The 31-year-old Delhi lad had
secured a creditable runner-up finish at the 2011 Indian Open at the same venue
(DGC) to finish as high as 21st on the money list in Asia
that helped him gain his card on the Asian Tour for the first time.
Chiragh however, suffered an ankle injury the following
season that affected his results for close to a year. Kumar struggled with his
form on the continental tour thereafter and lost his card a couple of times. He
had narrowly missed out on his full playing rights on the Asian Tour for 2015
after finishing 65th on the Order of Merit last season.
The 2006 Asian Games silver medallist has now managed to
resurrect his career with two top performances within a span of four weeks.
Chiragh’s tied second at the Venetian Macao Open in mid-October was the
pre-cursor to his breakthrough win in Delhi
last week.
He thus finally joined his 2006 Doha Asian Games teammates
Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar in the winner’s circle on the tour.
“The most important thing is that I was finally able to get
over the line. I came close to winning in 2011. At that time I told myself
that I can win at the Indian Open but David Gleeson was too good to beat that
week. Nonetheless, I’ve been patient over the last few years and have been
telling myself that I can win,” said a relieved Chiragh, who now sits
in 12th position on the money list with a current season’s haul of
US$179,737.
His win also pushed him up 268 places from 578th to
310th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Kumar drew on the experience of playing alongside Australian
Scott Hend in Macao
recently, to make his mark on the region’s premier Tour.
“I played with Scott Hend on the third day. He didn’t have a
great round but he played good on the last few holes. I told myself that this
is what great players do. They keep grinding it out and never give up. It is
not over until it is over. That’s something that I learned. The way he played
on the back nine was amazing to see,” Kumar said.
The Panasonic Open victory was an emotional moment for
Chiragh as he won in the presence of his family and friends at the place where
it all began for him.
“I visited the DGC when I was 12 years old. I started
playing because my father used to play. I started following him and took to the
game. I’ve grown up watching senior players playing here and wanting to be at
that stage and experience it. It is like a dream come true. Everybody knows me
at this club so it is very special to win here,” said Kumar, who became a
father for the first time earlier this year.
Speaking about his early influences in the sport, Chiragh
added, “My early heroes were Gaurav Ghei, Jeev Milkha Singh and Arjun Atwal.
They are the ones who put Indian golf on the international map. They are the
pioneers of the sport in the country. Gaurav Ghei is someone I can really
associate with because I grew up watching him play at the club. Shiv Kapur is
also a close friend of mine who has been a big influence.”
With the Asian Tour season approaching its finale, Chiragh
will surely be one of the Indians to watch out for in the remaining events as
he looks to make a final push in the Order of Merit which has already been
sealed by fellow Indian Anirban Lahiri.
PGTI Press release
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