Caddying to glory

"Caddies are a breed unto themselves and they certainly earn their wage for humping this lot around four miles of land."

Caddies are on the golf course for close to 10 to 12 hours a day. They have to lug the golf bag, pick out the right club for the player, assess the yardage, and for the amateurs and beginners, they also have to get into the bushes and search and retrieve mis-hit golf balls.

The course is their source of livelihood. While most caddies are content caddying, there are others who get hooked to the sport. So they borrow clubs and practice hard. And some of them do become fine players.

Rohtash Singh and Ali Sher were among the first caddies in India, who turned professional golfers and showed the way to others. It was at the Delhi Golf Club that Rohtash and Ali Sher first picked up the nuances of the game. They were followed by another caddie-turned-golfer, Ashok Kumar. There have been more after them like SSP Chowrasia, C. Muniyappa, Harendra Gupta and many more, who started off as caddies but have now made a name for themselves in Indian professional golf circuit.

Chandigarh-based Harendra Gupta has become a role model for other caddies

These caddies-turned-golfers now make a great deal of money. In fact, earlier this year Chowrasia won the Avantha Masters in Delhi, pocketing the first prize of 3,00,000 Euro. Muniyappa, too, won the Indian Open some time back, collecting the first prize of $ 2,00,000.

Of course, they have become role models for other caddies. From Chandigarh, too, golfers like Harendra Gupta and Ranjit Singh, who started off as caddies, and have become professional players now, are doing quite well for themselves.

"Yes, we do help caddies at the golf range here. If they have the zeal and the desire to do well, nothing can stop them. We offer help, but only up to the point of their becoming professional golfers, once they become professionals, if they shoot the right numbers, then they make the money. It is as simple as that," says Jesse Grewal, Director of the Chandigarh-based National Golf Academy and regarded by many as the best coach in Asia.

Most of these caddie-turned-pros are doing well now in terms of success and money. But none can forget that first step towards success, which still is relished and cherished. The moment Ashok Kumar remembers the most is not the time when he won his major title but when he finished 18th in the Hero Honda DLF tournament in 2002. It fetched him a pay cheque of Rs 1 lakh. "I never looked back after that," says Ashok.

SSP Chowrasia won the Avantha Masters, pocketing the first prize of 3,00,000 Euros

According to Ashok, the game has come a long way since he first picked up a club. "There is much more money, more tournaments and more media coverage now. More and more caddies are making the cut. The Delhi Golf Club has produced the likes of Rohtash Singh and Ali Sher, and then I came along. Now, we have Muniyappa from Bangalore. I wish all golf links in the country provided support to caddies. A lot of them have inherent talent, waiting to be tapped," says Ashok.

Ashok has modelled his game on his idol Tiger Woods. Incidentally, Ashok had met Tiger in Bangkok, when he was a caddie to Arjun Atwal, a decade ago. "Woods hugged me when I was introduced as a top amateur from India. I asked for his advice and Tiger simply said ‘Don’t think of beating others, they should think of beating you!’"recalls Ashok.

C. Muniyappa has proved himself despite missing on formal education

It is pretty much a similar story for C. Muniyappa. He has proved himself in an expensive sport, despite living an unprivileged life and missing on formal education. "I have never been to school," says Muniyappa, who began working as a caddie at the KGA course in Bangalore, when he was only seven. His parents hailed from Dharmapuri district in Tamil Nadu, and were working at the KGA.

All these erstwhile caddies —Ashok Kumar, Chowrasia and Muniyappa — have shown that it can be done. Now more caddies from the KGA course in Bangalore want to follow in the footsteps of Muniyaapa. Even at the Chandigarh Golf Club, many caddies want to be like Harendra Gupta. Many of these other aspiring caddies can surely become steady golfers like their role models and make a name and fortune for themselves, only if they have the passion for it.