While the result in Panchkula, at the Northern India juniors was along expected lines, the way the kids went about it was a little worrying. Ashbeer Singh Saini (in picture) came through to win by a handsome margin of six shots, with Chikka playing catch-up all through the week. But how exactly did he register the win? With an 80 in the final round. And how far back was Chikka after the third round? Well, five shots but when someone shoots an 80, surely you have got a chance. Chikka, unfortunately, fared just as poorly with an 81.
Both kids took pains to explain that besides the wind there were no demons on the golf course and the high scoring was just a result of their poor play. Ashbeer had a quadruple bogey-double bogey through two holes on the back-nine. He started his final round with a double bogey and on the last hole of his previous round, he had dropped three shots on the final hole. Chikka didn't do himself many favours either and had left his A-game back in Eagleton, or so it seemed.
It is just this kind of play that the two talented kids will have to eliminate from their game when they graduate to the next level. And to do that, they have to avoid them at tournaments where they might not find great competition but need to find enough resolve to card low scores regularly. As of now, they are 15, so we will spare the rod. But considering that the spotlight is trained on them, they will have to bring consistency to their game.
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Going a few years down the line, and by that we mean, to the U-12 section where Piyush Sangwan registered his first win in his new category. The Delhi kid has been winning accolades for a while and used to be a regular winner in the U-10s. His first tournament in Category C at the Southern India juniors in Coimbatore didn't see him perform that well but he played a good final round to win comfortably in Panchkula. We have heard enough about him to bring him under the radar. During the Eastern India juniors late last year, he carded a round of six-under 64 at Tolly. Although, the U-10 players teed off from the forward tees, it was still quite an achievement. Let us see how this young kid progresses over the next few years.
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