Usha JTP to be held at Delhi Golf Club from May 13

By Rahul Banerji

The 33^rd edition of the Usha Junior Training Programme organised by the Delhi Golf Club will run from May 13 to June 21. it was announced by event sponsor Usha International. The company has been associated with the programme since 2006, where youngsters in the age group of eight to 17 years are introduced to golf.

The programme has been divided into four 10-day camps starting on May 13, May 23, June 2, and June 12, respectively. Entry forms are available at the Delhi Golf Club office during office hours and is open to both members’ as well as non-members’ children.

Each camp will conclude with a prize distribution ceremony where participants will be felicitated according to their age, ability, and performance. Over the years, the programme has been the training ground of the likes of Shiv Kapur, Daniel Chopra, Rashid Khanand Gauri Monga,all past participants of JTP. 

Wide-ranging

Two hundred children will be trained by Category A coaches including Ajay Gupta, Vikram Sethi, Nonita Lall Qureshi and Jasjit Singh. Participants will be segregated into beginners, intermediate, and advanced groups and will be taught different aspects of the game –driving, putting, chipping, bunker play and Pitching, as well as the basic rules and etiquette of the game in three sessions (7 a.m. to 9 a.m., 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. & 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.) per day. 

There will also be a fitness training module by a certified trainer.

Said DGC captain Rohit Sabherwal, “that this is an initiative to promote golf and catch them young.”

Added Komal Mehra, the head of Sports Initiatives and Associations, Usha International, “By associating with the JTP, we hope to instill sporting spirit and values amongst the youth as well as promote young talent to enter the professional circuit.

“This aligns with the Usha brand ethos of “play” and promoting a healthy and active lifestyle”.

Pan moves to no. 8 in team standings

Meanwhie, according to the PGA Tour, two players made significant moves toward qualifying for their first Presidents Cup over the past two weeks, with Chinese Taipei’s C.T. Pan  winning the RBC Heritage for his first career PGA Tour victory.

For his part, Ryan Palmer of the United States teamed up with Jon Rahmto win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans for his fourth career PGA Tour title and the first since 2010. The wins moved Pan and Palmer to eighth and 19th in the International and US team standings for the Presidents Cup.

The event returns to Melbourne, Australia for the third time between December 9 and 15 when the Internationals, led by Ernie Els, take on the Tiger Woods-led Team USA.

Path-breaker

Pan is looking to become the first player from Chinese Taipei to qualify for the Presidents Cup. He is also doing his part to help develop the next generation of golfers in Chinese Taipei through the C.T. Pan Junior Championship that is operated by the American Junior Golf Association.

“It would be my biggest honour to play under captain Els. I definitely want to do my part to win the Presidents Cup,” Pan said.

“We don’t have a Ryder Cup in Asia and I feel it’s kind of unfortunate for the golf fans back home in Asia. I think the Presidents Cup will be something like that. And it will inspire more kids to play golf or inspire more people to follow golf.”

After jumping from 31 to eighth in the standings, Pan will look to maintain his position through the FedExCup Playoffs in August, when the top eight automatic qualifiers become official after the BMW Championship.

In the International standings, Australia’s Marc Leishman retains top spot for the 20^th consecutive week dating back to the Hero World Challenge (December 2, 2018).

Long time coming

Palmer’s win moved him from 40 to 19th in his quest to earn a Presidents Cup debut. Having competed full-time on the PGA Tour since 2004, the 42-year-old’s return to the winner’s circle was a long time coming after six runner-up finishes since his last victory at the 2010 Sony Open in Hawaii.

“I always felt I could win again. So many things have to go right that week to win, and you’ve got to have luck on your side throughout the week, obviously, and a great game,” Palmer said.

“I’ve had a lot of chances, a lot of second-place finishes, a lot of third- or fourth-place finishes, and just never could get over that hump. One round kind of kept me out of it each time. But I just kept believing in what I was doing. I knew my game was good enough.”

Also read: Two aces, four count-back wins mark NGC Captain’s Cup tournament