CHENNAI: As November 4 dawned, some of India's leading golfers couldn't contain their excitement. A few were even dreaming like it was going to be their first day back at school after summer holidays. After the pandemic enforced break, they were finally getting back to competitive golf after six-and-a-half months.
Considering they had all been deprived of doing what they love, performances could go out of the window. "When you looked up and down the field," Udayan Mane says, "I would say many people were just happy to be back, you could see many smiles, relief on their faces."
Mane, who leads PGTI's 2020 Order of Merit, says he was overcome by similar sentiments. "I don't think you could really set yourself up to expect anything from the opening tournaments back. A lot of us hadn't played any golf, some of us hadn't even started training till August or September. So, yes, I would say relief was the overriding theme."
True to form, the opening two tournaments were won by golfers, who between them, had won one title in the history of PGTI (Akshay Sharma and Karandeep Kochhar).
Mane, who finished T-3 and T-14, is of the opinion that he will take time to rediscover his touch. The coronavirus restrictions, though, will make it harder.
"Earlier, if I could practise for two hours, that's now reduced to 45 minutes per day. I would have to be more selective. If I do putting today, I cannot do anything else. If I decide to sand wedge from the bunker, then I won't have time to do anything else," the 29-year-old explains.
Rashid Khan, the country's leading golfer by world rankings, sang from the same hymn sheet. "I was just happy to play after a long break, it will take time to get back that touch," he said.
Khan, who finished T-25 and T-29, says it's a question of playing more tournaments till he rediscovers his pre Covid-19 form. "We have two more coming up in December, it's a question of getting that rhythm going."
Of significant short term concern for Khan is his world ranking of 262. It was 177 in January because he was competing for more points on the Asian Tour.
With that showing no signs of restarting in the near future, the two-time Asian Tour winner may not have the privilege of rediscovering momentum on the job if he is to stay in contention for an Olympic berth.
S Chikkarangappa also began his feelings with the 'h' word, happiness. "Was just happy to play again," he said. He finished T-3 and T-16, but is looking ahead to the Jeev Milkha Singh Invitational, a Rs 1.5 crore event, from December 3. With the likes of SSP Chawrasia registering and bigger ranking points up for grabs, 'this is a big one', as Mane and Chikkarangappa say. Do well here and they can set themselves up after a year of frustration and kicking their heels.
No Digboi event
One PGTI event scheduled to be held in Digboi in December has been scratched for the year because of quarantine restrictions. Mane, Chikkarangappa and Khan, who all hold Asian Tour cards, haven't been told anything with respect to when it will restart. Khan, who is 10th in Asian rankings this year, said it could well be February before the Tour returns. "We haven't received any notification nor is the 2021 calendar out. I wouldn't be surprised if we don't start play before February."