Growing up some 1,500 kilometers apart, the golfing careers of India’s S.S.P. Chawrasia and Chikkarangappa S. have still taken more or less identical pathways that puts them on track to challenge the world in Melbourne later this month.
Both Asian Tour players will make their debuts at the ISPS Handa World Cup of Golf at Kingston Heath Golf Club from November 24 to 27, forming one of seven two-man Asian teams hoping to hoist the famous trophy won previously by many legends of the games.
Chawrasia, 38, is the older and more established of the two, thanks largely to three victories in co-sanctioned Asian Tour and European Tour tournaments while Chikka, as he is better known, is 12 years younger and regarded as one of the nation’s exciting and new prospects.
Their rise against the odds is inspirational, with Chawrasia growing up as the son of a greenskeeper in Kolkata and Chikka working as a ball boy in Bengaluru where he’d earn a dollar a day.
As a youngster, Chawrasia’s love for the game saw him climb walls to sneak in a few holes before being chased away by club members while Chikka spent hours mimicking golf swings. Ironically, the former now owns a nice home near the club and the latter is said to have a golf swing that can land him Asian Tour wins and beyond.
“From our village, we could see the Eagleton golf course and I was curious about the golf buggies moving around. One day, I tried walking in to see what it was about. I was young and small, and they didn’t allow me in but I walked in anyway,” said Chikka with a grin.
“I became a ball boy at the range when I was about eight. I just fell in love with the game. I wanted to get more involved and I worked there so I could play a bit and earn some money by collecting balls from 7am to 7pm during weekends. That would keep my mum happy too.”
Chikka’s first clubs were a used half-set from a Japanese expatriate. Although it was a women’s set, he recalled sleeping that night with the bag next to him. His raw talent saw become a top Indian amateur that he was also selected to play in the 2012 Bonnalack Trophy and partnered a Japanese youngster by the name of Hideki Matsuyama.
“My parents we did agriculture to take care of the house. My dad also worked in the villages building houses. It was difficult for us. The dream was for me to become a graduate and earn money. But I chose golf when I was 11,” said Chikka.
He is indebted to Chawrasia for picking him as his partner for the World Cup of Golf. “It was a shock. Out of so many guys, for S.S.P. to choose me, I was really happy. I’ve been looking for opportunities and he’s given me the chance and we’ll see what we can do in Melbourne.
“We always play for ourselves as professionals and we hardly play for our countries unlike our amateur days. It’s a proud honour to represent India in the World Cup. It’s the best feeling ever,” said Chikka, who is currently ranked 30th on the Asian Tour thanks to four top-10s this season.
While reigning Asian Tour number one Anirban Lahiri is like a brother to him and they share the same swing coach in Vijay Divecha, Chikka said Chawrasia’s well-scripted rise in the game from an under-privileged upbringing provided him with his early inspiration. (Courtesy Asian Tour)
