1984: On the edge of the ninth green of the historic Royal Calcutta Golf Club, a pair of little eyes captured all the strange things people were doing in a huge garden where his father was working, trying to remove the weeds to be precise. And before he realised that they were playing a game called golf, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia, aged six, transformed those images into action and started wielding clubs. The kid could not afford golf clubs of his own and neither could afford a coach.
2008: What could arguably be one of the biggest triumph in Indian golf where he beat the likes of World No 4 Ernie Els, Mark O'Meara, Thomas Bjorn and twice Major winner Darren Clarke, Chowrasia not only underlined the immense talent the country possesses but also proved an old adage – where there is a will there is a way – right. The meteoric rise of this lad from trudging along the ninth green of the RCGC and practising putts by the candlelight to becoming the champion of the inaugural US $ 2.5 Million Emaar MGF Indian Masters – an event on the lucrative European Tour is a classic tale of rags to riches.
It surely was a red letter day for Indian golf when he held aloft the Indian Masters Trophy. For a simpleton whose next best was a runner-up finish at the Indian Open incidentally at the same venue, it was all a blurred image of what was happening around him. “Honestly, I was in a daze. I could make out that I was being hounded by the media and other people alike along with flashing cameras and firing questions at will. My phone did not stop ringing. It took a while before I realised: ‘Oh my God! What have I done? I have beaten the best in the world’.” And somebody told me I had made a huge amount of money that almost matched my career earnings.”
Being the fourth child, Chowrasia faced hard times with his father Ganesh Prasad, the greens-keeper of RCGC and his elder brothers – also worked at the RCGC – being the sole bread winners of the family. Despite the hindrances, the attraction for the game was magnetic. Turning pro at a very young age of 17 after dropping out of the school, young Chowrasia stunned the golfing world with a second-place finish at the prestigious Indian Open in 1999. “It was by a fluke. It was not a professional approach. The second-place finish came as a surprise to me. But now, if I sit back and think, I was very naive then but today I know exactly what I am doing on the course and I can analyse my game easily,” says Chowrasia who is making his debut on the US PGA Tour with the World Golf Championships which began this week.
In fact, playing on the PGA Tour is his ultimate aim. “I want to first test the waters on the European Tour. I want to see where I stand. I am actually not bothered about the results. I just want to go out and play and see what it is like. If I feel that I am not matching up to the standards, I will come back and rectify the mistakes if any but I surely want to test the waters,” says Chowrasia, who has secured the European Tour card until the 2010.
If Chowrasia has treaded a thorny path to success until now, it is surely not a bed of roses ahead as he steps out to corner glory on the foreign shores. The expectations are definitely high and a slight failure attracts immediate criticism including his family members. “Yes my family was upset when I missed two cuts in a row after my win. I told them that this was golf and anything could happen. People should realise that it can happen to the best of players,” says the diminutive professional.
The city of Kolkata is special to the soon-to-be-30 Chowrasia. “What I am today is because of that city and especially my club RCGC,” says the Kolkatan whose best buddy is Rafick Ali amongst many of his close friends in the golfing circle. In fact, there is a pact between them that whosoever wins a tournament will buy the other a return ticket by air. No prizes for guessing who bought the maximum air tickets!
The ever-smiling pro had a passion for bikes. However, his love for bikes was almost over after two accidents, both of which put him out of action for several months. Luckily they were not life threatening. “Actually, they were a blessing in disguise as it gave me enough time to rest from my busy schedule. I have recently bought a car and I promise to drive safely!”
Also known as Chip-Putt-Chowrasia or Chiputtisia for his exceptionally good short game sometimes falters at his own specialty. “It is so strange that my strong points are my weak points. My short game, especially my putting is my strongest point. If it is on, its becomes the strongest part of my game and if it is off, it becomes a weak point,” says the little champ who has cherished every successful moment of his career. “After the second place finish in 1999, I thought that was a big high for me. I wanted to be the No.1 on the domestic circuit and came very close to it in 2005-06. Then I wanted to play on the Asian Tour and I nearly missed the title in 2006, finishing second to Jyoti. That was another moment I cherish. And of course winning the big one (Indian Masters) is one of my most valued moments,” says Chowrasia. He loves golf so much so that he is making his yet-to-be-wife wait for another couple of years. “Marriage can wait. My plan is to first establish myself on the European Tour and then marry... probably in a couple of years.”
