As a toddler I moved to Bengaluru from Dharmapuri along with my parents and two brothers. My father Chinnappa took up the job of a lawn keeper at the Karnataka Golf Association course and my mother worked on the garden maintenance in the same place. We lived in something like a tent in a slum near the course. Even as a little boy I was fascinated by the golf course and I always looked in awe at the people who came to play golf. From the time I can remember I dreamt of being like the smartly dressed men who teed-off at the course.
I felt shy to talk about my ambitions to people and as a seven-year-old I broke branches off trees and used them as makeshift golf clubs.
I started out as a caddie soon after. I was paid `1 for an hour back then. It was only at the age of 12 that I decided to start playing golf. Our family’s life revolved and continues to revolve around golf. My brothers Rajamanickyam and Palani are employed as caddie and caddie master respectively at the KGA.
Coming from a background like mine it wasn’t easy, but my parents supported me. At the age of 17, I turned a professional golfer in 1996. I never played on the amateur circuit because I didn’t have the money. As we do not get a cash prize on the amateur tour, I could not afford a coach either. Initially, it was tough because of my poor background. I didn’t know how to speak English well and hence was very reserved.
Success didn’t come easy and it was only my burning desire to excel that kept me going. I didn’t have enough money while travelling and for almost eight years I lost a lot of money. It became a case of all investments and no returns as I couldn’t get past the qualifying stage in most tournaments.
At times it was pretty depressing, but I came back after each tournament and practised harder. I finally started making money in 2003 and a second-place finish in a tournament in Chennai fetched me `75,000, which was my highest earning back then. I used that money to pay the advance for a concrete house and moved my family out of the slum.
I continued my search for success and my title drought came to an end in 2008 when I won the Altis Open golf championship at the Eagleton Golf Resort in Bengaluru. That was a life-changing experience. On the final day since I was leading, all my caddie friends from KGA took an early morning bus and came to see me win the championship. That victory helped me grow in confidence and made be believe that I can dream bigger. It was then that I decided to play on the Asian Tour.
Surviving financially on the Asian Tour wasn’t easy either because the travel and the airfare didn’t come cheap. My bank balance was dipping and I approached my club for financial assistance and they willingly obliged.
My biggest moment of glory was last year when I won the Indian Open. I was also named the Asian Rookie of the Year 2009. People suddenly started taking note of me. Apart from bringing in financial stability, the victory also got me a lot of recognition. I’m more settled now that my family has a house to live in and my two children are studying.
I always dreamt of playing alongside Tiger Woods. My friends often made fun of my dream, but I knew I would get there one day. When I played alongside the legend at the WGC-HSBC Champions golf tournament in Shanghai, the experience was absolutely magical.
Many of my friends thought I would change after success came calling, but all the hardships in life have taught me that victory or loss irrespective, I have to remain humble.
As told to
Manuja Veerappa