Amateurs hope to rise Down Under

MELBOURNE: Indian golfers who missed out on a bronze medal at the Asian Games in Incheon are looking to make amends at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club where the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship kicks off on Thursday.
The Indians were leading till the 12th hole in the final round before a spate of bogeys and missed birdies put paid to their chances of grabbing a medal in the team category .It was the first time since the 2002 Asiad in Busan that the golfers returned empty-handed.
"It was unfortunate that we missed out on a medal.But we have worked hard and we will give our best here," Udayan Mane told TOI on Wednesday.
Talking about how he found the course conditions in Melbourne, the Pune boy said: "The greens are pretty tough. This is one of the most difficult courses in the world. Even in my dreams I didn't imagine that one day I will be playing at a venue where Tiger Woods has played." With the likes of Viral Madappa, Aman Raj, Side Sahib Ahmed, Riel Fernandez and Manu Gandas in their ranks, they seem a competitive lot in the tournament that has produced stars like Rory McIlroy.
A well gelled team and lack of pressure gives them the edge, feels Madappa.
"We have been playing together since sometime. We are not just fellow golfers, but we are friends too," said the Bangalorean.