Panasonic Open India: Shiv Kapur looks to end season on high

New Delhi: Shiv Kapur won three titles last year but failed to replicate his success in 2018. Now, the Delhi golfer would look to end the season on a high as his “game has started picking up”.

The defending champion has set his sights on the Panasonic Open India as the perfect platform to break the barren run.

“The season hasn’t been as good as I would like it to be, to be honest. Now, I feel like my game is picking up again. I am excited to finish my season well, starting from this week. I am in a decent position on the Merit rankings so a good push for a win will help me end the season strong,” Kapur, who won the Panasonic Open India, the Royal Cup and the Yeangder Heritage in 2017, told this paper here on Tuesday.

“You kind of need to keep your expectations in check, like what I have said at the end of last year. You come off a great season where you have won three times and it’s never easy to back that up with more wins. I think I didn’t plan my schedule well enough. I didn’t have much time to rest between seasons,” the Arjuna awardee added.

The Panasonic Open India title was the first Asian Tour victory on home soil and second win in 2017 for Kapur, who will stick to his natural game rather playing defensive at the Delhi Golf Club.

“In the past, I have always had the mindset to play defensive or to play smart whenever I play on my home course at the Delhi Golf Club. But last year, I told myself to just play naturally like how it would be when I play with my friends and that kind of worked for me. I putted well last year and I think that was the key as well. The fairways are the best that I have ever seen. The rough is fantastic. It’s going to be a great test from tee to green,” the 36-year-old said.

Reminiscing about his 2017 win Kapur said it was like a dream come true for him to win on home soil. “It was a pretty amazing win last year. I replayed the videos of my victory again and it gave me some goosebumps and fond memories. It was special to win on your home course, in front of your family and friends. It was a dream for me to win here.

“I remember putting my two-year-old daughter in the Panasonic Open India trophy last year and that photo has been my profile picture on whatsapp since.”