Moin Malak is probably one of the most respected players on the amateur circuit. Reserved and soft-spoken, he is also, perhaps, the most liked guy too. Originally from Nagpur, Moin has now settled down in Pune with his lovely wife Farzeen.
A first round 71 put him in front at the ongoing Southern India Amateur but an 82 today has put a spanner in the works. His life so far has been an interesting story in itself.
The affable lad from Pune/Nagpur (whichever school of thought you believe in) was struck down by a rare illness when he was a four-year-old. Such was the severity that at one point his parents were told that leg amputation was the only way forward. But as fate would have it, they didn't have to resort to such a drastic measure and Moin was on the path to recovery within a year.
It was tennis, more than the ailment, that threatened to keep him away from golf as he had developed a keen interest in the sport. But when it came to making a choice, Moin veered towards golf and there was no looking back after that. He attended the Professional Golfers Career College in California where some of his more interesting experiences included volunteer work for tournaments on the Nationwide Tour.
A regular on the amateur circuit for the last few years, 2008 was a special year for him. He won the title of the best amateur at the Indian Open in October and then capped off the year with his maiden win on tour.
Locking horns with Arshdeep Tiwana in a 36-hole playoff for the Eastern India title at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club, Moin had to draw on all his experience to come through. Going into the final hole, the par-4 18th, all-square, Moin found his second shot plugged in the wall of the greenside bunker on the left. With Tiwana sitting pretty for par, it was imperative for Moin to get his ball to rest near the hole. One could say he did a decent job with his chip, after all, you can't get closer to the pin than the bottom of the hole now, can you?
As has been the tradition at the club, RCGC added its special touch by getting the winner to cut a cake in front of the media. It was a wonderful sight and we hope he gets the chance to share a bit of cake with everyone many more times.
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