Sandhu takes first-round lead
Life on tour can be cruel. Since his early days, AjeeteshSandhuhasbeenvocalabout the parents’ role in his progress. But, the past month, when he needed them most, they were in Chandigarh.UnitingforthePanasonic Open, Ajeetesh, the clubhouse leader by one at eight-under 64, has brought joy closer home,buttheoptimismismuted as golf can be unpredictable.
The night before the opening round at the Delhi Golf Club, there were tight embraces and moisteyesastheymetforthefirst time since Ajeetesh’s hot streak commencedwithhisfirstwinon the AsianTour in early October.
It is to Ajeetesh’s credit that at 29 he still credits the parents for helping him “draw boundaries early on”. One of them was that golf and education had to go hand-in-hand till he completed college. “That was non-negotiable,” said Ajeetesh.
The lesson of taking a step at a time has crept into strategy as well.Anearlymorningtee-offon Thursday meant the course wouldplayatadlonger,giventhe moist conditions. Shooting alow card is always the objective, but Ajeetesh did not let the thought lurk.
Thebirdieontheopeninghole boretestimonythatfocuswason thenextshotthantheobjectiveof making rapid progress on the leaderboard.
The past few weeks have helped him mature, and that he
NEW DELHI:
ROUNDUP
feels holds the key to his form of late. “Winning is a validation of the effort that’s gone in and strengthens inner belief,” said Ajeetesh.
LONEBLEMISH Theshifthasn’tchangedthereaction to pressure situations though. “A winner’s tag doesn’t countwhenyou’reunderthegun, the butterflies flutter anyway.” Aninstancewasthebogeyonthe thirdhole,hisloneblemishofthe day.
Though focused, the outcome will be accepted irrespective of what lies ahead as the lesson handed down is not to look back andponderoverwhatcouldhave
been.
This helped tide over the lean times and will aid Ajeetesh as he bids to play more regularly in Japan, a land not frequented by Indians.
Jeev Milkha Singh was an exception and tales of his four winsthere were instrumental in gettingAjeeteshinterested.After experiencing it for himself and winningonthechallengetour,he is excited about the future.
It will be tough to gain a foothold in the fiercely competitive tour, but Jeev’s legacy has made itsomewhateasier.“Themoment peopleknowIcomefromhiscity (Chandigarh), they put me on a pedestal.”
Acceptancehasn’tbeenaproblem, but the onuswill be onAjeetesh to make the most of the opportunities he gets next season. It will be one step at a time, for that’s thewayhe’slearntgolf.