E-Paper
Muniyappa’s win augurs well
This was the best thing that could have happened to the Hero Honda Indian Open. Not only did we have an Indian winner in C Muniyappa, we also had a new face on the winner’s podium, writes Arjun Atwal.
This was the best thing that could have happened to the Hero Honda Indian Open. Not only did we have an Indian winner in C Muniyappa, we also had a new face on the winner’s podium.
I have not seen Muniyappa play, but I have heard how hard he works on his game and how he takes to any course without fear. I told a few people even before he finished the round that he needed to keep playing his natural, aggressive game. I am sure he would have struggled had he tried to change his style of play.
No such problem for Muniyappa. Judging by the way he hit his third shot over water and to less than six feet on the 18th green in the playoff hole, it was clear that he was not intimidated by the moment.
It was also good to see so many Indians finishing in the top-10. Anirban Lahiri’s round of eight-under 64 was worth its weight in gold as he climbed up to tied-third place, while Ashok Kumar and Digvijay Singh were tied sixth. Harendra Gupta did not have a very good final round, but he did manage a tied-eighth place.
Personally, there is only one positive I can take from this week’s Hero Honda Indian Open - I finished the tournament and I am pain-free.
Otherwise, it was a pretty awful week on the golf course. Apart from the second day when I shot a 66, I struggled throughout. I did not make any meaningful putt, and was getting frustrated at the way the ball kept running off the dry fairways even after pitching in the middle of it.
I did not have much expectation from the tournament, and I was honest enough to admit that even before I started. But I did think I would finish much better than just even-par for the four days.
The best thing during the week was that I hit a few balls after my round on Saturday. I think it was the first time I even tried to practice after a round in more than a year.
I am off to Florida now and am looking forward to putting in some hard work this week. I will be meeting up with my coach Dale Lynch and going through the things we have been working up on. Thereafter, I am playing three events on the PGA Tour and I am going to give it my best shot.
