DUBAI Watching from the sidelines of the Royal Calcutta Golf Club of India where his father worked as a greenskeeper, then 10-year-old Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia would have never in his wildest dreams thought of making it big in golf.
Developing a keen interest in the sport, the self-taught golfer turned the tides in his favour to grow up to be one of the most successful golfers from India.
Now at 34, Chowraisa is a two-time winner on the European Tour and he feels it’s been a wonderful journey to cherish. “It’s been a tough but a really interesting journey,” said Chowrasia who recorded the best score of the tournament in the third round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship carding off a superb bogey-free round of 65 and then finished tied 17th in the tournament.
“Never in my wildest dream had I thought of playing golf at this level. In fact when I started off I had just a small dream of playing well in India. So it feels great when you have played at the European tour and at the international level consistently,” said Chowrasia, who is nicknamed ‘Chipputtsia’ because of his short game.
Chowrasia credits his success to sheer hard work and the passion he carried all along. “I have really worked hard for this so I want to give myself the credit first but also thank a lot of people who have helped me along including my family members,” he said.
Talking about his Abu Dhabi experience, he said: “I had made the cut after making a birdie in the last hole like last year. So it’s been exciting and the experience is great to be playing in such top class golf courses.
“Of course the third round was the highlight, but generally the confidence is returning. I still have a slight problem with my wrist, but I am able to handle it well. This finish gives me a good feel at the start of the season,” said Chowrasia.
Chowrasia will play the Qatar Masters in Doha after which he will be back in Dubai to participate in the Dubai Desert Classic before heading to South Africa.
“I want to keep playing better in these tournaments and keep improving. My goal would be to shape myself well playing in European Tour and then try for the US PGA which will be my ultimate goal,” said Chowrasia who considers Tiger Woods as his role model.
“It was bad he [Tiger] missed the cut but he would have learned something from it for sure. Whenever I miss the cut I learn something and work on those issues. He is a great player and he is in a different league.”
