We are officially half way through the golf season around the world ? two majors have been played and the Open Championship and the USPGA Championship remain. A season that started with a lot of promise after SSP Chowrasia won the first ever European Tour event on home ground, has not disappointed. He set the stage for Arjun Atwal, who was the next Indian to win on the European Tour and was followed by Jeev Milkha Singh, who won in Austria recently.
Meanwhile, Shiv Kapur is also in hot form ? the Delhi youngster hit a 63 in the second round of the Open de France Alstom! This is just a brief glimpse of his immense talent and it is only a matter of time before he starts carding consistent top ten finishes on the European Tour.
Presently, European and American professional golfers are working hard for the Ryder Cup, scheduled later this year. In one of the most surprisingly developments, Sweden-born, India-bred Daniel Chopra is in the reckoning for the Ryder Cup. Daniel is in great form. He currently led the Buick Open in Michigan with a two-stroke advantage over his nearest competitor, but a final round 75 saw his chances of winning his second PGA Tour title this year fade away.
Daniel who has already won once this year ? the season opening Mercedes Benz Championship in Hawaii in January ? could become the first Indian to play the Ryder Cup ? via Sweden of course. Daniel is currently tenth on the World Points List for the Ryder Cup, but 70th on the European Ryder Cup Points List, which is understandable as he plays all his golf on the PGA Tour. He has an outsider chance of being elected as one of the members of Captain Nick Faldo?s European Team but there is still a lot of golf to be played. Regardless of the outcome, if he does get to play, I am sure it is something he would never have dreamt of while he was honing his skills at the Delhi Golf Course, but such is sport.
Also, the prestigious Indian Open is now going to be worth $1 million! The tournament will be held at the Delhi Golf Course from October 9-12, 2008, and there will definitely be lots of big names and some great golf on the cards. However, I think the country?s national championship owes this upgrade to the Emaar-MGF Indian Masters, the first European Tour event to be held in India, which was worth $2,500,000.