Golf is considered a post retirement sports in India but still the nation has seen the likes of Jeev Milkha Singh and Anirban Lahiri heroics at the PGA tours. Some younger talents like Aditi Ashok have also emerged who have represented India at the Rio 2016. India can’t compete with America, who have 15000 golf courses compared to India with 500-600 approx golf courses.
Despite the lack of amenities, there have been many great golfers from India, here’s a look-
5- Aditi Ashok
The 21-year-old from Bengaluru, became the youngest and the first Indian to secure her position in Ladies European Tour card for the 2016 season after winning the Lalla Aicha Tour School. Aditi is the first and the only Indian golfer who played the Asian Youth Games (2013), Youth Olympic Games (2014), Asian Games (2014) and Olympic Games (2016).
She is currently ranked 135 and considering her age, a great future is due for her.
4- Arjun Atwal
As earlier mentioned in one of our exclusive interview with a pro golfer, where he said that India is producing enough golf champions it’s just most of them only wish to play in India and Asia Circuit. The PGA tour is tough to qualify and so much competition is there. The climate is different. The greens speed is different but Arjun Atwal break the shackles and became the first Indian to qualify for US PGA tour.
The 46-year-old from Kolkata was one of the leading players on the Asian Tour, topping the order of merit in 2003 and becoming the first man to win a million U.S. dollars on the tour by winning the Hero Honda Masters on home soil in the same year.
Atwal won the Wyndham Championship in 2010 and with this feat he became the only Indian to win a tournament on PGA tour.
3- Jyoti Randhawa
The Delhi born golfer first rose to prominence after he won the national sub-junior title in 1986. He played on the Asian Tour where he won eight times between 1998 and 2009. He is the third highest ranked Indian in world golf ranking after he was included in top 100.
2- Anirban Lahiri
The 32-year-old from Pune currently plays on the Asian and PGA tour. He punched above his weight and qualified for his maiden major tournament – the 2012 Open Championship at the Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lancashire.
In February 2015, Lahiri claimed his first official win on the European Tour at the Maybank Malaysian Open, with a one stroke victory over Bernd Wiesberger. At the PGA Championship in August 2015 at Whistling Straits, Lahiri finished in a tie for fifth place in the tournament and set a new record for the highest finish by an Indian professional golfer in a major.
Following his victory at the Hero India Open in 2015, Lahiri’s ranking rose to 34, which made him the highest ranked Indian golfer ever in the history.
1- Jeev Milkha Singh
Jeev will be considered as the greatest golfer from the peninsular country. In a career with illustrious feats, Singh became the first Indian to break into top 100 of the world and play on the European tour. Jeev Milkha Singh won the prestigious Volvo China Open, Casio World Open and Golf Nippon Series JT Cup in 2006. He was ranked 12th at 2008 European tour.
He is the second highest ranked Indian with world ranking of 35.
