Hyderabad teen out to make most of maiden Hero Women’s Indian Open

By Rahul Banerji

Sneha Singh is a bit of a unique entity at the Hero Women’s Indian Open 2019, having earned a spot in the 120-strong field on the basis of her win in a domestic professional tour event at home in Hyderabad earlier in the summer.

At 15, Sneha is amongst the youngest-ever participants in the national women’s Open. Given the brutal reputation of the course and expected quality of the field, she is surprisingly calm about her prospects, never having faced the testing nature of the Black Knight course.

“Yes, it is a tough course but It’s not all that bad, and I’ll be doing my best here. I was here two years ago to watch the Open when DLF invited junior players from some clubs around the country to come and watch the professionals. This will be a good challenge,” she said on the eve of the 13^th edition of the HWIO.

Sneha is coached by her father Sanjay Singh, himself a former professional who cut his golfing teeth at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC). Around 10 years ago the family moved to Hyderabad and Sneha now calls the Hyderabad Golf Club home.

Solid backing

“She has received a lot of help and support from the HGC. In fact when she won earlier this year, the members suspended a tournament they were playing in to come and watch her finish that day.

“Sneha came from five shots behind to beat Van Kapoor by one. Many of the members had tears in their eyes,” recalls Sanjay, who made his pro debut at Shillong in 1993.

“HGA president J. Vikramdev Rao and the members have also decided to gift her a set of choice following the WPGA win. We have been very fortunate to get all their support and also from Delhi Public School, where she studies in Hyderabad.

“Though Sneha started very early, even before she was four, I saw real signs when she won back to back events at age six in Hyderabad. Up to 2104 she played mostly in local tournaments and in 2015, we put her into the Indian Golf Union’s South Zone tournaments after she topped the Order of Merit twice in a row at home.”

Mental strength

Sanjay, himself a Class A teaching professional, says his daughter’s greatest attribute is her immense confidence. “Sneha is mentally very strong. Good or bad, she stays the same and is very clear in her mind about what she is doing or needs to do on the course.

“One thing that really stands out – and it is not something I have taught – is that Sneha never hits a shot that she has not practiced. And she is quick to discard whet is not working. She has learned to play to her strengths.

“In years to come it is physical strength and fitness that will need work. At the higher levels of the game she will have to hit long, but she has never shirked at practice, schedules whatever has been drawn up. It is studies that she tries to avoid,” the 45-year-old says, laughing.

“Such are the turns of life that 22 years after I played on the Asian PGA at the Delhi Golf Club, my daughter is playing her first international event. It makes my decision to give up playing and concentrating on coaching juniors all the more worthwhile,” says the proud father.

Proud moment

“The fact that she is the first girl from Hyderabad and Telengana to be playing on such a big stage is also a proud moment for the HGA and we are very thankful for all their support and backing, especially the president, Mr Rao, and also the former honorary secretary, Mr Dayakar Reddy, not to mention all the other members and HGA committee.”

So does he think his daughter will make the cut on this fearsome course and against such a quality field? “She has the ability,” Sanjay says unhesitatingly. “I am only worried about how she will take the workload just days after recovering from an attack of dengue fever.

“In fact, just before coming here, I asked Sneha if she would be able to manage and she only said she would not give up on this opportunity. She will do her best, of that I am sure.”

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