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In clubhouse lead, Vikrant Chopra eyes turnaround
The clubhouse leader after Day Two of the PGTI Masters, Vikrant Chopra could end a 10-year long title drought.
Life hasn’t given Vikrant Chopra many reasons to complain. Even the tenure as a professional is termed as “ten good years”. But there is cause for angst on the golf course. He has never won in individual stroke-play.
The 36-year-old feels no need to search for words to explain the predicament. “Mentally, I’m not tough enough.” Perhaps had he paid heed to brother Vishal, the occasions when he rued finishing runner-up wouldn’t have arisen.
The prolonged dry run meant he tried too hard (to win) and in the process tinkered with his game, which was counter-productive. Watching Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar go past and win quickly on the pro circuit made it tougher. “It’s important to get a break early on,” said Vikrant, the clubhouse leader after Day Two of the PGTI Masters.
A special forces’ officer, Vishal knows a thing or two about staying calm when the going gets tough, and his advice to the elder brother was to unshackle the mind by taxing the body. Running 20 miles with a 20-kg backpack twice a week, was the advice, but Vikrant never got down to implementing it.
It did impact him though. Working out on a less-intense scale is now a stress buster, as is reading up on mental toughness and special forces. It’s a habit Vikrant’s taken instilled carefully. “If the mind is not into it, one can never focus.”
The instances when he threw it away from a position of strength are many. The most recent is from the Cochin Masters at the start of the year. Tied for the lead till the penultimate hole on the final day, a bogey on the 17th led him to fall away.
“The form’s good but one poor round has been ruining the week,” said Vikrant. The way he started at the Classic Golf and Country Club seemed to point to that. Returning on Wednesday to finish the rain-marred first round, Vikrant looked certain to sign an over-par card but set it right with two consecutive birdies to be even-par.
Amid unrelenting heat and humidity, he teed-up again and carded a flawless eight-under 64. In the last 20 holes, he had shot 10-under, and it was attributed to staying patient. “Marriage has taught me a lot,” he said with a laugh.
Round 2 leading scores
136: Vikrant Chopra (72, 64)
137: Sujjan Singh (67, 70); Ajeetesh Sandhu (65)
138: Shivendra Singh Sisodia (71, 67); Ankur Chadha (69, 69); Ranjit Singh (69, 69)
