Shanghai, November 3: India’s C. Muniyappa is pinching himself these days to see if he is caught up in a wild dream.
A month ago, the 32-year-old was merely one of the boys in his rookie season on the Asian Tour but this week, he will stand shoulder-and-shoulder with golf greats including Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in the WGC-HSBC Champions.
“My dream has always been to play with Tiger,” said Muniyappa today. “I can’t imagine that I’m going to be in the same event with him.
“Last year, I was watching the big events on TV and I saw Jeev (Singh) winning in Singapore. I asked myself when will I have the chance to play in such big events and I worked really hard. Now, I’m here.”
He is amongst 11 Asian Tour members, who include three other Indians, at the Sheshan International Golf Club for the historic first staging of a World Golf Championship event in Asia.
Muniyappa earned his spot in the US$7 million showpiece through his sixth place position on the Order of Merit at the cut-off point for qualifying, thanks to a career breakthrough victory in the Hero Honda Indian Open last mo
nth.
For a man who caddied for one rupee (2 cents) during his childhood, he has had the opportunity to shoot for a staggering US$13 million over the past three weeks on Tour.
“I’m going to try to play my best golf here. In Singapore last week, I didn’t play well as I didn’t have a visa ready for China and I was worried about that. But it was a good experience competing on a tough course. I feel lucky to be here,” said the man from Bangalore.
It has been hard work rather than sheer luck which has brought Muniyappa to golf’s biggest stage. He entered his first Asian Tour Qualifying School this year after mustering enough confidence to do so following a first domestic victory last year following more than 10 years in the play-for-pay ranks.
During the final round of Q-school, Muniyappa fell outside the top-40 with four holes remaining after a bizarre incident where he lost his ball despite hitting a perfect drive down the 15th fairway.
“I declared a lost ball but when we walked up to my second ball, I found the first ball lying on the fairway! I was so angry and made double bogey,” he said.
“At that point, it was the most pressure that I’ve ever felt in my life, even more than what I experienced in the Indian Open play-off. If I didn’t make the top-40, I would not be able to play on the Asian Tour for a year. I knew I had to birdie a few holes coming in, and I managed to do so on 16 and 18.”
Muniyappa’s emergence certainly mirrors the wonderful rise of Indian talents coming through on the Asian Tour.
This week would mark the first time that four Indians, the others being Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa and Gaganjeet Bhullar, are featuring in a WGC event.
Bhullar, a talented 21-year-old who won the Indonesia President Invitational in July, said: “Four Indians in a WGC event, it’s the first time in our history. We are produ
cing so many international players and it’s a great sign for Indian golf.
“It’s all thanks to Jeev, Jyoti and Arjun (Atwal) who have played well over the years and given the rest of us the inspiration to emulate them,” said Bhullar.
After earning his Major stripes when he qualified for the British Open this year, Bhullar will also be Tiger-hunting in Shanghai. “I’m so excited. I saw Tiger at the British Open and it was so inspiring for me. I’m looking for a great week.
“It feels good to be in a WGC event. The last two years, I’ve worked really hard and I want to work harder to get into contention at the big events.”
The other Asian Tour stars in the field include Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee, Chapchai Nirat and Prayad Marksaeng, Anthony Kang of the United States, Japan’s Daisuke Maruyama, Singapore Lam Chih Bing and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Wen-tang.
Korea’s Yang Yong-eun, Asia’s first Major champion, will also challenge for the HSBC Champions title which he won in 2006.
Ends
For further information, please contact Asian Tour’s Chuah Choo Chiang at the media centre tel: +86 21 57799291.
About the Asian Tour
As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include ESPN Star Sports (Official Regional TV Broadcaster), Pin High (Official Apparel Partner), Ricoh (Official Office Solutions Provider) and Srixon (Official Ball). Sentosa, Singapore’s premier island resort getaway, is the Home of the Asian Tour.