Nishna Patel, all of 18, is one of the bright, young and emerging talents in the Indian junior golf scene. The Mumbai girl, who had won her maiden professional title at the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour earlier this year, shared her thoughts and a bit about her career plans in this exclusive Q&A with Free Press Journal’s Haridev Pushparaj
Q: You registered your maiden Pro Tour victory this year?..what are your thoughts on that?..
A: I was very glad for my maiden pro victory. It gave me a boost for the rest of the season. Yeah, I was very thrilled for it.
Q: How old are you and what are the tournaments that are lined up for you this year?..
A. I am 18-years-old and I have a few collegiate events lined up in September and October.
Q: At what age did you start playing golf?..Where did the inspiration and motivation come from?
A. I started golf when I was eight years old and my father and brother were playing so they were the inspiration to take up the sport.
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Q: Who is your coach and what have the learnings been for you in the last one year or so?..
A. “My coach is Laurence Brotheridge, who is based in the UK and the learnings in the last one year have been to stay focused and committed towards my goal, to stick to my process and not to worry about the outcome.
Q: What is your India ranking at present and who do you look upto among the Indian golfers?..
A. My current Order of Merit ranking is fourth and I look upto Aditi Ashok among the Indian golfers.
Q: With the Olympics going on, do you ever think of representing India at the Olympics in the future?..
A. Having represented India as an amateur more than 10 times has been a great feeling. Like there is no better feeling than that, so doing it at the Olympics is definitely one of my goals.
Q: What aspects of your game do you feel are your strengths and what are the areas you feel need to be worked upon?..
A. I feel my driving and my shots off the tee are my strengths. Some of the areas that I need to work upon are better strategy and gameplan.
Q: Tell me about your schooling and academics..which school did you go to and what are you studying currently?
A. I studied in St Gregorious High School, Mumbai up until 10th grade. Then Ruia College for 11th and 12th. I completed my 12th grade this year.
Q: How has your family supported in your pursuit of being a professional golfer?..
A. My family has been extremely supportive for my dream of turning professional in the future and playing at the highest level and I wouldn’t be where I am without their support. They’ve never emphasised or stressed me out on a lot of academics, so that I could practice and play lot more tournaments. They have always taken me around for practice and tournaments.
Q: How do you unwind when you are not playing golf?..
A. I like spending time with family or listen to music and play with dogs.
Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour: Amateur Nishna Patel Cards Bogey-Free 64
