Winner of the Asian Tour ‘Rookie of the Year’ award last year, Muniyappa will return to the scene of his biggest triumph when the Avantha Masters — a tri-sanctioned event between European, Asian and Indian tours — gets under way in Gurgaon from Thursday.
A change of clubs, however, is a cause for concern for the Bangalorean.
“Following the recent decision to ban the usage of clubs with u-grooves, I am forced to change my clubs to Adams Golf -- that has v-grooves,” Muniyappa told Deccan Herald from Delhi.
“I have used it only for about a week now and need time to get used to it. It is almost like altering your entire game. Honestly, I would not give myself much chance. However, if my putting comes good I hope to aim for the top-10,” added the 33-year-old.
Last October, caddie-turned-pro Muniyappa sunk a 10-foot birdie in the first hole of play off to pip South Koran Lee Sung for the Indian Open and win the biggest purse of his life. “It feels really special to come back to the same course. I just can’t forget that moment. Memories keep coming back,” said Muniyappa after a round of practice.
“I will be having another practice round on Wednesday. Judging from today, the greens are very fast on the downside while slower on the upside. Overall conditions are good and we should see some good action,” felt Muniyappa.
