New Delhi: As recent as 2024, golfer Manav Shah was on the brink of quitting the game. A year after dismal outings on the Korn Ferry Tour -- the developmental feeder tour for the PGA Tour -- where he made the cut once in three outings, Shah tried his luck on the Asian Tour but couldn’t earn full playing rights, sending him in a frustrating spiral of self doubt. Unsure where his career was going, he turned to his family for support, and gradually went about the rearguard.
Next year, he ended eighth of Asian Tour Q-School, found some playing opportunities on the International Series, earned a conditional card for 2026, and has now made it to the first major of his career. The 34-year-old American with Indian roots -- his parents migrated to the US from Gujarat in 1984 -- shot rounds of 66-71 to total 7-under and finish fourth in the 36-hole final qualifying tournament at the Dallas Athletic Club. The result booked him a spot at the June 18-21 tournament to be played at New York’s Shinnecock Hills Golf Course.
“I came close to quiting twice or thrice, to be honest. In that context, coming this far is a great feeling. But I was not overtly excited when the qualification came because I knew I belong there,” he said. That may sound a bit of a hyperbole given Shah is still waiting for a landmark win, but he is drawing a lot of confidence from a promising junior and amateur career.
“I was ranked as high as world No.22 as an amateur. I had some really strong finishes in a high-quality field which is why I always thought I could do it. Some of my contemporaries are doing well on the PGA Tour or elsewhere, and having played alongside them, I know it’s just a matter of your game coming together in that particular week,” Shah, who turned pro in 2015, said.
{{/usCountry}}“I was ranked as high as world No.22 as an amateur. I had some really strong finishes in a high-quality field which is why I always thought I could do it. Some of my contemporaries are doing well on the PGA Tour or elsewhere, and having played alongside them, I know it’s just a matter of your game coming together in that particular week,” Shah, who turned pro in 2015, said.
{{/usCountry}}His list of illustrious competitors, against whom he went up during his UCLA days, include Jon Rahm, Michael Kim, Max Homa, Patrick Rodgers, Maverick McNealy, among others.
“I’ve either played against or have beaten some of the best players in the world throughout my time at UCLA, even going back to junior golf. The competition I played against are currently playing on the PGA Tour. So I’ve always had that to draw back on. And whenever the belief wavered, I had my family to back me,” Shah, who is currently playing on the IGPL, said.
His most productive tour has been the PGA Latin America where he won the Quito Open in 2022. He has also plied his trade on PGA Canada besides outings in Asia.
“The biggest challenge US courses pose is that of distance. You ought to have a solid long game without compromising on your putting,” Shah, whose driving distance is 295 yards, said. “I take a lot of pride in my chipping and putting, like a lot of Indian or Indian-origin players. I think we usually have a good ball sense and timing, and gradually, you’ll see a lot of Indian pros doing well on global tours.”
The arc that began as a father-son bonding activity on River Lakes Ranch in Bakersfield, California when Shah was nine has found its first major milestone.
“I am a self taught golfer, and I never had a full-time coach. But I found my game thanks to the competitve university structure. The plan going into US Open will be to draw on all those experiences and have fun,” he signed off.