Coping with the rigours of Tour isn’t easy, and when the results are not on the right side of the leaderboard, the effects, especially towards the close of a season, can pile up.
Viraj Madappa started well on the PGTI last season, had a couple on the Asian Tour as well, but the results started to dry up in the second half.
Related: After ticking a win on PGTI, Sachin Baisoya ready for Asian Tour test
The workhorse that he is, Viraj stuck to his process, but the efforts did not show up on the golf course.
For one who “chases good golf”, not golf tournaments, Viraj felt “his heart was no longer in pro golf” by the end of the year.
The body and mind were crying out for a break, and Viraj relented, even if that meant skipping some big-ticket events on the Asian Tour at the start of the year.
View this post on Instagram
The break from his golf clubs and time with the family seem to have worked, as the spring in the step and smile are back.
There can be no better place than the Delhi Golf Club to announce a comeback, literally. It’s a venue he has come to love from his junior days for its memories, and the bond got stronger in 2021 when he won the MP Cup on the PGTI.
Given the familiarity, strategy’s already in place for The DGC Open. “A lot of irons off the tee, keep the ball in play for a lot of birdies chances,” said Viraj.
Couple this knowhow with mother and lucky mascot Vidya flying in from Kolkata to be with Viraj. Vidya walked the course when Viraj won the MP Cup, and hope floats that a repeat could be in the offing.
Photo Credit: Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour
