Tour. “I’m pretty good at math,” he says of initiatives. “I know if you add five together, it’s a lot more powerful than just doing it alone.”

Augusta was run more democratically than it had been or looked to the outside world.

They describe a man for whom being dictatorial was inwardly uncomfortable, and that his naturally gregarious personality was a key reason that camaraderie at the club— with, he promises, more women to come— markedly improved under his leadership.

Whatever his similarities with Roberts, Payne’s comfort with human interaction and the consensus-building it led to gave his chairmanship its extra dimension.

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ridley: “i like to be around golfers”

before the 2009 masters.

he far-more-reserved Ridley will forge a different path.

The 65-year-old Floridian made his mark in the game with a classic underdog victory at the 1975 U.S. Amateur, after which he was twice a Walker Cup captain, rose to the presidency of the USGA, and went on to lead the Masters competition committee, which oversees course setup and rules issues, for the past 11 years. In the spirit of founder Bobby Jones, Ridley is the last U.S. Amateur champion never to turn pro. “Golf really brings out the best in people,” he told The Ledger of Lakeland, Fla., in 2004. “I like to be around golfers.”

Payne was similarly collaborative with his membership, which he describes as “a wealth of talent that may be unparalleled in any organization in the world. Motivating those who otherwise have very important positions, to come and embrace Augusta National and its culture, and make the time commitment . . . it’s a challenge,” he says.

“And yet because there are so many of them, and because they themselves embrace and love Augusta National, they are more than willing to make the sacrifices required. And that gives us, I believe, the edge in the way we present our sporting event.”

Though Payne concedes that “over-control . . . that’s kind of a permissible description of the chairman of Augusta historically,” longtime members say that under Payne,

Ridley’s first major public comments as chairman will likely take place at next year’s Masters, following Payne’s pattern after he succeeded Johnson.

A good junior golfer growing up in Winter Haven, Fla., Ridley attended the University of Florida on a golf scholarship, but he had a hard time getting into matches on a powerhouse team that won the 1973 national championship. He went on to earn his law degree at Stetson University and has specialized in real-estate law.

“Fred is measured, the way you’d expect from a lawyer,” says Billy Andrade, a member of the 1987 Walker Cup team that Ridley captained. “At the same time, he has a nice way with people. On our Walker Cup team, I was young and nervous, but the way he

f r e d r i d l e y a n d b i l ly p ay n e address the media

quietly showed confidence in me lifted my confidence.”

At the ’75 U.S. Amateur, played at the Country Club of Virginia in Richmond, Ridley, a second-year law student, maximized the best golf of his life. On his way to the match-play title, he defeated the far-more heralded players and future PGA Tour winners Curtis Strange, Andy Bean (a teammate at Florida) and, in the final, Keith Fergus.

The key was Ridley’s work with Jack Nicklaus’ lifetime teacher, Jack Grout.

“Fred was a good player in college, but not a solid player. We used to fight it out for the seventh and eighth spot on the team,” says golf architect Steve Smyers, who roomed with Ridley during the early stages of the Amateur. “We played all three practice rounds together. He was following what Grout was telling him, and you could just see him hitting these great golf shots, and his game had improved dramatically. Grout had been training him to hit it hard, telling him to take a bucket of balls on the range and hit driver as hard as he could while still holding his finish position in balance. Everything was sequencing up right, and he was hitting this low draw that went forever, and straight.

It was a magical week.”

“Fred was a nice player who did good,”

four birdies. (“Not super golf,” he said at the time.) By contrast, Fergus, an All-American at the University of Houston who won 11 college tournaments, figured he was about four over par. And none of his matches had reached the 17th hole. But in the final, Ridley made six birdies in the morning round to go 5 up. He was still 4 up with five holes to play but attributed “a lot of choking” to the loss of three in a row to stand 1 up on the 17th tee. On that hole, he left a seven-footer for a par that would have won the championship hanging on the lip.

As he told The New York Times, “I was feeling bad, and I had to force myself to keep my mind clear and not let my mind wander.

I told myself, If you do something without thinking it out . . . well, just don’t do it.”

On the 18th hole, Ridley gathered himself enough to make bogey to Fergus’ double bogey to win, 2 up.

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difficult moments

idley has been adroit at surviving difficult moments in his public golf life. He was USGA president in his first term during the debacle at the 2004 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, when a windblown green that had been rolled on Saturday morning did not receive enough water on the morning of the final round, causing balls to roll off the putting surface uncontrollably. Although the association’s staff was skewered by the players and the media, Ridley managed to avoid being the focus.

He was more directly in the line of fire at the 2013 Masters, when as head of the competition committee he made a highprofile mistake on a rules situation involving Tiger Woods.

In the second round, Woods was near the lead when his third shot from about 85 yards on the par-5 15th hole hit the flagstick and caromed into the pond. Woods took

DaviD Cannon/Getty imaGes

I’M NEVER GOING TO BE IN THE PLACE WHERE LACK OF EFFORT WAS THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN FAILURE. I’M JUST NOT GONNA PUT MYSELF THERE.’ — b i l ly pay n e says Strange, who was beaten by Ridley, 2 and 1, in the sixth round before defeating him in the final of the 1976 North and South Amateur Championship. “He took his golf seriously,” Strange says, “just as he’s taken his career seriously, and got a lot out of both.”

Indeed, Ridley was an opportunist at the U.S. Am, played with some of the heaviest Bermuda rough ever seen for a USGA championship. Through the first seven rounds, he estimated he was 23 over par, with only

a drop that longtime rules official David Eger, watching on television, realized had been about two yards behind the divot hole made by his third shot. Eger called in the violation. If true, it meant Woods had not dropped as near to his original location as possible and was due a two-stroke penalty.

However, when Ridley was told about the situation, he deemed after reviewing the video that Woods’ drop had been close enough to the original spot not to

incur a penalty. But after signing his scorecard, Woods said in a television interview that he had intentionally dropped two yards behind his original spot, thus incriminating himself. With Woods facing disqualification for signing an incorrect scorecard, Masters officials invoked Rule 33-7, which states that “a penalty of disqualification may in exceptional individual cases be waived, modified or imposed if the Committee considers such action warranted.”

It was thus determined that because the committee had not discussed the alleged violation with Woods before he had signed his scorecard, he was absolved from disqualification but given a two-stroke penalty before his third round.

In going before the assembled media on Saturday to explain the ruling, Ridley went into some detail about not originally believing Woods had violated the rule. When asked whether he might have done things differently, Ridley said, “There’s not a day that goes by that there are not some things I wish I would have done differently.” The humanness of that answer made Ridley sympathetic and for the most part spared him further criticism.

Of course, Ridley will not inherit the title of most powerful figure in golf by default.

Like every chairman, he will be tested by controversial issues and rulings, the rate of which have seemed to accelerate in recent years. Likely waiting for Ridley are intense discussions about further lengthening the golf course and whether to allow spectators the use of cellphones.

On the other hand, as the most accomplished player to achieve the chairmanship, and the best in the Masters hierarchy since Jones, there’s a reasonable expectation that Ridley will be seen as a chairman more responsive to the input and concerns of tournament competitors.

Says Strange: “I hope that as someone who really understands the game from a player’s perspective, Fred will take some of the golf course back to what it used to be, where there was more openness and fewer trees.”

It would be a surprise if Ridley is fully able to escape the shadow of Payne, who will be around as chairman emeritus and will surely follow Roberts into the World Golf Hall of Fame. No one doubts that Payne will give Ridley plenty of space, following the sensibility of his statement in 2008 that “there are two personalities which will always define Augusta National: Bobby Jones and Cliff Roberts. All the rest of us came and went, and I’m going to fall into that latter category.”

But certainly he hasn’t. And based on his extraordinary contribution as chairman, he won’t. october 2017 | golf digest india

85

GO-TO

HIT (AND HOLD) MORE GREENS WITH THIS TECHNIQUE

A A lot of my improvement as a PGA Tour rookie has come from observation, followed by trial-and-error sessions in which I work something new into my game. It was this process that was key to my first tour victory this year at Torrey Pines.

Like a lot of young power players, I had a preference on short-iron and wedge approach shots to come in high with a lot of spin, especially to firm greens. But what I learned—sometimes the hard way—is that wind and slope can make the margin of error on those high approaches very small. Early this year on the West Coast, where there is usually wind and the greens can be soft, I noticed that veteran tour pros I was paired with tended to hit their irons lower and with less spin. Often that shot would end up closer to the hole than the one I had tried.

So I made a point of incorporating a three-quarter shot into my game. Unless the wind is really strong, the longest club I use this shot with is a 7-iron, simply because the ball tends to fly too low using anything longer. The adjustments I make for this sensible shot are pretty simple. I put the ball back in

86 golf digest india | october 2017

my stance slightly, and make a shorter backswing with less wrist cock. To prevent a steep path that can shoot the ball too low, I make sure to rotate my body away from the target enough to shallow the angle of attack. You also can see here that I’ve turned through fully, but my finish with the club looks a little shorter than normal. This is a position to copy to flight the ball lower. Also keep in mind that the ball is not going to fly as far.

For me, it’s about 10 yards less than if I made a full swing with the same club.

The three-quarter shot, because it creates less spin, might not be the choice when I need to stuff an approach into a tight pin and force a birdie. But I’ve also learned that those situations are not the norm. The three-quarter shot is easier to hit the right distance, and easier to hit straight, which makes it more reliable. Basically, less can go wrong, and it has reduced the “soft” bogeys that can mess up low rounds and be really annoying. I recently heard that Lee Trevino used to say, “Hit the ball only as high as you need to.”

Now I have a better idea of what he meant.

—with jaime diaz

Jon Rahm, a rookie on the PGA Tour, won the Farmers Insurance Open in January and is fourth on tour in strokes gained/tee-to-green.

Photograph by First Lastname

IRONS gutter credit tk Stacy ReveRe/Getty ImaGeS

BY JON RAHM

Photograph by First Lastname

month 2017 | golfdigest.com

87

YES,YOU CAN

D

Shaving seconds and minutes could cut half an hour from your round

avid Brailsford, a former competitive cyclist, became the performance director of the British national team in 2003. British Cycling had stunk for most of a century, but Brailsford believed he could turn the team around by applying an idea he’d begun to formulate while earning an MBA—an idea he later described to the Harvard Business Review as “a philosophy of continuous improvement through the aggregation of marginal gains.” He was convinced that, if he and his cyclists broke down everything they did into small components and then improved each of them by just 1 percent, the cumulative impact would be a significant enhancement of their overall performance.

Brailsford and his team members searched for tiny improvements everywhere—in their equipment and their technique, of course, but also in such seemingly trivial elements as their handwashing method, the pillows and mattresses they slept on, and the accumulation of dust on the floor of their maintenance truck. The results were remarkable. U.K. cyclists won two gold medals at the Olympics in 2004, then eight at the Games in 2008 and eight more in 2012.

In 2010, Brailsford also became the manager of Team Sky, a British professional team. He applied the same ideas there, and his cyclists won the Tour de France in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Queen Elizabeth rewarded him with a knighthood in 2013.

I learned about Brailsford and the magic of marginal gains from my golf buddy Tony.

We were playing what we call a Two-Hour 18: a full round of golf, walking, in two hours or just over. Playing that quickly is possible only when our course is virtually empty— early in the morning or late in the afternoon, or when it’s raining—but it doesn’t involve running, or even walking very fast. As Tony pointed out, we are able play in what most

88 golf digest india | october 2017

by david owen golfers think of as record time because we have intuitively identified and eliminated innumerable tiny time sucks—the same kind of thing that Brailsford did systematically with his cycling teams.

Brailsford’s thinking about marginal gains can probably be applied to life generally, but it lends itself especially well to pace of play. The average round lasts forever, Tony and I are convinced, not because golfers “play slowly” but because they waste 10 seconds here and 20 seconds there, pointlessly, on every shot on every hole. This is an existential issue for golf, because one of the biggest beefs that new players have about the game (in addition to the fact that hitting a golf ball is demonstrably impossible) is that it takes all day. If the members of a foursome each trim just 30 seconds a hole—a target easily within the capabilities of almost any player—the total savings, over a single round, add up to more than half an hour.

Tony’s and my discussion about marginal gains began with his observation that not wearing a glove (a practice he adopted many years ago for the purpose of playing faster) saves a surprising amount of time, because he isn’t continually pausing to put it on and take it off. Not everyone likes to play barehanded, but if you wear a glove, as I do, you can achieve the same benefit by leaving it on all the time or fussing with it only when you’re doing something else, like walking toward your ball. Here are some other areas ripe for marginal improvement: hit first, then search. If a member of your group slices one into the weeds, play your shot before you wander over to help. This isn’t rude. He’ll probably have found his ball by the time you’ve hit, anyway, and you won’t be holding up the group behind you by joining the search. hit first, then talk. I’ve played with golfers who save their jokes until it’s their turn

to tee off. They’ve got a captive audience, because no one can move until they’ve hit, so they tee up a ball, then lean on their driver and unwind. Tell them to save it. leave your driver’s headcover in your car. Ten seconds a hole? Twenty seconds a

hole? Painless and easy. tighten your pre-shot routine. Only

two or three of the two dozen regulars in my club’s Sunday-morning men’s game still take practice swings. That alone probably saves 20 minutes per round per foursome.

BEAT SLOW PLAY

If you can’t play without a practice swing, limit yourself to one. Pre-shot routines are important (supposedly), but they don’t have to last forever. be ready to play. During a spring-vacation trip with my family many years ago, I sat on the terrace of our rented condo, which overlooked a golf course, and spent a couple of hours reading a book and watching other people play golf. Main takeaway: Absolutely no one I observed was ready to act when it was their turn to act. They stood or sat like

zombies until they were away, and only then did they begin to check their yardage, test the wind, pick a club, clean their grooves, put on their glove. Five minutes per foursome per hole, at least. plan ahead. On a links course in Scotland in the early ’90s, I joined two members who were playing a club match, and even though I thought of myself as a speedy player, I had to concentrate to keep up with them. One reason they were fast is that at every green they left their clubs in exactly the right place: on

their route to the next tee. If (like many slow players) you dump your bag or park your cart in a random location—or, worse, directly in front the green—the players behind you can’t hit until you’ve fully decamped. Sad! Of course, becoming faster feels futile if everyone else is slow. But a non-dawdling foursome can speed up an entire course, by constantly nudging the group ahead. And there’s a bonus, which is that playing faster leaves less time for the most destructive force in golf: thinking.

Illustration by Eddie Guy

Can I Break 80? have you come close before?

y

really?

ok, not really!

yes, really! do you have a full-time job?

not really!

y

n

sorry to hear that.

n

are you planning on being alive for a while?

are you willing to hit a lot of golf balls?

y

y

n

y

are you willing to quit your job?

n n

the world needs highhandicappers, too

keep the faith!

are you married?

n y

y

are you willing to get divorced?

n

90 golfdigest.com | month 2017

Illustration Illustration

by First

by Rami Lastname Niemi

gutter credit tk

y

does your pro make office visits?

edited by ron kaspriske

Play

Brooke Henderson An athletic swing rooted in—of all places—a hockey rink

gutter credit tk

by ron kaspriske

hen you turn the page and see Brooke Henderson’s driver swing, you’ll probably think If I tried that, I’d be in the hospital. Knowing the physical limitations of the typical amateur golfer, we won’t disagree. But even if copying her physicality isn’t realistic, her mental approach to driving is worth considering.

“I’m not technical at all. I really don’t want to be thinking about my swing. I just want to let it happen,” says Henderson, a four-time winner on the LPGA Tour, including the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, one of the tour’s five majors.

She also lost the same tournament by a shot to Danielle Kang in July.

“If there’s one thing for sure that I know I do, I’d say I’m trying to hit the ball as hard as I can.” ▶

W

Photographs by Dylan Coulter

october 2017 | golf digest india

91

▶ average driving distance

265 YDS.

252 YDS.

279 YDS.

Brooke Henderson (18th)

Tour average

Joanna Klatten (1st)

source: lpg a tour

No kidding. Henderson is only 5-foot4, but she uses the combination of a strong lower body, hypermobile wrists and great timing to power through the ball like someone who is much larger.

That’s not to say she’s the longest on tour.

France’s Joanna Klatten is 14 yards longer

off the tee on average. But Henderson’s technique, including using a 48-inch driver (three inches longer than standard), could lead to even more distance as she matures, her father and coach, Dave Henderson, says.

Brooke, who turns 20 Sept. 10, began developing her powerful swing in the most unusual

place. She was a goalie for the Canadian national girls’ junior hockey team at 14, and that helped make her lower body very strong, Dave says.

“When you grow up playing goalie, you get used to carrying 60 pounds of equipment,” he says. “You learn to use your legs for leverage and power. So it was easy for her

POSITION A

FULLY FLEXED

JOHN DALY-ESQUE

GETTING LEFT

The thing to focus on here is ball position, says Golf Digest Teaching Professional Josh Zander. With her left foot flared, she’s playing it properly off her left heel. “Playing it farther forward will promote a slice.”

“She takes the club back on a wide arc, key to generating clubhead speed on the way down,” Zander says.

“I really like how she is creating a great stretch between her upper and lower body—the sign of flexibility and strength.”

The top of her swing is worth a pause to stare at in wonderment, Zander says. “Weight firmly on the right, huge shoulder turn, amazing extension of the left arm, wrist hinge way, way past 90 degrees. It’s a Daly-type backswing—built for power.”

You’ll want to focus on the lagging of the clubhead behind her hands, but she’s not doing that on purpose, Zander says. “That super-long backswing and ensuing weight shift sets the club way behind.

She’s setting up for a very fast release of the club— another power source.”

92 golf digest india | october 2017

Swing Sequence

Play Your Best

“She knows how to use her lower body to generate power.”—Josh Zander to transition to swinging a driver.”

Studying Henderson’s swing here, look at how stable her lower body is until it’s time to slash the club through the hitting area. Then her legs and feet come to life. The irony is that she learned to be stable on one of the most unstable of surfaces—ice.

“You might focus on how far she takes the club back, but the way she uses her lower body is very effective,” says Golf Digest Teaching Professional Josh Zander. “Everything from how stable and grounded she is going back, to the way she shifts her weight, to her springing off the ground—it’s all demonstrative of

RELEASING HARD

BLAST OFF

UPPERCUT FINISH

Brooke can’t afford to hold her arm swing back. If she didn’t release hard, Zander says, she’d block the ball dead right. “Also, look at how her right shin is leaning.

That shows how much pressure she’s shifted toward the target.”

Both heels are off the ground as the club smacks the ball.

“She pushed down with her legs and then jumped up,” Zander says. “Jumping like this can create good swing speed—especially for smaller golfers— although some bigger players do it, too.”

Flexibilty is really evident here, Zander says, noting the position of the right shoulder as she finishes the swing. “Also important is how much the left shoulder moved back. Like throwing an uppercut. It’s a knockout punch, for sure.”

someone who knows how to use their legs to generate power and hit the ball hard.”

Zander, who teaches at Stanford Golf Course and nearby Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club in Northern California, provides an analysis of Henderson’s swing below, and what you can take from it.

PRO-FILE brooke henderson 20 / 5-4 / Smith Falls, Canada driver Ping G ball Titleist Pro V1

october 2017 | golf digest india

93

Play Your Best Tee to Green by Butch Harmon

“If you take your stance, then try to aim, you’re cooked.”

Two Skills for Great Putting One for long putts, one inside five feet eing a great putter doesn’t mean you’re rolling in bombs all day.

Sure, that would be nice, but quality putting is about distance control from long range and precise aim on the short ones.

From inside five feet, the biggest problem I see is a careless routine. It drives me crazy when golfers step up to a putt and plop their feet into place before thinking about where to aim the putter. Essentially, their feet have already dictated their aim. A better routine is to aim the putterface very carefully down your intended start line, then take a comfortable stance and go (right). If you do that—let your aim drive your setup, not the other way around—you’ll make a ton more of these short putts.

For long putts, the first thing to check is grip pressure. Too often amateurs strangle the club, especially when they think they have to hit the putt harder for the ball to reach the hole.

The problem is, the tighter your grip, the worse your chances of having any feel for distance. You need a light hold, so you can feel the weight of the putterhead as it swings, and keep that same pressure throughout the stroke.

More distance comes from a longer stroke, not a burst of speed at impact.

So focus on (1) grip pressure on long putts and (2) aim on the short ones, and you’ll do fine.

B

Butch Harmon is at Rio Secco Golf Club in Henderson, Nev.

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try tiger’s old drill for consistent rolls Sometimes your stroke can get out of whack, and you start mishitting the ball. Here’s a drill Tiger used when we worked together.

Create a gate with two tees just wider than your putterhead and hit putts without the club touching either tee (left). If you loop the putterhead to the outside during the stroke, you’ll bump the outside tee. If you swing it to the inside, you’ll bump the inside tee. Go through clean, and you’re hitting the ball in the center of the face. Just like any other shot in golf, if you catch it in the center, with the face square, you’re going to get a good result. That’s what I see the best putters do.

Photographs by Dom Furore

Unplugged Ball buried on the upslope?

You need speed

1. SQUARE UP

2. LEAN IN

3. BE AGGRESSIVE

4. STEP DOWN

ne of the most difficult lies you can get in a greenside bunker is when the ball embeds a little into the upslope, like the PGA Tour’s Patrick Reed faced here.

This is especially true if the sand is soft. It’s difficult from an awkward stance to swing with enough acceleration to get the ball out of a slightly buried lie. But I’ll show you in four steps how to generate the power necessary to execute this tricky shot. —with ron kaspriske

▶ Unless it’s buried under a lip, you don’t need to add loft to the shot to clear the face of the bunker.

The upslope helps, so there’s no need to open the face of your wedge like you would in many bunker situations.

Instead, square it to your target to give the shot more oomph.

▶ To generate enough power when you swing, get your footing.

If you don’t plant firmly, you risk losing your balance during the swing. Put more pressure on your front leg, and lean into the slope with your body.

▶ Once you have a stable base, you can be more aggressive with your downswing.

And believe me, you’ll need to generate all the swing speed you can. Really give the sand just behind the ball a thump with your wedge. Expect a short finish.

▶ Even with an aggressive downswing, you still need more power. To get it, step down the slope with your lead foot as your club hits the sand. By moving in the opposite direction, you transfer a lot more energy into the strike.

That should be enough to get the ball out.

O

David Leadbetter operates 34 golf academies worldwide.

reed: ross Kinnaird/Getty imaGes • illustrations: todd detwiler, top: tim laHan

Step by Step by David Leadbetter Play Your Best

Play Your Best Strategy by Jack Nicklaus

“I’m asking you to pick a side: left or right?”

THINK TWO MOVES AHEAD If you have no intention of accessing the right fairway, there’s no reason to be aggressive with your tee shot. Pick a club that can’t reach this bunker, and favor the left side of the fairway to play away from this hole’s most penal hazard—the water. However, if you want to entertain going for the green or even the right fairway in two, you’ll need to hit your drive farther than this spot.

DIFFICULTY DEFERRED It’s easier to pop a second shot down here. The trade-off is a tougher third shot, because you have to take on the water eventually. Also, with certain hole locations, this green plays shallower from this angle, so your distance control has to be sharp.

A CLEAN LOOK Getting to here in two shots is great work.

The reward is, you can play an approach up the entire length of the green without having to contend with water or even a greenside bunker.

GIVE AND TAKE before lasers

Split Decision Weighing your options on a double fairway ome holes you have to play a few times before you understand the options. There’s real nuance to the design so it takes your full attention, along with a bit of trial and error, to figure out the most efficient way to align your skills against its particular challenges. I love that kind of very cerebral golf, but sometimes it’s fun to play a hole that’s blatant, too.

Playing this game is about making choices, and no feature embodies this fact so plainly as a split fairway. As a designer, I’m be-

S

96 golf digest india | october 2017

ing obvious: I’m asking you to pick a side: left or right?

The par 5 11th hole on the Legend course at The Club at Ibis (illustrated), a course we designed in West Palm Beach in 1991 and renovated this summer, has two fairways.

The one on the right dangles greater reward and risk. Downwind, even many shorter hitters can consider this bolder path. The decision ultimately falls on the second or third shot, but smart players have a plan before they peg a tee. — with max adler

▶ They used to call me the best caddie on tour, because I walked the courses before tournaments to create a yardage book. I’d have my caddie do the same, then we’d compare numbers. I was the first pro to do this, but I learned it as an amateur from Deane Beman, the 1960 U.S. Amateur Champion. He convinced me it was worthwhile at the ’61 U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach. I tried it, and was under par for every match on my way to victory.

Illustration by Chris O’Riley

jackie and jack nickl aus: augusta national/getty images

If you’re going for this par 5 in two, clearly the bailout zone (or where you want the ball to go if you mis-hit it) is this area. Come up short and you’re still on dry land. But this green has a lot of contours, so from up close it can be a tricky chip if the cup is cut where the putting surface runs away. Consider laying up farther back to generate more spin to hold the green. Hey, if I give you everything, the game loses its charm.

For Better Players by Tom Watson Play Your Best

Bunker Mentality Use your sand technique to get out of greenside rough

erhaps the most famous shot I ever hit was my chip-in on the 17th hole at Pebble Beach to help win the 1982 U.S. Open. Getting the ball out of the rough and stopping it quickly by a close hole is unnerving for a lot of golfers.

They’re afraid of hitting it too far, so they don’t make a big enough swing, often leaving the ball in the rough for their

P

next shot. The key is to swing much harder than you normally would. If the hole were, say, 15 feet away, you’re going to have to swing like it’s 30 or 40 feet away.

Try this technique: I play these shots a lot like a greenside sand shot. I take a sand wedge, open the face at least 30 degrees, grip the club with a weak left-hand position (left thumb straight down the

top of the grip), and then make a swing cutting across the ball from outside to inside in relation to my target line. This causes the trajectory of the ball to be higher, which will reduce its roll out.

The key is to open that face—many golfers forget to do that—and to accelerate the club through the heavy grass more than seems necessary. Make the face exit left of your target

with no rolling over of the wrists through impact. Hold the face open like I am here (above).

The bonus of playing this like a bunker shot is it’s forgiving.

You can make contact a little behind the ball and still get a good result—as long as you commit to the bigger swing with an open face.

—with RON KASPRiSKE

Tom Watson writes instruction articles exclusively for Golf Digest.

Photograph by J.D. Cuban

Play Your Best

Equipment

The New Crossovers Fusing classic shapes with big-time tech

m i zu no m p- 1 8 s c ▶ Mizuno’s forging process yields a tight grain structure for optimal feel on these cavity-backs.

The slightly larger size and lower center of gravity of the middle and long irons make these a natural to mix and match with Mizuno’s MP-18 blades. price $1,200

he hardest clubs to design in golf? You’re looking at them. These irons have the classic compact shape that better players prefer, but with technology for forgiveness (multiple materials) and distance (thin-face inserts) that make them playable for the rest of us. This marriage of old and new technology has caught the attention of the world’s best: About nine in 10 players on the PGA Tour use some form of cavityback or hollow iron for at least part of their iron set.

“We’re still going to chock it full of as much technology as we can,” Mizuno’s Chris Voshall says. “But the priority is the package it’s in, not just the technology it offers.” Here are four new irons that might make us look better than we are. —mike stachura

T

t i t l e i st a p3 ▶ Three different constructions within the set are designed to optimize your needs. High-strength steel face inserts wrap around the soles of the hollow long and middle irons. High-density tungsten-weights in the heel and toe improve stability. price $1,300 taylor m a d e p7 9 0

▶ On the long and middle irons, the face and neck are forged from carbon steel. A stainlesssteel composite piece on the back forms Miura’s widest iron sole, keeping the weight low for high launch and smooth turf interaction. p ri ce $2,040 (set of six)

gutter credit tk

m i ura cb 2 0 0 8

Photograph by Justin Fantl

▶ The hollow construction uses a high-strength steel face that wraps around the sole and is about as thick as a quarter.

It’s supported by an injected foam that allows the face to flex while controlling sound and feel. A sole slot enhances flexing low on the face. price $1,300

Mr. X On The Tee

Undercover Tour Pro A pot smoker applauds the tour’s new drug-testing program s you might have heard, the PGA Tour is rolling out a new drug-testing program to coincide with the start of the new season in October. In addition to peeing in a cup, we’ll now have our blood inspected for performanceenhancing substances like human growth hormone. Our banned list is being updated to match what’s used for Olympic athletes, and all suspensions for failing tests will now be announced to the public. No more speculating if so and so, who didn’t play a tournament for three months, really hurt his back, or was in fact “quietly suspended” for failing a test.

Sounds much stricter, right?

Well, as a player who has smoked pot regularly for the past few years, I’m not worried. In fact, I applaud what the tour is doing.

The devil, you might say,

A

is in the levels. Under the new policy, the amount of marijuana that can be in my system is being raised by a factor of 10. The threshold for failing a test was 15 nanograms but will now be 150 nanograms. How much is that? Marijuana is tricky because it stays in the system for a long time, and bodies process it at different rates. But a doctor friend tells me I could smoke a dozen days per month and possibly stay under the limit. I always drink a lot of water, as being hydrated helps avoid detection.

The tour is following the lead of the International Olympic Committee, which in 2013 raised the limit to 150 nanograms, a threshold I consider much more reasonable. The priority is to prevent athletes from gaining a competitive advantage, not to embarrass them. Among PGA Tour play-

ers, no one cares about recreational drugs. As even regular golfers can tell you, ripping a bowl is going to help you make birdies about as much as chugging a beer. As in, you can delude yourself into thinking a little “swing oil” or “green wax” helps, but in any money game, your opponent would love to see you imbibe.

Have I ever been high in a PGA Tour event? Sure. Haven’t done it often, but if I’m teeing off Sunday near last place with no way to move up the leader board meaningfully, I’ll treat myself to making the day a little more fun, or at least different. I’ve smoked beforehand with the other players in my group, too.

Each week the tour randomly tests a number of us. An administrator will be waiting outside the scoring trailer. If you have an existing obligation with a sponsor or the media, you can delay reporting to the “testing area.” Produce a urine sample, and a few days later, you get an email saying you passed. But if your phone rings and the caller ID reads PGA Tour—and you haven’t left a message with the tour office about another matter—you’ve tested positive.

It happened to me once.

Because it was my first time failing for a recreational drug, it was a slap on the wrist. I had the option to appeal, but I knew that’d be dumb because then it might go public. I accepted my result, then flew to Charlotte and visited with the tour-appointed psychologist for an hour. I know several players who’ve made the same trip. The dude asks all the typical counseling questions, like how much and how often.

I was honest but had the impression he couldn’t have cared less about my answers. We were just going through the motions, establishing a paper trail that the matter had been addressed.

I also had to attend three sessions with a counselor in my city.

Clearly, there’s a cultural shift happening with weed as legalization spreads, and the more lenient threshold on our tour is a small part. I’m not looking forward to having my blood drawn, but if it catches a few guys trying to get stronger and longer by real cheating, here’s my arm. With the new program, the rumor with our disciplinary policy is everybody’s slate is wiped clean. So if I fail another test for weed, my worst-case scenario would be a flight to Charlotte.—with max adler

ken del ago

“Have I ever been high in a PGA Tour event? Sure.”

HOLE-INONE CLUB

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CONGRATULATIONS ACERS Hole-in-One’s Prateek Chitlangia Tollygunge Club Ltd., Kolkata 5th September, 2017 Samar Sircar Tollygunge Club Ltd., Kolkata 24th August, 2017 Paresh S. Kapashi Willingdon Sports Club, Mumbai 29th July, 2017 Kishore Mansata Tollygunge Club Ltd., Kolkata July 1, 2017

18 Holes with Anil Valluri

“Golf brings best out of people in terms of personality traits” Serenity attracted him to the fairways 17 seasons ago and his love for golf has only grown with time. NetApp India & SAARC region President Anil Valluri also has the distinction of being trained by India’s most respected coach Vijay Divecha. Valluri spoke to Rohit Bhardwaj about what he loves about the sport, his favourite golfers and much more...

1 GDI: What is your home

club?

Bangalore Golf Club is my home club. It’s a great course in the centre of the city and teaches you to play pretty straight. Otherwise, you are in the woods.

2 GDI: When did you start

playing golf?

I started playing Golf in the year 2000. So it’s been nearly 17 years.

I am very proud to have been coached by India’s premier coach – Vijay Divecha. I can never forget the fundamentals he taught.

3 GDI: What do you love

about the game?

I love golf in every way. I love the serenity surrounding a golf course. The game is itself quite technical, which I find endearing since I love technology. Then it brings best out of people in terms of their personality traits. Strength of mind, ability to deal with adversity, coming back from a disaster, bettering yourself, maintaining integrity in challenging situations etc. The final reason is that it knows no age. Anyone can play!

4 GDI: Who have you played

the most golf with?

Mostly with my buddies from work, who have become friends for life. I play with customers and business partners occasionally, too.

5 GDI: How about your

dream fourball?

It will be Jordan Speith, Phil Mickleson and Bubba Watson and me as an amateur.

GDI: Favourite golf course in India and abroad.

I like Prestige Golfshire in Bangalore. Overseas, I have played on a few good courses, but none better than Cypress Point Course at the Pebble Beach Complex. It is one of the most exclusive, and the most picturesque, in the world.

6

7 GDI: How often do you get

to play?

I used to play once every week but then I had to take a break due to ACL injury. I have now resumed and I, on average, play once in 2-3 weeks.

8 GDI: Your thoughts on

doing business on the golf course?

I don’t think the golf course is a good place to do business. It is there to make friends and build relationships. Business could be an interesting side effect outside the course.

9 GDI: Favourite male and

female golfers.

My favourites are Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Bubba Watson. Amongst Indian Golfers I follow Aditi Ashok and Anirban Lahiri.

10 GDI: Describe your most memorable golfing experience There are a couple of them. The first was when I scored 2-over on Day 1 of a strokeplay tournament and scored 20-over on Day 2 and still won the championship. The second instance was when I had a Hole-in-One at BGC.

106 golf digest india | october 2017

“I DON’T THINK THE GOLF COURSE IS A GOOD PLACE TO DO BUSINESS. IT IS THERE TO MAKE FRIENDS AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS.” 11 GDI: Do you use any golf

15 GDI: Your favourite

apps on your phone?

I keep trying a lot of them, but nothing permanent. Right now it is Golfpad app

holiday destination Has to be USA. It has so many good courses. My dream is to witness the Masters at Augusta.

12 GDI: Your current handicap?

16 GDI: Favourite dish on

18.

13 GDI: Your lowest handicap?

14.

14 GDI: On an average how

long do you drive the ball?

I am not a big driver of the golf ball. I typically drive 220-240 yards. I am more of an iron and wedge player.

your home course Chicken Fried Rice.

17 GDI: Mid-round

power snack Don’t prefer anything. Like to keep myself hydrated with Gatorade

18 GDI: Favourite 19th hole

drink It has to be Bombay Sapphire Gin with Schweppes Tonic Water

Total Number of pages (including cover pages) is 108 Monthly Magazine, RNI N0. HARENG/2016/66983