Smriti still has a lot to achieve

Winning the coveted Indian Open is veteran golfers immediate priority

Smriti Mehra has been the flag-bearer for women’s golf in India for nearly two decades.

From opening the door of opportunities when she became the first Indian to qualify for the main LPGA Tour in 1997 just three years after turning pro to the two victories she posted on the Futures Tour, the Kolkata-born Smriti has been an inspiration for women golfers.

While injuries and age have seen Smriti concede the spotlight to Sharmila Nicollet in the last few years, the 40-year-old’s passion for the game and quest for success still remain strong. In a chat with Deccan Herald after winning the second leg of the WGAI’s Pro Tour, the outspoken Smriti shares her thoughts on the domestic tour, her goals and the new crop.

Excerpts…

Despite years of sweat and toil, the competitive fire in you still burns bright. What keeps Smriti going?

My journey is not over. I still have a lot of goals. One of my main goals growing up was that I wanted to be the first Indian -- male or female-- to make the cut for the US Tour, which I did. I keep giving myself little, little goals and that’s what keeps the fire burning inside me. As I said, my journey is not over and I’m not done yet.

So, what are your current goals?

Right now, I am going to focus on the Ladies Indian Open. I am keen on playing all the domestic events prior to the Indian Open (scheduled for Nov 29-Dec 2), using all of them as proper build-up.

Do we see you making another dash at the LPGA or Ladies European Tour?

Definitely, yes. As I said, my first goal is to try and win the Indian Open which will give a major boost to my chances. The upcoming events will let me know where I stand in terms of form and confidence, and will help me decide which Tour I can go. By November, I’ll have an answer to which Q school I can attend.

Money wise, the Women’s Golf Association of India’s Professional Tour has made a steady progress over the last three years. Your comments…

When the Tour started, (Champika) Sayal and I decided that we are going to build the Tour slowly and strongly. We are not going to jump from one lakh to five lakh in an instant. As the players increase, the prize money will also increase. The last three years has been a fantastic journey, thanks largely to sponsor Hero who have done fantastic job not just to the growth of women’s golf but other sporting disciplines in our country as well.

While the Tour has made financial progress, the depth in talent remains the same with just Vani Kapoor emerging this year …

Yes, but there are a lot of good golfers coming up. It’s no more just Simi (Smriti) and Sharmila (Nicollet). Nalini (Singh Siwach) and Neha (Tripathi) have done well in the last three years. The talent pool is increasing. As and when the girls realise they are playing for a cheque instead of a trophy, they will open up to the sport. Once they feel they can make a decent career out of it, they will give it a shot.

For example, look at the Koreans who have plenty of players in the top-50 rankings. They have a great system in place, and that’s what all of us are aiming to get at.

So what are your suggestions for increasing the talent base?

The onus lies on the amateur body who have to lay the infrastructure. Golfers are born from there. Also, the pro tour needs to be advertised extensively because more the number of people it reaches, more will be the number of girls who will take up the sport. Currently, the amateur circuit looks good and the number of kids playing golf is fantastic.

Earlier this year, Sharmila Nicollet qualified for the Ladies European Tour. What do you think she needs to do to take her game to the next level?

Sharmila is a fantastic talent and she needs to continue doing what she has been doing all the while. First year for a rookie is always hard. Out there in Europe and all by yourself is never going to be easy. Unless you have an amazing support system that includes a personal trainer, coach etc, it is a steep uphill climb the moment you step foot. She has a good coach now in Tarun (Sardesai) and the lovely KGA to train at. Everybody has a tough first year; Annika (Sorenstam) did, Betsy (King) did. Her driving is good while her putting has improved a lot from what I saw of her last year. However, if she works on her short game, she’ll be a much different golfer.

Another champion in the making is Aditi Ashok. Just 14, she beat you in a play-off last year to win a pro event and has been doing really well on the amateur circuit for the last 3-4 years...

I teach about 20 kids in Kolkata and the parents always keep asking me if it’s the right time for their kid to turn pro. I feel a child must always have a balanced upbringing. If they are out too soon, they burn out very fast. I feel Aditi must have a balanced childhood, golf, friends, family etc. Look at Michelle Wie, she burnt out very fast. However, having said that, Aditi is a brilliant talent for her age and has a bright future ahead of her. She just needs to take one step at a time.