From a Correspondent
Chonburi, Oct 25: Close friends Shat Mishra, 17, and Shaurya Bhattacharya, 19 are in Bangkok for what they call “probably the best-known amateur event”, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.
The winner gets a berth at the Masters at Augusta National the following year besides a start at The Open too.
Mishra and Bhattacharya are part of the seven-strong Indian squad for the event being held from Thursday at the Amata Spring Country Club an hour outside Bangkok.
The others are Rayhan Thomas, Aryan Roopa Anand, Milind Soni, Arjun Gupta and Krishnav Nikhil Chopraa.
Thomas is making his fifth appearance at the event, where he finished runner-up in 2018 at the Sentosa Golf Club.
Anand, Soni, and Gupta are at the AAC for the second time while Chopraa, son of former India cricketer, Nikhil Chopraa, Bhattacharya, and Mishra are making their debut.
Both Mishra and Bhattacharya live in Delhi, so they play a lot together and on the amateur Tour, they also stay together.
Best of everything
The rangy Mishra said, “I have been looking forward to this event for long. It is supposed to be the best in terms of everything in golf.
“And what can be better than to play an event, which has on offer a spot to the Masters and the Open.”
Bhattacharya, coached by former Asian Games team silver medallist, Rahul Bajaj, couldn’t agree more.
“Everyone talks about this event, and it will be the first time for both of us. So many champions have emerged from here and we will be playing on a world-class course.”
The two have been very busy. They played the Indian Ocean Championships in Mauritius and before that the National Games and the Southern India Championships.
In between Mishra squeezed in two days of caddying for 2011 winner Caroline Hedwall at the Hero Women’s Indian Open at the DLF Golf and Country Club, where he is part of the ‘Excellence Programme’.
“I learned a lot watching an experienced player like Caroline Hedwall play at such close quarters,” said Mishra, who is coached by Anitya Chand.
On the move
Talking of a. busy schedule, Bhattacharya, smiles and adds, “We are all trying to play as much as we can. Aryan (Roopa Anand) has probably done most travelling amongst us.
“He played in Chandigarh at the Jeev Invitational as an amateur, then went to his hometown, Bangalore, and is now flying Bangkok.”
Gupta is coming in from Dubai, while Chopraa is flying in from the US, where he is a freshman at Long Beach State University.
Thomas, who came close to winning this marquee event is now a senior at the pedigreed Oklahoma State University, wants to take the trophy home once before turning pro.
For his part, Soni is desperate to make up for the disappointment of 2021, when he was hit by food poisoning. He still played and made the cut and finished 41st.
Young as they may be, they all want to learn all they can as amateurs, before hitting the professional ranks.
Also read: Thomas returns in search of victory at Asia-Pacific Amateur golf
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