By Samikshan Dutta Choudhury
Manav Jaini had a great outing last year and made the cut in most tournaments, but unfortunately could not convert that into a win at domestic or international level. The 29-year-old Delhi-based golfer now wants to bring about a whole lot of change in his game and sees this as a transition year.
In an interview with Samikshan Dutta Choudhury of Indian Sports News, Manav talks about his plans, the PGTI and more. Excerpts:
ISN: Your last two seasons were great and you made the cut in almost everything you played. So how would you like to start the current season, especially with the Avantha Masters knocking on the door?
Manav: Well, I did have great seasons in 2010 and 2011, and apart from the missed cut at last week’s Myanmar Open, I would really like to start the season on a new note. This season will be a transition year for me and I am looking to change a lot of aspects of my game. Overall, I would say this season is going to be a breakthrough year for me.
ISN: The Avantha Masters, the richest tournament on Indian soil, is just around the corner. How much do you fancy your chances there?
Manav: Well, I fancy my chances in every tournament I enter. As for the Avantha Masters, I definitely want to perform to the best of my abilities and win. Winning such a tournament so early in the year would give me great momentum and could do wonders for me during the season. So I will certainly try to win it and carry the momentum forward.
ISN: So will we see Manav playing more on the PGTI or the Asian Tour?
Manav: Everyone wants to graduate to the next level, and it is the same with me. I will play more on the Asian Tour and in co-sanctioned events. I do not have a full card, as I finished 63rd and only the top 61 kept their Asian Tour cards, so I will play through the country exemption. The tournaments I get into through the country exemption will all be full-field events and will definitely help me reach higher goals.
Playing abroad
ISN: Indian golfers play exceptionally well on Indian soil and can give any top pro a run for their money. But when they go abroad, their performance drops drastically. What might be the reason?
Manav: Well, to an extent that is true, and I think the reason is a lack of knowledge about the courses. There are lots of technical aspects that need to be considered when playing abroad. So it is just a matter of time, and once we start playing more abroad we will adapt quickly.
ISN: Manav, you have made the cut in most of the tournaments you played and have come close to winning on many occasions. How do you feel when you lose after coming so close?
Manav: Well, that’s a feeling I don’t think I can explain. Whenever I lose a tournament where I have come close, I have only myself to blame. At this level you cannot make mistakes like that. Even at the SAIL Open, where I had a chance to pick up my first Asian Tour victory in regulation play, it went to a three-way play-off because of a poor third shot. I still had a chance in the play-off but missed the birdie, and eventually Anirban ran off with it. These are things I need to work on at a personal level, and all I can say is that I will definitely try to work them out.
The growth of the PGTI
ISN: How do you think the PGTI compares with other tours around the world, such as the Japan Tour or the Asian Tour?
Manav: Well, the PGTI is just a five-year-old tour and it would be unfair to compare it with the Japan or Asian Tour. Personally, I think the PGTI is a great platform and it really does throw up new talent every year. The level of competition is increasing, the prize money has gone up and the cuts are getting lower. So everything is going in the right direction, and only good can come to this tour.
