Golf: India
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Administrative issues
Indian Golf Union derecognised, 2016- 22
Sabi Hussain, April 16, 2023: The Times of India
New Delhi : After seven years, Indian golf will have its own full-fledged national squad in gentlemen, ladies and junior boys and girls categories. These teams will participatea cross all major international amateur competitions, including the prestigious World Team event, British Championships and Queen Sirikit Cup, among others.
India was without its nationa l squads since 2016 owing to Indian Golf Union’s (IGU) derecognition by the sports ministry and its failure to hold the annual general meeting (AGM). The federation held its AGM and election s in December 2022 and is now headed by Brijinder Singh as its president.
The IGU – the governing body of the sport in the country – has also done away with the practice of holding trials to select the Indian team for international events. Instead, it will send the national squad members to such global competitions. The trials will only be conducted to select the Indian golf contingent for the Asian Games and CWG, as mandated by the ministry. For the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, the Indian Golf Union (IGU) will hold trials from April 24 to 28 in Kolkata. The sport will make its debut at the CWG in 2026 in Victoria, Australia.
The country will have its first-ever high-performance centre in golf, which will come up at a cost of Rs 3-4 crore in one of the Indian cities this y ear and house the national team members.
The plans are a lso afoot to restructure the National Golf Academy of India (NGAI), which is headquartered in Chandigarh, and to have world-class regional NGAIs spread across four zones. The 10 members in the men’s squad include Yuvraj Singh, Shaurya Bhattach arya, Milind Soni, Jaiveer, Rohit, Vinamra Anand, Rohit, Harimohan Singh, Anand Singh Ahlawat and Rajesh Kr Gautam. The golfers were selected based on their performances in a oneyear cycle since April last year and, as per their standings in the Order of Merit (OMM).
Arjuna awards
2018: Aditi Ashok ignored
Sabi Hussain, Golf bodies spar over Aditi’s Arjuna snub, September 26, 2018: The Times of India
It was supposed to mark the announcement of the 12th edition of the Hero Women’s Indian Open golf tournament, but the occasion turned out to be a battleground for the Indian Golf Union (IGU) and the Women’s Golf Association of India (WGAI) to engage in a war of words over the denial of Arjuna award to the country’s leading woman professional golfer, Aditi Ashok.
Aditi’s name wasn’t recommended for the award by the Indian Golf Union (IGU), the body recognised by the sports ministry as the national sports federation (NSF) to run the men’s and women’s golf in India. Ace golfer Shubhankar Sharma was conferred with this year’s Arjuna award.
While IGU defended itself by arguing that it never received the form, which was forwarded to Aditi and was required to be signed by the Bangalore-based golfer as part of her Arjuna application, the WGAI accused the IGU of “gender bias” and “shoddy treatment” in denying Aditi yet another chance to land the Arjuna. Last year, too, Aditi had applied for the award but lost out to SSP Chawrasia. No woman golfer has won the Arjuna since Nonita Lall in 1987.
“This year, it came as a shock to us. IGU has been failing in its duty every year to push the case of deserving women golfers,” said WGAI secretary general Champika Sayal on Tuesday.
“IGU is contending that Aditi didn’t send her signed application within the stipulated deadline, so her application wasn’t forwarded. Was it that difficult to obtain her signature? IGU could have told us and we would have contacted Aditi and got her signature on the form,” added Sayal.
IGU’s director general, Bibhuti Bhushan, though maintained that the body tried its best to contact Aditi but the golfer remained incommunicado as she was constantly travelling and playing abroad. “We sent her the form in March this year, after which we followed it up with Aditi and her mother several times. What can we do if they didn’t respond?” he asked.
Meanwhile, Aditi is a doubtful starter for this year’s edition. She has qualified for the Buick LPGA Shanghai, China, whose dates are clashing with the Indian Open.
Indonesian Masters, BNI
2023: Indians take the two top places
Nov 20, 2023: The Times of India
Bhullar’s Indonesian romance continues
Clinches Fifth Asian Tour Title In The Country, His 11th Overall; Kochhar Finishes Second
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Gaganjeet Bhullar produced a virtuoso performance to win the US$1.5 million BNI Indonesian Masters, for his fifth title on Indonesian soil and the fourth wire-to-wire win of his career on the Asian Tour.
The 35-year-old from Kapurthala eagled the par-five 18th at Royale Jakarta Golf Club for a closing four-under-par 67 to finish on 24-under, which was five shots ahead of second-placed Karandeep Kochhar, also from India.
Ben Campbell from New Zealand, winner of the Hong Kong Open last Sunday, and Spaniard David Puig shot rounds of 65 and 66 respectively to claim third place, six back of Bhullar – in the final event of the season on The International Series.
It marks the first time Bhullar has raised this trophy, and it will proudly sit alongside three Indonesian Open wins and one Indonesia President Invitational title. It is the 11th win of his career on the Asian Tour – the most by an Indian, with Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa next best with eight titles. And it’s also his first victory since winning the Mandiri Indonesia Open in August of last year.
“It wasn’t that easy. This is my fourth Asian Tour wire-to-wire,” said Bhullar, who showed incredible mental fortitude to win having led the event since his opening round 63. “And this was a victory with a seven-shot lead and I just kept telling myself I have done that in the past and I am ready to do that this week.
“Today I played pretty well actually. I struggled a bit in the middle of the round, there was a stretch when I was trying my level best but I was not making the birdies but the chip in on number 16 turned around everything. And, of course the eagle on the last was the icing on the cake.”
His other wire-to-wire wins came in the Macao Open in 2012 and 2017 and at the 2013 Indonesia Open.
“Overall, I think it is a great sense of achievement for myself and I am really proud of myself,” added Bhullar, who revealed today that his grandma was born in Indonesia.
An added bonus for him is that his victory catapulted him from 46th place on The International Series Order of Merit to eighth, and it’s only those from second to eight who are fast tracked into the second round of the LIV Golf Promotions event in three weeks time in Abu Dhabi. The top three finishers there will earn places in next year’s LIV Golf League.
Kochhar will also be competing in Abu Dhabi. He celebrated his best finish on the Asian Tour.
Final scores (par 71): 260 Gaganjeet Bhullar (IND) 63-67-63-67; 265 Karandeep Kochhar (IND) 69-68-65-63; 266 Ben Campbell (NZL) 73-65-63-65; David Puig (ESP) 67-71-62-66.
International titles
Shubhankar first Indian Rookie of Year in European Tour: 2018
Shubhankar Europe’s ‘Rookie of the Year’, November 19, 2018: The Times of India
Dubai: India’s Shubhankar Sharma became the first Indian to emerge as the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year on the European Tour despite a disappointing final round of 80 at the DP World Tour Championships. Sharma follows Jon Rahm (2017), Wang Jeunghun (2016), Byeong Hun An (2015) and Brooks Koepka (2014) who have been the four Rookies before him.
No Indian has won the Rookie of the Year award in European Tour, though three Indians — Arjun Atwal (1995), Shiv Kapur (2005) and C Muniyappa (2009) emerged as Rookie of the Year on the Asian Tour. However, Sharma carded eight-over 80 in the final round of the DP World Tour Championships. He signed off tied-41st. PTI
LIV Golf Bedminster
2023
August 15, 2023: The Times of India
From: August 15, 2023: The Times of India
Bedminster (New Jersey) : Anirban Lahiri earned a big paycheque with a second-place finish at LIV Golf Bedminster, firing an aggregate of 5-under at the event. Lahiri, the only Indian playing in the Liv Series, shot rounds of 74-64-70, totalling 5-under and finishing behind Australia’s Cameron Smith (66-67-68), who aggregated 12-under. Smith’s team Rippers also won the team title while Lahiri’s side, led by Bryson DeChambeau, was second.
It was the third runner-up finish for Lahiri on the LIV Golf Tour. He was second at the Boston Invitational in 2022 and again finished runners-up in Adelaide. He earned $2.25 million for his second place but it also included $375,000 as his share of the prize money in the team event. Smith won $4 million for his title triumph. This was the second runners-up finish for Lahiri this season. He has had four more top-20 finishes and is currently 15th in the player standing s. Lahiri, starting from the first tee, dropped a shot on the second. He birdied the third, only to drop another shot on the sixth. He picked back-toback bridies on the 15th and 16th for a 70 that gave him a total of 5-under, which was seven behind the winner. Lahiri had shot 7-under 64 on the second day, which had catapulted him into con tention. Abraham Ancer dropped a late bogey on the first hole, his 16th, and slipped to third place at a total of 4-under with a final round of 69. Last month in Lon don, Smith won the individual title but his team, Rippers GC, was one stroke short of forcing a playoff. PTI
Major events
2023: two Indian women make cut for the first time
August 13, 2023: The Times of India
London : In a first for Indian women’s golf, two players from the country have made the cut at a Major together with Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar producing back-nine heroics to progress to the third round at the Women’s Open at Walton Heath. Aditi went 3-under for the back nine and Diksha played the back nine in 2-under and made the cut.
Aditi (72-69) was Tiedninth as she moved into a position to improve her best finish of T-22 at the Women’s Open, while Diksha made her first cut in a Major event. Diksha is Tied-47th. This only second instance in Indian golf when two players have made the cut together at a Major event.
In 2012, Jeev Milkha Singh and Anirban Lahiri had made the cut together at the British Open. Meanwh ile, Ally Ewing of the US fired a round of sixunder 66 to move into a fiveshot lead at the halfway mark. Three players -England’s Charley Hull (68), American Andrea Lee (68) and Japan’s Minami Katsu (69) -share the second place at 5-under-par.
Aditi, who had an even par 72 in the first round, was even par for the front nine with a birdie on the first and a bogey on Par-5 sixth.
Lahiri T-32 after weak opening round at LIV Golf
Bedminster: Anirban Lahiri was placed T-32 after an underwhelming opening round of 3-over 74 in the LIV Golf Bedminster here. The only Indian playing on the LIV golf circuit had two birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey in his round.
Australia’s Cameron Smith, who was 35th last week in Greenbrier, opened with a 5-under 66 to grab a one-stroke lead over Charles Howell III at Trump National Bedminster. Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed shot 3-under 68s on Friday to share third place. PTI
The Majors and Indians
As in 2018
Anirban surpasses Jeev in Major mark, August 9, 2018: The Times of India
From: Anirban surpasses Jeev in Major mark, August 9, 2018: The Times of India
St Louis: Anirban Lahiri will achieve a coveted landmark when he plays in his 15th Majors at the PGA Championship, surpassing Jeev Milkha Singh’s previous Indian record of 14. Lahiri’s younger colleague, Shubhankar Sharma, who has been the star of 2018, will also be in the field and becomes the youngest Indian and the third overall to have played all four Majors in a single year after Jeev (in 2007) and Lahiri (in 2015 and 2016).
As for Lahiri, his tied sixth finish at the WGC-Bridgestone is a proof of his improvement. Lahiri is also up to 82nd on FedExCup rankings and he could improve that this week. It has now put him back in top-100 of world rankings, and only four places behind Shubhankar. Shubhankar has played the first three Majors, but made the cut in only one - the Open, where he was tied 51. He was tied 9th at his first WGC, but has since been languishing lower down at both WGC Matchplay as also WGC-Bridgestone.
Sharma plays with Scott Piercy and Jordan Smith and will start at 10th tee in the morning wave, while Lahiri plays the first round in the afternoon alongside Brian Smock and Mike Lorenzo Vera.
SSP Chowrasia Invitational Golf Tournament
2023 : Om Prakash Chouhan
Dec 11, 2023: The Times of India
Chouhan bags title: Om Prakash Chouhan displayed nerves of steel in a close finish as he won the Rs 1 crore SSP Chawrasia Invitational Golf Tournament to secure his 11th career title. Om Prakash (70-69-70-73), the overnight leader by four shots, was not at his best on the final day as he shot a 1-over 73. AGENCIES
Women's golf
ShopRite LPGA Classic, New Jersey
2017: Aditi, Sharmila tee up
Historic first: Aditi and Sharmila tee up at LPGA, June 1, 2017: The Times of India
This week's ShopRite LPGA Classic in New Jersey will mark a historic moment for Indian women's golf as Aditi Ashok and Sharmila Nicollet will be teeing up at the event for the first time ever.
Aditi, winner of the Hero Women's Indian Open among the two titles she bagged in her Rookie Year as a professional in 2016, has earned a special status on the LPGA.
Sharmila topped a unique twitter poll to gain one of the sponsors' berth in the USD 1.5 million event. Sharmila, who till a few years back played on the Ladies European Tour before losing her card due to injuries and loss of form, topped the poll, which was LPGA's way of popularising women's golf around the world. She won the poll. The Indian girl, who held the flag for Asia, topped the poll. Aditi has so far played five LPGA events and made cuts in four. Her best finish has been tied-42 so far, but it is clear that she is slowly but steadily adapting to the conditions in the USA.
Women’s Open, London
2023
Best ever show by an Indian woman golfer
August 15, 2023: The Times of India
London : Diksha Dagar came up with the best-ever show by an Indian woman golfer at a Major as she ended the Women’s Open at tied-21st.
While compatriot Aditi Ashok signed off at T-40 posit ion. Diksha, a two-time LET winner who produced a fine effort on the back nine of the second round to make her first cut in a Major two days earlier, closed the week with another superb back-nine show.
After a 2-over on the front nine, Diksha was 3-under for the back nine for a 1-under scorecard. With rounds of 74-71-72-71, she totalled even par 288 for four days. Aditi, playing her seventh Women’s Open, shot a second straight 75 to fall to T-40 with rounds of 72-69-75-75. She was T-9 at the halfway stage of the tournament but slipped over the weekend. Lilia Vu of the US outplayed the field by six shots to win her second Major of the year. Vu, who shot 72-68-67-67, totalled 14-under for the week.
Diksha’s result of T-21 was the best-ever by an Indian woman at a Major, bettering T-22 by Aditi at the 2018 Women’s Open. Smriti Mehra finished tied-sixth at the 1998 Women’s British Open at Royal Lytham , but at that time the Women’s British Open was not a Major. It became a Major only in 2001. PTI
YEAR WISE DEVELOPMENTS
2015
Lahiri 5th/ PGA Championship Kohler
The Times of India, August 19, 2015
Anirban Lahiri made a resounding statement for Indian golf when he recorded In dia's best-ever finish in a Major.
The 28-year-old golfer from Bengaluru finished tied fifth in the PGA Championship, the year's final Major, with rounds of 70, 67, 70 and 68 at Kohler, Wisconsin (US) which helped him eclipse Chandigarh pro Jeev Milkha Singh's tied ninth re sult at the same event in 2008. He was seven strokes behind eventu al winner Jason Day of Australia.
Golfers who Lahiri finished ahead of included the likes of Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson and several Major winners. Tiger Woods failed to even make the cut at the event.
Lahiri pocketed $367,000 (Rs 2.4 crore) -his second highest pay cheque after his Malaysian Open win ($500,000) earlier this year -and jumped from 53rd to 38th spot in the world rankings.
2016
Aditi 1st Indian to win LET title
2 big wins in 1 day for Indian golf Nov 14 2016 : The Times of India
Aditi Bags European Tour Title, Chawrasia Triumphs At Manila
A glass ceiling and a psychological barrier were both shattered by In dian golfers on Sunday Nov 13, 2016.
18-year-old Aditi Ashok beat off the challenge of the more experienced American Brittany Lincicome and Spain's Belen Mozo to win the Hero Women's Indian Open in Gurugram. In doing so, the Bengaluru girl became the first Indian woman to win a Ladies European Tour title.
Her win and a prize purse of $60,000 propelled her to the top spot in the Rookie of the Year rankings.
Chawrasia/ World Manila Masters
2 big wins in 1 day for Indian golf Nov 14 2016 : The Times of India
In Manila, the seasoned Shiv Shankar Prasad Chawrasia, fighting off the challenge of a premium Asian Tour field at the $1 million Resorts World Manila Masters all week, pushed himself to a previously unknown level of attacking golf in the final round. He stormed to his first overseas win since he made the cut to play abroad in 2006.
The normally reticent Kolkatan, a regular winner at big-ticket events at home, pulled out all the stops in a three-way play-off between Malaysia's Nicholas Fung and US rookie Sam Chien for the $180,000 prize. “Haaro toh, attacking khel key haaro (If you are to lose, lose playing attacking golf). Finally , I was able to shift to that gear,“ he told TOI later.
2017
See graphic.:
PGA tour, achievements by India, 2006-... as on 6 June
November 2017: Aditi first Indian to make it to LPGA Tour Championships
Aditi makes history, November 15, 2017: The Times of India
First Indian To Make It To LPGA Tour C’ships
Aditi Ashok has qualified for the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship on the LPGA, becoming the first from the country to play in the prestigious meet. The 19-year-old prodigy is one of the eight rookies to make it to the Tour Championships in what is one of the strongest fields in women’s golf.
Meanwhile, Aditi has succeeded in keeping her LPGA card for 2018 after a sterling rookie season. With a string of creditable performances, including a Top-10 and starts at all five Majors, it has been a landmark year for the Bengaluru golfer, who won two LET events in 2016 and one in 2017.
2018
HONMA Hong Kong Open
SHARMA SHOOTS 67, FINISHES SIXTH, November 26, 2018: The Times of India
India’s Shubhankar Sharma on Sunday followed up his European Tour Rookie of the Year award season with a top-10 finish at the HONMA Hong Kong Open, strengthening his chances of winning the Asian Tour Order of Merit. The 22-year-old Sharma shot a three-under par 67 on the final day to improve to tied sixth place at nine-under par 271. England’s Aaron Rai (69), who is of Indian origin, won his first tournament on the European Tour after battling compatriot Matthew Fitzpatrick down the final stretch. The 23-year-old finished on 17-under par 263.
Scores (Indians only): 271: Shubhankar Sharma (69, 68, 67, 67, T-6); 277: Arjun Atwal (66, 72, 68, 71, T-36); 278: Shiv Kapur (73, 67, 67, 71, T-45); 279: Ajeetesh Sandhu (70, 67, 70, 72, T-57); 281: Viraj Mandappa (73, 68, 71, 69), Khalin Joshi (68, 71, 73, 69, T-67).
Melbourne World Cup
India finishes 10th
India finish 10th at World Cup, November 26, 2018: The Times of India
India recorded their second top-10 finish in the ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf after Anirban Lahiri (in pic) and Gaganjeet Bhullar produced a second successive two-under 70 in the final round. Lahiri and Bhullar finished on 12-under 276 to share the 10th spot after Sunday’s foursomes round, while Belgium won the tournament for the first time with a total of 23-under 265.
Belgium’s Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry added a four-under par 68 in the final round to win by three shots. Hosts Australia produced a storming finish of seven-under par 65 to climb to tied second place alongside Mexico (66) at 20-under par.
Tied third after the first two rounds, the Indian duo was disappointed with their weekend, unable to match or better the previous best effort by an Indian pair in the tournament -- Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa were tied ninth in 2005 in Portugal.
After a round that saw them make five birdies in eight holes from the seventh onwards, Bhullar said: “Pretty disappointed with our finish. Things started getting better on the back nine. I had a few good shots and Anirban holed a lot of good putts. But it was just towards the end there.”
Lahiri, who will now play his year’s last tournament in Indonesia in the Asian Tour season-ender, added: “If I was to sum it up, it’s been a bad weekend. I think we played really well on Thursday, Friday, a lot of positives there. Yesterday really was the day that both of us played quite poorly, and yesterday was the day that we kind of got ourselves out of contention.”
“We both really enjoyed ourselves. We gelled together really well. We were talking about it. It’s been maybe four or five years since the EurAsia Cup that we teamed last time, so it was a good reunion.”
2019
First year after 2001 without international title
Dec 23, 2019: The Times of India
It was a barren year for Indian golf and this was the first time since 2001 that no Indian emerged winner on an international Tour. Indians won six titles each in 2017 and 2018.
India’s Ajeetesh Sandhu shot four-under 67 to end tied-11th as Jazz Janewattananond signed off from his 2019 Asian Tour season with a commanding 5-shot victory at the Thailand Masters. It also marked a barren year for Indian golf and this was the first time since 2001 that no Indian emerged winner on an international Tour. The last two years have seen Indians win six titles both in 2017 and 2018.
Jyoti Randhawa (68) at tied-39th, SSP Chawrasia (70) at tied-48th, Aadil Bedi (68) at tied-54th, Arjun Atwal (76) at tied-60th and Viraj Madappa (73) at tied-73rd were the other Indians in the field.
Sneha prevails in a thriller:
In a battle between two 15-yearolds, Hyderabad’s Sneha Singh held her nerve to score a 1-up win over Hitashee Bakshi and annex the 103rd All-India Ladies Amateur Matchplay Golf Championship crown at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club on Sunday.
Diksha wins S African Women’s Open
Special Diksha clinches title, March 17, 2019: The Times of India
Delhi Teen Sets Mark On European Ladies Tour
Inspired by a magical chip-in on the 16th hole, Indian rookie teen Diksha Dagar claimed victory in the South African Women’s Open, celebrating a maiden Ladies European Tour win in just her fourth professional start at Westlake Golf Club.
Diksha turned in a magnificent bogey-free final round of three-under to score a one-shot win at the 2m Rand (approx. US $140,000) event. She rallied from two shots behind over the much experienced local Lee Anne Pace to become only the second Indian woman to win a tournament on the Ladies European Tour. “I just went out today trying to play my normal game,” said Diksha.
FCG Callaway Junior world: Bhati wins
Arjun Bhati wins Junior World Golf Championship
New Delhi: India’s Arjun Bhati defeated Taiwan’s Jeremy Chen to win the FCG Callaway Junior world Golf Championship 2019 in Palm Desert, California. Out of 637 golfers from 40 counties that participated in the tournament, Arjun secured the first position with a total of 199 strokes in the three-day final. He was followed by Chen and New Zealand’s Joshua Bai at second and third positions with 202 and 207 strokes respectively. With his closing 199, he finished at 17-under-par for three rounds. Arjun made the best score among 13-18 age category.
See also
Golf: India
