New Delhi, Sep 19 (PTI) Young golfer Kartik Singh, who is yet to turn 15, is aiming to make a mark for India at the prestigious Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) to be held at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba in Japan from October 3 to 6.
The teenager made headlines last year as one of the youngest ever to make the cut at just 13 years, nine months, and 22 days. Now, Kartik is setting his sights on the big prize in Japan.
In 2024, Kartik has shown remarkable growth. Competing in over a dozen tournaments that offer World Amateur Golf Ranking points, he has secured Top-10 finishes 11 times, with only one instance outside the Top-6.
His impressive results include victories at the Black Mountain Asian Junior Masters in February and then the Singapore Junior Golf Championships. Additionally, Kartik won the Boys 13-14 division at the Junior World Championships in San Diego.
Two of Kartik’s standout performances this year were his sixth-place finish at the R&A Junior Boys Championship and third at the Junior Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.
Having been named to the Junior President’s Cup International team, Kartik, despite his world rank of 175 in the world, is seen as one of the dark horses at the Asia Pacific Amateur Championships.
Kartik, who is still growing in height and strength, has shown steady improvement in all parts of his game.
Apart from Kartik, the Indian team, which has been chosen on the basis of World Amateur Golf Rankings and players available, include Rakshit Dahiya, Krishnav Nikhil Chopra and Vedant Sirohi.
Playing for Webber International University, Vedant recently shot a 54-hole individual record for his school and finished second, as did his team, in the tournament.
Rakshit Dahiya has won three events in India this season, and was fifth at the Singapore Junior Boys, where Kartik was the champion.
Krishnav, son of former India cricketer Nikhil Chopra, won two events in India, and was 12th at the Porter Cup in the US. Sirohi, playing at the Seahawk Sailboat shoot-out, finished in a tie for second with a five-under par for the tournament.
India’s best ever result came in 2018 when Rayhan Thomas was runner-up in Sentosa, Singapore. Thomas has since turned professional and even won on the Professional Tour of India Tour.
As many as 113 players have been confirmed for the Championship, which will finally have 120 players.
Created in 2009, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship was established by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), The R&A and the Masters Tournament to further develop amateur golf in the Asia-Pacific region.
The champion will receive an invitation to compete in the 2025 Masters Tournament and The 153rd Open, while the runner(s)-up will gain a place in Final Qualifying for The Open. PTI Cor ATK
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