Sentosa, Singapore June 19: A big talent, Cameron Smith who was once touted as the future star when he first made his presence felt on the Asian Tour, is now a shining star.

Having the world’s elite players for company on the PGA TOUR where he has since notched two wins and made his maiden President’s Cup appearance last year, the world number 38 is now making big strides. Smith’s path to stardom began with a standout Asian Tour rookie season in 2014, and as they say, the rest is history.

Along with reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Jazz Janewattanond of Thailand, the 26-year-old Aussie will tee up at this week’s RBC Heritage on the PGA TOUR. But as they continue to scale the higher echelons of the sport in the United States today, the starting point of their golfing journey can be traced back to the coastal town of Hua Hin in Thailand.

As a 20-year-old then, Smith competed and ended his gruelling Asian Tour Qualifying School test by finishing tied-18th to earn his Tour card in 2014. The Australian then decided to seek his fortunes on the Asian Tour early as he had said: “it was ‘good to stay close to home where I’ll be able to see my coach and trainer regularly.”

Smith stumbled initially in his first start at the Solaire Open when he missed the cut after rounds of 75 and 75 but quickly flew under the radar in his next event when he snatched the third round lead at the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters. Although he eventually settled for a share of second place, that superlative performance caught the attention of many and also signalled the rise of the young Australian on the Asian Tour.

His stats in his rookie year on the Asian Tour were indeed staggering and showed he was primed for a host of wonderful things to come. Apart from a tied-61st result at the Queen’s Cup after his exploits in Jakarta, Smith, who took up the sport at three under the influence of his father, never finished outside the top-10 in his next six starts on the Tour.

That included a tied-fifth finish at the lucrative Asian Tour and PGA TOUR sanctioned CIMB Classic in Malaysia which gave the Australian his first big break into the United States that year.

“Playing on the Asian Tour did open up a few doors for me. I ended up having a good year, so it was nice,” said Smith.

He may not have clinched that breakthrough on the Asian Tour, but his results were enough to see him end his rookie season in fifth place on the Order of Merit in 2014 and placed him on the fast track to success. Playing against the region’s best players and even surpassing some of the known veterans on Tour was a timely confidence booster for the Aussie.

INDONESIA JAKARTA April 26 Cameron Smith of Australia in action during the the third round of the US$750,000 CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club in Jakarta. The Asian Tour event was held from April 24th-27th,2014. / ASIAN TOUR / KHALID REDZA

Armed with renewed confidence from his exploits on the Asian Tour, Smith continued to hit his stride and took his game to the United States. He showed no signs of nerves when he teed up for his first Major at the U.S. Open in 2015 and made all the right headlines with his tied-fourth finish at Chambers Bay in Washington D.C.

“I had a great experience at the US Open. It was a dream finish for me. Playing on the Asian Tour last year has helped a lot as I was able to get into the moment and just do my own thing out there,” said Smith.

That result also gave him a temporary special membership on the PGA TOUR, secured his place among the game’s elite and catapulted him into the top-100 on the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career.

Currently ranked 38th in the world, Smith now plies his trade regularly in the United States where he has also set up his home in Jacksonville, Florida. He has already started his 2020 season in the best possible way by winning his first event at the Sony Open in Hawaii. It is a PGA TOUR title he can finally call his own, having shared the team title with Jonas Blixt at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans in 2017.

For someone who once confessed he could be working at the bar if his professional career in golf did not take off, Smith has come a long way since he first stepped up to the tee as a soft-spoken 20-year-old at the Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2014.

And like many who have made their mark on the Asian Tour before going on to advance their career internationally, nostalgia always fills the air whenever he is back in Asia.

“I love coming over here. I played probably 18 months on the Asian Tour, so I love coming back to where it all began,” said Smith after another noteworthy tied-third finish at The CJ Cup in Korea last year.

Sentosa, June 17: There is something quite ambassadorial about India’s golf star Anirban Lahiri writes Simon Wilson.

Thoughtful, calm and articulate he has been a fine representative for his country while playing on the PGA Tour over the past five years.

It is therefore a significant blow to all and sundry that Lahiri has been, as he says, “marooned” at home in India because of the coronavirus pandemic lockdown and unable to make it back for the re-start of the PGA Tour.

Lahiri played in the Arnold Palmer Invitational in early March and headed back to India to work on his game with long-time coach Vijay Divecha in Ahmedabad before playing in the Hero Indian Open — an event he proudly won in 2015 and put him on course to claiming the Asian Tour Order of Merit title.

But as they say, even the best laid plans sometimes go awry: three days after he arrived, quarantine was introduced for international travellers, before the nation went into lockdown and his national Open was postponed.

“We still don’t have a D-Day for when they will resume international flights,” said Lahiri — who, sadly for Asian viewers, will be missing from the field at this week’s RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour.

The young man, nicknamed “Baan”, was stuck in Ahmedabad for a period, before being able to get to his house in Bangalore with his family.

His golf clubs arrived late because of logistical issues across India but he has finally been able to brandish them over recent weeks at The Eagleton Golf Resort in Bangalore — which was his home club before he moved to the United States.

“I went two months, (actually) about 75 days, before I hit a ball, and that’s probably the longest since I was in 10th grade. It was about the longest break I have ever taken,” said Lahiri, “There were times when you want to tear your hair out as you are used to being on the go all the time.”

JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 25: Anirban Lahiri poses for his official headshot prior to the start of the Presidents Cup at Liberty National Golf Club on September 25, 2017 in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Caryn Levy/PGA TOUR)

Like many across the globe the Indian has used the “time off” to rest and recalibrate and he says: “Spending time with my 16-month-old daughter, has been very precious to me”.

He adds: “It has been quite frustrating but it has also been an opportunity for me to hit the pause button, spend some quality time with my family and friends, do some introspection, work on the mental side and work on the physical side, as much as possible.

“Given the situation there are limitations to what you can do but you try and do the most you can, within the confines of your house. But now that I can play golf again it feels great. I didn’t think that just playing golf can feel this great.”

Lahiri is at the helm of the latest generation of Indian golfers breaking boundaries and inspiring a nation. When he was growing up his idols were Jeev Milkha Singh, who he feels was the “global torch bearer” due to his success all over the world, and Arjun Atwal, whom he calls “the PGA Tour stalwart” — as he remains the only Indian to win on the PGA Tour, thanks to his success in the 2010 Wyndham Championship.

Lahiri triumphed seven-times on the Asian Tour before departing to play on the PGA Tour — where he impressed all by making the FedExCup Playoffs in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

In 2015, he became the first Indian to be selected to play for the International Team in the Presidents Cup and that year he finished tied fifth at the PGA Championship — the best result by an Indian golfer in a Major.

In 2016, he also represented India when golf returned to the Olympics after a hiatus of 112-years and the following year he was again selected for the Presidents Cup. The list of accolades and achievements for a player who turns 33 on June 29 is extremely impressive.

But as all golfers know though form is only temporary, and Lahiri is currently experiencing a dip in fortunes.

He failed to make the FedExCup Playoffs last year for the first time but was able to regain his playing status thanks to finishing strongly at the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. This season, before Covid-19 struck with such devastating effect, he was also facing a similar battle with his form; he was ranked 209th having played 12 events.

“The last 18 months leading up to Covid, have been very, very poor. I have played nowhere near my own expectations, it’s definitely been something I want to work on and fix. That was why I came here to spend some extended time with my coach,” said the Indian.

“We set up a programme to tackle all the issues that we felt were causing my level to drop, and we started working on these things but then lockdown happened. There is a lot of unfinished business and some work to be done for me, I am going to try and make the most of the situation. I need to try and get back to my best golf which has been missing for the past 18 months of so.”

Lahiri feels his iron play has been his “Achilles heel” of late — which, ironically, was for so long one of the hallmarks of his game. With that component of his game not firing as well as it normally does he is not making enough birdies, something that is very costly on the world’s elite circuit.

He says: “I’m caught in the situation now where in a way it’s not terrible that I can’t get back because I have work to do.”

Few doubt that he will recapture the magic that has seen him achieve so much success in the game.

After a brilliant amateur career — he played for his country in the Asian Games (he and Gaganjeet Bhullar were part of the team that claimed silver in Doha in 2006) Eisenhower Trophy, and Nomura Cup — he turned professional in 2007 and it wasn’t long before he triumphed on India’s burgeoning professional tour, winning twice in 2009.

In 2011, he claimed his maiden victory on the Asian Tour at the Panasonic Open on home soil, marking the start of an assault on some of the biggest titles in the region.
Third on the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2013, second in 2014, he topped the chart the following year thanks to two career-defining victories in February, first the Malaysian Open and then the Indian Open — both events jointly sanctioned with the European Tour.

“Oh, I miss the Asian Tour, I have a lot of friends there. There is no other Tour like the Asian Tour in terms of the camaraderie and the friendships you make, and the experiences you have. It is unique, people in Asia are unique and it’s just a pleasure to enjoy your time on the Tour,” said Lahiri.

“It’s a great stepping stone, you compete against some really good players, play in different conditions, you learn a lot of new things, you experience so many different cultures, different ways of life, it teaches you a lot of things, outside of golf as well. In Europe and the US you play in a similar environment. I really, really enjoyed my time on the Asian Tour.

“It really helped me to become who I am and I made some very deep and lasting friendships. I still look forward to coming back and playing every opportunity I can.”

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 12: Anirban Lahiri of India watches his tee shot on the 16th hole during the second round of the golf on Day 7 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Golf Course on August 12, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

For the moment Lahiri is focused on returning to form on the PGA Tour; something which will allow him to achieve his goals of re-establishing his position on the Official World Golf Ranking, playing in all four Majors and helping to further promote the game in India — something that is very important to him.

He has certainly been making the most of this unexpected period of downtime: on Instagram you can find “Cooking with the Lahiris” videos.

“It was just an idea that some of my friends came up with to kill time during lockdown. You have seen guys giving tips, hosting talk shows and a lot of us have been cooking,” explains Lahiri, who has been a vegetarian for two years.

When it comes to cooking, he says he is a “10 handicapper while my wife is a professional”.

With his skills now sharpened in the kitchen, he will also be looking to serve-up some Lahiri signature specials when he returns to the Tour.

Ends.

June 16: Asian Tour caddies will stand to benefit from a fundraising initiative set up by their counterparts from the European Tour in the face of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

European Tour caddies are helping others affected by the coronavirus outbreak with a fundraising prize draw for golf memorabilia to help their ‘caddie comrades’ on the Asian Tour and Sunshine Tour.

Organised by Brendan Mccartain, Gareth Lord, Billy Foster, Brian Nilsson, Jamie Lane and Zack Rasego, the latest efforts from the European Tour Caddies Association (ETCA) are aimed at assisting their colleagues and counterparts on the Asian Tour, represented by the Professional Tour Caddies Association (PTCA) and the Sunshine Tour, represented by the South African Caddies Association (SACA).

The fundraising campaign comprises of a Draw consisting of pieces of golfing memorabilia and equipment – donated by ETCA members, players and manufacturers – with a target of raising £28,000 to support the caddies who belong to those associations.

The idea was started by Mccartain, who was inspired to get a team of caddies together from the ETCA following an unexpected donation from the European Tour and the success of two similar initiatives set up by Foster and Ian ‘Fino’ Finnis in April.

“We got help when we didn’t expect it, and it started really because of what had been done for us,” said Mccartain, who caddies for Malaysia’s Gavin Green, 2017 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion.

“The European Tour kindly made a donation to the ETCA and none of the caddies had expected anything, so the fact that they did that was really cool. Then on top of that Ian Finnis, who caddies for Tommy Fleetwood, did a similar thing to what we’re doing, which was completely uninitiated by anybody. I thought, that’s got to be one of the most selfless acts I’ve ever seen by somebody.

“I’ve been a caddie nearly 30 years, and Fino’s not been out here a long time, so when I saw he did, I was completely blown away. He ended up raising £125,000, which was split among all of the European Tour Caddie Association members. It was an incredible thing.

“That’s what started it, and then seeing the situation that we’re in and realising that there are a lot of people who are in very different situations around the world, including our caddie comrades in Asia and South Africa. It could be a lot longer for the majority of them before they get back to work again.

“I thought, somebody needs to do something. We’ve all been going over to both Asia and South Africa for a long time and the European Tour is intrinsically involved with both Tours at different events every year, so there’s quite a strong relationship between us all. A couple of us spoke – especially Brian Nilsson, who caddies for Nicolas Colsaerts – and said why don’t we try some prizes together, get caddies to donate and try and raise some money for both the SACA and the PTCA, and the response from the ETCA was brilliant.

“It’s been a team effort. I set it up as a go fund me team with Brian, along with Jamie Lane, who works with Bernd Wiesberger, Billy Foster, who is with Matthew Fitzpatrick, Zach Rosego, who caddies for Christiaan Bezuidenhout, and Gareth Lord, who caddies for Justin Rose. All of them were more than happy to help, and all of them have been important.

“There are thousands of good and worthy causes, but we are in a position to help them, and we want to show them that we’re thinking of them in these difficult times. It may not be a huge amount of money, but hopefully we can raise enough to give them something.”

At present the Draw currently includes 39 prizes, with a cost of £5 per raffle ticket. Memorabilia includes signed flags from Justin Rose and Jordan Spieth, in addition to putters, drivers, and Ryder Cup clothing.

All proceeds raised by the ETCA will be distributed equally between the PTCA and SACA, and winners will be announced on June 25.

Enter Here

Sentosa, Singapore June 12: The sights and sounds of Malaysia have become all too familiar for Yuta Ikeda now. The Japanese has unintentionally made himself right at home in Malaysia for the last three months.

An early arrival into the capital city of Kuala Lumpur to prepare himself for the Bandar Malaysia Open and acclimatise to the tropical weather, has turned out to be an extended affair after several unexpected turns of events.

With an impressive tally of 21 victories on the Japan Golf Tour, where he has won at least one title every year since 2009, Ikeda was then setting his sights on winning the Bandar Malaysia Open in March.

While two of his victories in Japan have come at Asian Tour co-sanctioned tournaments, it was a victory abroad that has been elusive and he was determined to add that accolade to his distinguished record.

Unfortunately, Ikeda’s title ambition went awry when he was struck with dengue fever just days before he was due to compete at the Kota Permai Golf and Country Club.

“I came to Malaysia 10 days before the start of the Bandar Malaysia Open. Japan was still very cold at that time, so I decided to come early get used to the warm tropical weather. But about a day before the tournament was supposed to start, I broke out in cold sweat and felt feverish. I was vomiting and I could hardly walk. I went to see a doctor quickly and was told I had dengue fever!” recalled the 34-year-old.

Ikeda had to spend two days in the local hospital where he was put on an intravenous drip and asked to rest. And the only action Ikeda saw that week was on TV.

“I caught up with the highlights of the tournament while recuperating and really wished I could be part of the action. It was a very good tournament and the play-off with Trevor Simsby winning was very exciting,” said Ikeda.

Just as he was preparing to return home, the COVID-19 pandemic hit hard with borders closed, travel restrictions implemented and air travel coming to a grinding to a halt. With his homecoming plans in disarray, Ikeda was fortunate to be offered a place to stay by a close friend during the Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia.

He has spent his days catching up with the latest developments back home but golf was also never far from his mind.

“I read the news everyday just to know what’s happening around the world. I’m always a positive person and I know that while things might be difficult now, it will always work out in the end.”

Ikeda, who has made a full recovery, finally got the chance to return to the golf course again when Malaysia eased some of its MCO with golf courses reopening.

“I went to the practice driving range immediately and it felt so good as I didn’t hold a club for a month since I came down with dengue fever. This period is also the longest layoff since I started playing golf, but I guess it’s also the same for all other professionals.

“While we can continue to keep ourselves physically and mentally prepared when the season resumes, we also have to be mindful of how the future of professional golf tournament environment will change because of the coronavirus,” said Ikeda.

Japan’s famed cherry blossom season was in full bloom last month and the ‘hanami’ which is often a huge part of Japanese social calendar was copiously missing for Ikeda. He may not be able to marvel at the cherry blossoms back home this year, but he has found solace in a place that he now calls Malaysia his home away from home.

Like his fellow Tour members, Ikeda longs to compete again and awaits the restart of the Japan and Asian Tours. Even though Ikeda’s unanticipated stay in Malaysia has been longer than expected, his cheery disposition and his warrior spirit remains very much intact.

Ikeda said with a laugh: “I always love coming to Malaysia and this trip has been very unforgettable so far. With so much uncertainty now, Malaysian Government has been generous in allowing me to extend my stay in Malaysia longer by extending my travel visa, I feel at home here. I’ll be staying here a little longer so that I can continue to play golf and enjoy their hospitality and the good food like their roti canai and mee mamak!”

Tokyo, June 10: Sagamihara Golf Club will return to the spotlight when it plays host to the 2021 Asia-Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup Golf.

The decision to stage the historic Asia Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC)-supported event at the Kanagawa Prefecture club’s storied East Course was ratified at a Board meeting of the Japan Golf Association (JGA).

“We’re delighted to confirm that Sagamihara Golf Club’s East Course has been secured and approved as the venue for next year’s Asia-Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup Golf,” said Andy Yamanaka, the JGA’s Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer.

To take place from May 13-16, 2021, the event is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO). The seventh edition had been due to take place last month but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the JGA’s four National Championships, alongside the Japan Open, Japan Women’s Open and Japan Senior Open, the Asia-Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup Golf was recognised by The R&A last year with the enticement of an invitation to the champion to compete in The Open.

Among its other unique facets, the Asia-Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup Golf gives a start to the winner of the previous year’s APGC Junior Championship Mitsubishi Corporation Cup while a number of exemptions are allocated to the APGC for them to invite leading amateurs from the region to participate.

Under guidance from the JGA, it was in 2014 that the Diamond Cup Golf and Asia-Pacific Open Golf Championship merged into the Asia-Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup Golf, in partnership with the Mitsubishi Corporation and Osaka-based Kansai Television Co Ltd.

Taimur Hassan Amin, the APGC’s Chairman, said: “We look forward to the Diamond Cup returning to the schedule stronger than ever in 2021. Our thanks go to the Japan Golf Association for its continued support in providing such wonderful opportunities for our players to gain top-level experience in the early portion of their golfing journeys.”

A one-hour drive from downtown Tokyo, Sagamihara Golf Club has hosted the Japan Open Golf Championship on three occasions with Toru Taniguchi emerging triumphant the last time it was held there in 2007. It was also the venue for the Japan Women’s Open Golf Championship in 2013, won by Mika Miyazato.

Designed by Yuji Kodera, the East Course was opened in 1955. The course was remodelled by Yoshikazu Murakami in 1963, allowing for two greens on each hole, ensuring the layout is playable year-round.

Sentosa, Singapore, June 7: The Asian Tour plans to resume its 2020 season in September where its schedule is based on forecasts and the current trajectory of gradual relaxations of social distancing measures across the region.

The decision for the Tour’s restart in September is also largely centered around international travel restrictions which can present a huge logistic challenge for many players living outside countries where tournaments are staged.

Asian Tour’s Commissioner and CEO, Cho Minn Thant said: “We are targeting a conservative restart in September because of the current predicament with restrictions on air travel and large gatherings. Unlike domestic markets, we understand international travel will slowly restart in phases and the ultimate lifting of quarantine periods will determine the Tour’s ability to resume full-scale operations.”

The Shinhan Donghae Open is expected to be the first event to tee off since the global COVID-19 pandemic forced the season to be suspended in March. The tournament has been scheduled to tee off at Bear’s Best Cheongna Golf Club located in Incheon, Korea from September 10-13 with a purse of KRW1.4 billion (approximately US$1,181,000 million).

Plans are in place for the season to continue onwards to Chinese Taipei and Japan for the Mercuries Taiwan Masters and Panasonic Open Golf Championship respectively. Following that, discussions are already in place for an event in South East Asia before the Tour goes to India for what is targeted to be an ‘Indian Swing’ with the Panasonic Open India, the re-scheduled Hero Indian Open and a possible new event in Delhi.

“We are targeting between 10 to 12 events from September to December. There is a prospect of the Tour traveling to China and culminating with a stretch which includes the Hong Kong Open and Mauritius Open in the later part of the year.  During this period, if things go our way, there may also be a couple of new events that get added to the schedule.

“As for the Asian Development Tour, we are targeting between six to eight tournaments with events in Thailand, Indonesia and Chinese Taipei while events in Malaysia are still pending,” said Cho.

While dates for other events are still in discussions with promoters and key stakeholders, the Asian Tour remains very hopeful of recovering much of its season amid the rapidly evolving situation.

“It is encouraging to see the gradual relaxation of social distancing measures throughout the globe. The return to action of several major sports organizations and leagues, although without fans in attendance, has given all of us a huge uplift in many respects.

“We have been working diligently behind the scenes to rearrange the tournament schedule and ensure that we can play as much tournament golf as practically possible in the last four months of 2020. Our measured approach has been based on the constant changes that we face on a daily basis,” said Cho.

With members of over 25 different nationalities residing across the globe, their ability to travel is very much dependent on the respective local government health and travel guidelines. Taking into consideration the possibility of extended disruptions for some of its members, discussions are being held to determine the conclusion of the season and its transition into 2021.

“We anticipate that there may be some restrictions for travellers from certain countries when we resume. If this is the case, we will still start as planned with players who can travel and assess the impact and severity of the disadvantage for those who cannot.

“Once this information is established, we will make a call with regards to the conclusion of the season and the transition into the 2021 season. But at this time, we plan to extend our season into 2021, with the early events in 2021 also forming part of the current season,” said Cho.

As events make their welcome return, they will also be expected to take on a different look and feel in the wake of the new normal with heightened health and safety regulations.

“There is no doubt there will be some compromises in the early events. These could be in areas that we have taken for granted for many years. If we need to minimize the number of foreign travellers travelling into a host country, we may have to do without private caddies, entourages, and support staff. It is possible that only players and essential staff are permitted to travel.

“If hospitality marquee structures are not feasible because of the crowds that they attract, we may need to create other low risk opportunities for sponsors, such as an additional pro-am. But these temporary measures are necessary to ensure that we can resume our tournaments this year,” added Cho.

Ends.

Sentosa, Singapore May 29:  India’s Shubhankar Sharma is delighted to get back into action as he readies himself for the resumption of his season in Europe and chases his first victory since 2018 when he won the Maybank Championship on the Asian Tour.

With the latest announcement that the European Tour season will restart in July, the 2018 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion believes he will be in better form when he tees up for what will be his first professional tournament in four months.

“I’m definitely looking forward to playing well again because I didn’t have the best of starts at the start of the year. And the COVID-19 crisis was actually a blessing in disguise as it allowed me to reassess my game and mental state too.

“This has been my longest layoff from golf. Apart from spending quality time with my family which was really important, I took advantage of this period to reflect on all aspects of my game,” said Sharma.

Sharma started the year with a tied-59^th finish in Abu Dhabi before missing the cuts in his next four starts on the European Tour. After being left out of the weekend action again in Qatar and with his next event in Kenya cancelled due to the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, he decided to return home early to prepare for the Hero Indian Open.

But the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters would turn out to be his last event before the pandemic brought the sporting world to a halt.

“I honestly didn’t think things would get so bad with the virus until I got to Qatar where we were told Kenya would be cancelled. Then the next thing I knew was the Hero Indian Open was going to be postponed. Everything just happened so fast,” said Sharma.

As most parts of the world then went into lockdowns, Sharma, like many others, found ways to keeping themselves entertained and occupied.

“I tried to learn how to draw but that only lasted for a few days. I tried to learn the Ukulele. My sister was teaching me for a few days. I realised I was not really making too much headway and didn’t want to pursue it that much after that.

Like many other corporate professionals, Sharma continued to ‘work from home’. Until recently, access to gyms, driving ranges and golf courses were still restricted but the creative Indian managed to find ways to keep himself sharp, reviving even fond childhood memories from the past.

“I made a small chipping area in my garden and I practised my chipping where I made a small hole in the ground and tried to hit as many chips close to that as possible.

“That was interesting to me as I have not done that for a very long time. The only time I did it was when I was a kid, so it was fun reliving those days again,” said the 23-year-old.

As India eased some of its lockdown measures, Sharma finally got the chance to head back into doing the things he loved most at the Chandigarh Golf Club with his favourite four-ball partners- Aadil Bedi, Karandeep Kochhar and Ajeetesh Sandhu.

And returning to hit his first shot there when it resumed operations last week was certainly a refreshing breath of fresh air and liberation of sorts for the Sharma.

“It was really refreshing playing my first round of golf last week and I’ve been playing 18 holes every alternate day since then. At first, it was more like going back to the golf course to have fun again. It didn’t matter what kind of scores we shot but we just wanted to enjoy ourselves.

“Then it started getting competitive which is good as we all needed that to tune ourselves back to competition mode again,” said Sharma.

Sharma knows things will be different post-COVID-19 especially with the stringent safety and health protocols but is prepared come what may.

“Definitely there will be new protocol and social distancing measures that we all have to follow and I guess it is what it is. It’s important to try to stay safe at this point in time until the vaccination comes up,” said Sharma.

With a July resumption target in sight, Sharma is determined to keep himself in tip-top shape and remains sanguine he will rediscover that winning form that led him to two Asian Tour victories and the prestigious Order of Merit crown in 2018.

“I’m working towards getting myself back in the best of shape, both physically and mentally. There are still about two more months to go and I know I’ll be totally prepared when I hit my first tee shot in a professional tournament then

“I’m also looking forward to returning and compete on the Asian Tour as it is a great Tour and brought me much success in my career,” said Sharma.

May 21: The U.S. Open, according to most golfers is the toughest Major to win. On the tournament Thursday, it has 156 starters, but in the weeks running up to it, it has more than 10,000 dreamers hoping to get to that starting line, writes V.Krishnaswamy, @Swinging_Swamy  one of India’s leading sports journalists.

But this year, with Covid-19 looming large, the United States Golf Association (USGA), has announced there will no qualifiers at all. The tournament, scheduled to be held in June has been shifted to September.

The qualifiers have been a route for many an Indian seeking to play the U.S. Open. As  many as six Indians have figured in the U.S. Open, with Jeev Milkha Singh, like in many other aspects being the first. And all of them have come through the qualifiers at least once. Only Singh (in 2007 and 2009) and Anirban Lahiri (2015 and 2016) had direct exemptions, but on other occasions, they, too, came through the world-famous qualifiers.

Singh ‘qualified’ through Final qualifiers for his first U.S. Open in 2002 at Bethpage. After that he played the U.S. Open four times more. In 2006 and then again in 2017, too, he came through the qualifiers.

In 2016, he was actually the first alternate at the end of the qualifiers in Surrey, but got in after the withdrawal of Thongchai Jaidee.

In 2007 and 2009, he played because he was inside top-50 at the end of the previous year. He ended 2007 as world number 37 and was ranked 35th the end of 2008, winning the Asian Tour Order of Merit that year too.

“For me, the toughest Major is the U.S. Open, though the Masters was always a dream, like it is for any golfer. The qualifiers for the U.S. Open are tougher than most events and it takes a lot out of you. I am proud of the three times I came through that route and twice by exemption,” said Singh on the cancellation of the U.S. Open qualifiers.

“The massive scale of the qualifiers, often with over 10,000 starters is what make the U.S. Open so unique and it is called the People’s Major. Alas COVID-19 has stopped that from happening this year. But I am sure it (the qualifiers) will be back next year and I hope I will be there at the starting line.”

In 2006, along with Singh, another Indian getting into U.S. Open field was Jyoti Randhawa, also getting in through qualifying event in Surrey.

PEBBLE BEACH, CA – JUNE 14: Arjun Atwal of India (2nd L), Dustin Johnson (2nd R) and Tiger Woods (R) walk together during a practice round prior to the start of the 110th U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links on June 14, 2010 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

In 2010, Arjun Atwal became the third Indian to play the U.S. Open after coming through qualifiers at Rockfort, U.S.

Shiv Kapur, who loves the challenge of qualifiers, has played five Majors and each time he came through the qualifiers. Three times he did that for The (British) Open – in 2006, 2013 and 2016. Twice he got into the U.S. Open by the same route – in 2014 and 2015.

“What a pity, there will be no qualifiers this time. The Open is cancelled and the US Open has cancelled the qualifiers. But I suppose there was no choice. For me, the qualifiers have meant a lot. I made the Majors four times in five years through qualifiers between 2013 and 2017,” said Kapur, who logged his Major result, tied-23rd at the 2014 U.S. Open.

“The qualifier is a massive challenge and the 36-hole attempt has no room for error,” he added.

Shubhankar Sharma’s magnificent 2018 season saw him get an invite to the Masters, but for the U.S. Open he had to qualify from Columbus, and he did.

OAKMONT, PA – JUNE 17: Anirban Lahiri of India hits his tee shot on the 12th hole during the continuation of the weather delayed first round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club on June 17, 2016 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

In 2019, Lahiri, came through the qualifiers for his third appearance at the US Open. In 2015, when Lahiri won the Hero Indian Open, his last pro title, he forced his way into Top-50 before the U.S. Open. He ended 2015 at 40th in the world, making him eligible  for 2016 U.S. Open.

“As you can imagine, this was an incredibly difficult decision, as qualifying is a cornerstone of USGA championships,” said USGA senior managing director of championships John Bodenhamer.

Ends.