Asia Pacific Junior Championship : 16-year-old Chandigarh golfer to represent India in Taiwan

“My grandfather has been my mentor and I took up golf because of him. When I returned from the USA after taking part in US Kids Golf Championship, he asked me to concentrate on my game and the Asian Championships. It’s an honour representing India at the tournament and I will be giving my best,” the youngster told Chandigarh Newsline.

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Being the second-ranked golfer in the Indian Golf Union (IGU) Order of Merit list, Karandeep will tee off in Taiwan along with Aditi Ashok, who won the British Amateur title last week. He will also be a member of the Indian amateur team for the Asia Pacific Amateur Golf Championship to be held in Hong Kong in September later this year.

A regular winner in the categories D, C and B on the IGU circuit, Karandeep made it to the Indian team on the basis of his second rank in the category A. He won the title in the Haryana Junior Golf Championships played in Gurgaon in April before he claimed the runner-up slot in the Southern India Junior Championships played in Bengaluru in June early this year. The youngster then played in the US KIDS Golf Championships in Pinehurst, North Carolina, USA, where he finished a credible eighth. “It has been a fine start to his season this year when he won the title in Gurgaon and claimed the second spot in Bengaluru. Playing at Pinehurst was a challenge and to finish eighth among the world’s best golfers boosted his confidence a lot. Playing along with the likes of Aditi Ashok will motivate him a lot and he has also set his eyes on the Hong Kong event. India’s top six amateur golfers play in such events and he wants to utilise this chance,” said Sandeep Kochar, Karandeep’s father.

Karandeep, who is a student of St John’s High School, trains at Chandigarh Golf Association Range under coach Jesse Grewal and does fitness training under coach Sagar Diwan.

“He has been a regular winner on the junior circuit and these tournaments will add to his confidence. He has played all over the world and competing among Asia’s best junior golfers will be a challenge. Competing along with the likes of Aditi Ashok, who won the British Amateur title last week, will help his game. His biggest strength has been his confidence and such tournaments will provide him the platform to compete at the international level before he turns professional,” said coach Grewal.