For Arjun Atwal, October marked the end of what he considers the most hectic year of his life.
He had hoped the birth of his son Krishen during the summer would prove to be the icing on the cake as he set out to burn the courses thanks to his USPGA Tour card, but he fell short in the end. His son brought great joy but not his putting, which at best, was patchy and he lost his full tour card.
Amazingly though, the experience has only hardened his resolve to regain his card next year when he will play 18 tournaments with his provisional card.
"It was a very difficult year for me. I did not begin well and it was only towards the end of the year that my game really began to take off. In between, my son was born during the summer and really, there was too much on my mind then to fully concentrate on the game," an obviously tired Atwal said, speaking to the Hindustan Times from Florida.
Nevertheless, Atwal sounded satisfied with his performance on the tour in his first year.