Winner, or not: The distance between the two

By Rahul Banerji

In the last couple of months, more than an few subscribers/friends have written in with one basic query; why cannot Indian golfers go the last mile after having done so much of the hard work? The feeling is that they find it difficult to win when it counts.

I suspect this trend of thought was triggered off by Shubhankar Sharma’s run late last year when he could not close out title challenges. The fact that he was to go on and win the Habit for Humanity Asian Tour Order of Merit standings was almost obscured because he won just the one event though the year.

He also emerged as the Eurpean Tour;s Rookie of the Year, sadly shaded over by his relative lack of success at the Hero Indian Open, where home hopes have been high with three successive Indian winners between 2015 and 2017.

Hero’s burden?

That is one possible reason, The other is Anirban Lahiri, who has gone agonizingly close more than once on the flagship PGA Tour yet failed to enter the charmed circle that enfolds tour winners and excludes those who miss out on that final step. Sunday’s victory by a struggling Corey Conners at the Valero Texas Open is a case in point.

The Canadian, who was the last man into the draw in Austin with a six-way playoff win in the Monday qualifiers got stronger and stronger as the event went on before winning from defending champion Charley Hoffman by two shots.

The pay-cheque aside, it handed Conners entry to next week’s Masters and a two-year winner’s exemption. Little wonder his first reaction was “no more Monday qualifiers for a while now”.

Exalted space

It is indeed a charmed circle, the place reserved for winners. The number of doors that open cannot be imagined. And the bigger the stage, the fatter the rewards.

Readers have suggested that it is something that lacks in the Indians, in terms of physique, training or temperament. Balance that thought against this: Five Indians won on the European/Asian Tours last year; Shunhankar Sharma at the Maybank and Jo’burg Open; Rahil Ganjee in Japan, Gaganjeet Bhullar in Fiji, Viraj Madappa at Bangalore (Take Solutions) and Khalin Joshi in Delhi (Panasonic Open).

So it is not that Indians do not know what it takes to be winners. For their fans, it simply just not happen often enough. That too is a fair call, especially when their favourites go so close only to falter at the very doorstep. Chikkarangappa S. was in contention till almost the very end at this year’s Hero Indian Open which was finally won by a 25-year European Tour veteran.

Missing out

Ajeetesh Sandhu and Rashid Khan all but had their hands on the Bangabandhu Cup Asian Tour event in Dhaka last week but lost out by one and two shots respectively to Thai rookie Sadom Kaewkanjana over the final few holes.

It can really be touch and go at that level. Look at Jordan Speith. The golfer who could not put a foot wrong not very long ago just cannot seem to find his way back these days. It’s golf. It happens.

Most of us here dabble in the game, playing a few times a week and I suspect all of us know just how hard it can be. Even with all their training, coaching, guidance and fitness, the professionals too are at the end of the day, golfers. It happens with them too.

Do feel free to share your thoughts at rabane@hotmail.com.

Also read: Chikka cards round of the day as Suri stumbles at the last