At the age of 16, the phenomenally talented Kartik Singh has provided enough evidence to justify the tag of ‘future superstar of Indian golf’.
At 61, Mukesh Kumar is aware his glory days are behind him, but nothing gives him more pleasure than beating youngsters half his age on the golf course.
Kartik also happens to be the youngest player in DP World PGTI’s 72 The League, the ground-breaking new team and league tournament that teed off at Classic Golf & Country Resort on Tuesday.
Mukesh is the oldest, almost four times Kartik’s age.
Despite their massive age difference, the excitement in them for a new format in the PGTI calendar is palpable as they represent different teams – Kartik is part of Mumbai Aces, while Mukesh wears the Kolkata Classic colours.
They’d love to beat each other if their paths cross, but because game recognises game, the two have the utmost respect for each other.
“Jis tarah ye ladka khelta hai, ye bahut jaldi bahut gadar macha dega (The way this boy plays, he will create a lot of mayhem very soon),” said Mukesh. “He is not going let anyone win on the PGTI Tour. Even at this age, he seems so mature, and he has got a lot of experience. To me, he doesn’t look like a rookie. He looks like someone who is playing on the winners’ category.”
Kartik said: “I hope I can play golf like him when I am 61. The fact that he can still make the cut in most tournaments, shows that he is still very competitive. He is mentally strong and still has a lot of belief in himself. And obviously, he has a lot of experience.”
Kartik has already shown his mettle in the tournament, a brand-new addition to the DP World PGTI Tour, when he battled hard against the American Jhared Hack, and showed remarkable grit in halving his match. Hack, 36, is the in-form player on the Tour, having secured his card by a runner-up finish in the Q-School, and later winning the season-opening SECL Chhattisgarh Open with a final-round 59.
Mukesh lost his singles match in the opening round, but that has not dented his conviction in any way.
“I am now more than 20-30 yards behind these new players. But does that mean I will give up on golf? I may not outdrive others, but I can still work on my short game harder than others. I really believe that I can make par on any hole, however long they may be. That is an advantage in team golf. My partner can depend on me,” said Mukesh.
“I am very excited about this new tournament. It just shows the progress made by the DP World PGTI Tour over the years. I still remember playing for purses as low as INR20,000 (US$220) in the 1980s. Now we play domestically for purses like INR2 crores (nearly US$220,000). The addition of this new league format is very good for the players, and I just hope it is as good for the team owners.”
It’s Kartik’s first full season on the Tour, and he was delighted to get an opportunity like 72 The League.
“I have been part of many teams over the last couple of years, including the Bonallack Trophy last year in the UAE. I absolutely love being in a team environment. One, you get to learn so much from other members of the team, and secondly, you make friends for life when you have to spend so much time together in each other’s company,” said Kartik.
Asked how he’d approach the match if he were drawn against Mukesh, Kartik added: “That would be a lot of fun. Honestly, I will just focus on my game and try my best, because I know I cannot take someone like him lightly.”
The event moves to Classic Golf & Country Club for the two remaining league matches (2nd and 3rd March), while the finals will be held at Qutab Golf Club on Friday, 6th March.
By Joy Chakravarty