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For unstoppable Karandeep Kochhar, the next stop is Olympics
21-year-old Chandigarh golfer wins Jeev Invitational tournament in tough playoff, pockets Rs 24.24 lakh, says he’s playing his best golf now
As professional golf in India resumed in the first week of November after seven-and-a-half months following the Covid-19 lockdown, there was no stopping Chandigarh’s Karandeep Kochhar. He started the season with a second place finish and then won back-to-back, triumphing again on Monday at the Rs 1.5 crore Jeev Milkha Singh Invitational 2020 at Chandigarh Golf Club.
The win at the tournament presented by TAKE Sports made him richer by Rs 24.24 lakhs and placed him at the number one position in the PGTI (Professional Golf Tour of India) order of merit. His world ranking too improved from 442 to 355.
The way Kochhar played proved his class, pointing to sterling performances ahead. On the way to the title he got the better of seasoned golfer and former Asian number one Anirban Lahiri in a playoff that stretched to the next day, a first in PGTI history.
“There were lots of ups and downs during the tournament, especially the one stroke penalty that was imposed on me yesterday. But eventually, everything ended well and I am very happy that I won the tournament,” Kochhar said after the win.
‘Upset because of penalty issue’
“Yesterday, because of the penalty issue, I was really upset. I couldn’t sleep properly and even woke up early. It did affect me a lot and even now after I have won the tournament, it’s going through my mind. It got ugly and I didn’t want it to happen. But at the end of the day, it shows my mental strength. I am ready to face any adversities and give my best even in tough conditions,” he added.
Kochhar began the tournament on a disappointing note with four-over-76 and was tied 76th after round one. But then he made a grand comeback with his next three rounds of 66, 67 and 68 to end up in a playoff with pre-tournament favourite Lahiri after both totalled 11-under-277 for the week.
Both Kochhar (76-66-67-68) and Lahiri (70-68-70-69) were in a deadlock after being tied at the end of the first two playoff holes on Sunday. The match was then extended to Monday as light faded and Kochhar made a birdie on four-par hole to win the tournament.
‘Jeev sir asked me to believe in myself’
“Yesterday evening after the penalty issue I had a word with Jeev (Chiranjeev Milkha Singh) sir and he told me to believe in myself no matter what the situation. It means a great deal to me having made such a good comeback after starting with a 76. It adds to my confidence. Winning two events in a row is special and I feel I can continue this winning spree further at the next event at Jamshedpur as I’m playing the best golf of my life right now,” Kochhar added.
“Now as per the latest world rankings, two Indians are ahead of me. I will try to improve my ranking in the next couple of months and making it to the Olympics is my next target. Hopefully, the way things are moving, I might be able to play at the world’s highest sporting arena.”
Grandfather’s dream
Kochhar took up golf early in life to quickly become the top ranked player in the age group categories in the amateur circuit. He also won the 116th All-India Amateur Championship in December 2016, before turning professional.
His elated grandfather, Dr GS Kochhar, who was present at the golf course, said, “I got a US kid golf set from Australia for Karandeep when he was three and told him to hit the balls in our backyard. Since then he is into the sport. In the age group tournaments he did really well and was among the top ranked in the country. But when at the age of 17 years and four months he became the first amateur and the youngest Indian to win the PGTI title, we decided to choose golf over academies for him.”
“Karandeep’s life revolves around golf and I want to see him playing and winning the world’s top professional tournaments,” beamed Dr Kochhar.
