The season-end beckons, and Aalaap IL is flirting with danger on the PGTI order of merit.
The strapping athlete from Mysore would surely like to see himself in a better spot than the current 56th, and it is rounds like Day 1 of the Telengana Golconda Masters that will help in presenting a watertight case as far his playing rights for 2023 go.
Related: Pushing & learning from each other, Aalaap and Yashas’ golfing journey
The five-under 65 and spot on the leaderboard will give him the cushion to play some “aggressive shots”, he says with some caution. There is reason behind it. Aalaap had shot a similar round on the opening day in Pune last month but faded away in the eagerness to “protect his position on the leaderboard”.
Then and now, the strategy has changed. Throw in the wrist injury he suffered at Coimbatore in August and the subsequent forced break, the talk centers around the mindset as well.
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The slip in Pune has taught him to “focus on the process and natural game” rather than the leaderboard, and the relief of playing pain free again after the sessions of rehab in the forced break have shaped his outlook on the golf course.
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The key lies in putting all of this into practice, and Aalaap is hopeful he can keep pulling it off, not only this week but through what remains of the season.
Photo credit: @aalaap_il
