CHENNAI: “I am making do with what I have. I am not in Bengaluru any more. I have gone back to my village in Dharmapuri... that’s where I am going to be till the situation gets better.”Those are the words of C Muniyappa, a regular on the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI).The sub-text behind Muniyappa’s revealing words to this daily is this: he can cut back on spending significantly if he is in his village. “This is not in my control, I have to make do with what I have.”
Like athletes in other sports, golfers too have felt the pinch thanks to coronavirus shutting down events left, right and centre. The 43-year-old Muniyappa, for instance, has so far earned `1,00,830 from three events this year. In previous years, he had earned more than that in the first three months. “Whatever I have earned, I have put it back into the sport. It’s just a matter of biding my time, all I can hope is that the situation clears sooner rather than latter.”
Considering this is the start of the PGTI — only three competitions have been completed — it has compounded matters. “Some of the guys who are in the lower half of the leaderboard could suffer because of that,” says Udayan Mane, who won two of those first three tournaments. He has already raked in `14.66 lakh as reward for his start but is mindful of the plight of other golfers who haven’t seen similar success in 2020. “Like you said, it’s going to be tough. But then, all of us will have parents’ support during this crucial period... That’s why we even entered the sport in the first place.”
The 29-year-old, to stay fit, has built a small range in his garden. “That’s to keep muscles loose. Every morning I have a hit of close to one hour to ensure I remain somewhat active.”Another who has been mindful of finances is S Chikkarangappa, a well known face on the Tour. “Yes, when we don’t play you have to keep that aspect in the back of your mind. Saying that, I have cut my expenses almost down to zero since there is no travel. I am staying at home.”
The 26-year-old, who was No 2 in the PGTI rankings last year, has also built a small range on his terrace.
“I am hitting on that range — I don’t even know if you can call it a range — every other day. It is to ensure that I don’t lose my touch completely. Apart from that, I do various upper-body exercises to keep myself loose.”If the situation with respect to the pandemic doesn’t improve, golfers will either have to go back to their hometown like Muniyappa or build small ranges like Mane and Chikkarangappa.