Dated: Thu 20th November 2008 Posted by: Vijay divecha
This morning at 10.00 a.m Chikka called me and said that he was pushing his putts a little to the right. He had shot 3 under and 4 under on the first two days. I suggested a few things to him and he practiced his putting.
This evening he called and only when I asked him how he had played did he say -- hold your breath-- "I played 8 under". He said it very casually and then added that he broke the course record. He is now 15 under after three days and hopefully will play well tomorrow.
The phone has'nt stopped beeping since then -- calls and sms. Mash ( Aditi Ashok's mother) is in Pune and is so excited that she has written her report which I am attaching below. Thanks Mash for keeping us informed. Keep it up.
Exciting Moments on the Western India Jr / Sub Jr Tournament at Poona Golf course, 2008Chikka, is a rockstar !!
Seemingly easy as the course appears.. it is not. A par 71 with greens that demand good putting the course is a delight to play on I think.
As expected he quietly walks to the practice area and does his usual drills.. when there are so many parents complaining that there isnt much for kids to warm up before they go the first tee... And then you know Chikka walks greeting all his friends, other parents who he meets on his way to the first tee. As parents our only chance is to see kids tee off the first tee here on the IGU tournaments. But wait.... there is a reason why I am saying this. With Chikka on the tour.. there is more than just this if one is an enthusiast waiting at the 18th green..
At the end of day one.. chikka has played 68 and its just another good day when you feel happy for all kids.. but on day two, as you flip through the Pune Mirror in The Times of India, in the morning there comes a half page feature with our chikka looking great in a nice white-green T-shirt. Aah !! I felt so proud about him as I read things that pleasantly surprised me.. things like expecting tough competition on the tour inspiring him to push himself to better his score. It was nice to know that he talks about goals and determination and that tells you so much more about this kid who is humble at heart.
Oh !! It is on day two that the photo finish moment on the 18th green came when Chikka's ball landed on the right side rough of the green. And on this par 5 he was there for an eagle chip. I cant begin to describe what it felt like when I saw him walk up to the green and go back to take his shot. Everyone watching this I am guessing was breathing heavy just waiting to see the result. And soon enough our chikka goes for the pin and the ball hits the pin stopping for a tap in birdie. And chikka finished day two with 67.
On the morning of day three it was a full page feature on chikka that brings a tear in your eye, ofcourse a happy tear !! to know his sentiments, his achievements and a big dream he has. It ought to come true .. it is only a matter of time when chikka will be admired by all golf enthusiasts like we do today.
That's not all.. today on day three as usual Chikka is dressed like a rockstar ready to deal with another sunny day. A lot of us were waiting to see kids finish on the 18th hole and can I say Chikka did it again ? Oh my god.. Chikka's ball is short of the green and he is walking up to his ball. And just then thanks to hush-hush messenger caddie, we find out that Chikka was playing 7 under the course par and going for an eagle on the 18th hole. Even as I write this my heart beats faster... So we stay still and wait for the threesome to deal with the green. Chikka walks to assess the green and walks back to his ball to chip for an eagle. I wish there was a camera to capture this moment at least.The ball comes straight to the pin, kissed the hole and stopped on the side for a tap in birdie. And chikka finished day three with 63. With this he equalled/set a course record. (PS: Vijay check with him on this point as I am not sure if its a new record or equalled the record)
That's not it. With tomorrow's round, chikka is on his way to beat and set a new record for best tournament score on the IGU junior tournaments. The current record being Rashid's.
thanks and regards
CHIKKA WE ARE ALL PROUD OF YOU. KEEP WORKING HARDER AND BECOME THE NO.1 IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
There is a lesson for all of us to learn. Even after he shot 3 under and four under he was not happy with his putting -- he made 10 birdies today.
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