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Sony Open: All eyes on Shiv Kapur
The first full-field golf event of the season, the Sony Open starts later this week.
- NDTVSports
- Updated: February 25, 2007 10:39 AM IST
Read Time:2 min
New Delhi:
The first full-field golf event of the season, the Sony Open starts later this week. The attention this time will be on 23-year-old Shiv Kapur. The Delhi lad booked his ticket for the event after winning the season ending Volvo Masters of Asia. The victory not only took him to fourth place on the Asian Tour's Order of merit in his rookie year but also earned him the Asian Rookie of the Year Award. Ironically even though established golfers like Jyoti Randhawa and Arjun Atwal had a good season last year, Shiv Kapur was the only Indian to win a major trophy outside the country in 2005. "One of my goals was to finish in the top 60. I managed to do that so I got most of my goals. I would have liked to have won more than once but you cannot complain once you have won the tour championship," said Shiv Kapur. Second season Shiv though, is no stranger to success. He tasted gold at the young age of 20 in Busan in 2002. That was when he won India its first Asian Games gold medal in golf in 20 years. The decision to wait three years before turning professional seems to have paid off with six top 10 finishes in 2005 and a runner-up spot at the Double A International in Thailand. "I am really excited about my second season because I have got so many opportunities, playing the Sony Open next week and then getting a chance to play in the World Golf Championship and the HSBC Tournament. The list kind of goes on and I am trying to be careful with my schedule," he said. His exploits over the last few months have made him the new poster boy of Indian Golf. And even though he is only 23, Shiv Kapur is already being considered a role model by younger golfers. "I do not consider myself a role model but if I can go out and play well and keep doing well, then why not," said Shiv. Shiv's second season will be a tough one but he is not too concerned. He has set himself a few goals for 2006 and one of those is to do well enough to earn the European Tour Card. His final aim of course is to play with the best on the US Tour.Topics mentioned in this article
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