New Delhi, June 23 (PTI) India’s top-ranked golfer Yuvraj Sandhu says he is “hungrier than ever” and has set himself an ambitious target of winning a major championship within the next two to three years.
Sandhu clinched an unprecedented seven titles last year during a record-breaking domestic season, topping the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) Order of Merit to earn a full-season card on the prestigious DP World Tour.
“I’m just a little hungrier than ever before. Now that I’ve tasted the European tour, I feel like this is exactly where professional golf is… it’s literally where you want to be. So I see myself playing a lot of majors next year, contending as well. And ideally, it would be — winning a major next year,” Yuvraj told PTI.
“So I’m just going to stick to the process, work hard and let’s see if I can win a major next year. That’ll be golden. But I definitely see myself winning a major in the coming two or three years.
“I definitely see that because I know that, to begin with, I have the grit for it. And secondly, I think I have a great team that, you know, pushes me to the limit. And if I tell them that I need to work on certain things.” The 29-year-old from Chandigarh said his confidence stems from exposure to European conditions, having played the US Open qualifier at Walton Heath.
“I’ve already competed in European and UK conditions. I did play the US Open qualifier in Walton Heath. On the World Tour, I went out there with my ears and eyes wide open, very receptive to the change,” he said.
“I’ve had trouble breaking through to win or get a top-five finish lately, but I think I’ve become smarter with a lot of things on and off the golf course, and that’s showing in my scores more and more now.” Sandhu is part of the six-member Indian team which will compete in the Asian Games scheduled to be held from September 19 until October 4 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Asked how he felt qualifying ahead of the likes of Anirban Lahiri and Shubhankar Sharma, Sandhu said: “It’s been a dream to compete at the Asian Games and representing the tri-colour. Coming from an army background, seeing my dad wearing the uniform and serving the nation, I think the nation’s pride, it’s just something that comes to me.
“I feel like if I’m representing the tri-colour, it’s just something that gives me goosebumps till date. So going to the Asian Games, it’s always been a dream and I’m really grateful and thankful to everybody and my whole team who’s contributed for me being selected to the Asian Games.” Sandhu, Veer Ahlawat and Saptak Talwar make up the men’s team, while Aditi Ashok, Diksha Dagar and Pranavi Urs comprise the women’s squad.
“I honestly feel it’s a very strong team. Saptak, Veer and I, we’ve played junior golf together. We’ve played amateur golf together. It’s like we’ve literally seen each other in school. We’ve seen each other in college.
“Now we’ve seen each other in the pro ranks in our rookie years. And now the three of us are going to the Asian Games. I know for a fact that it’s the first time for all three of us.” Sandhu also credited improvements in his long game and wedge play for his recent progress.
“I’ve always been an aggressive player. I’ve always been a player who wants to hit a driver or, you know, who wants to pipe down a driver down the middle. So, I think that has helped me and given me a little bit of an edge,” said the Indian, who recorded a tied sixth finish at DP World PGTI Open this year.
“And at the same time, I think my wedge play has definitely become better. Like there have been harsh adjustments at the beginning of the year, which are showing results now.
“I’m very confident that towards the end of the year, there will be a week where I’ll be very busy with interviews,” he signed off. PTI SR ATK
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