BENGALURU: With two top 10 finishes in three starts, Bengaluru-based Aryan Roopa Anand couldn’t have asked for a better start to his pro career. The 21-year-old has been on a roll since winning the PGTI Q-School event with a stunning 20-under total early last month.
Playing some of his best golf in recent times, Aryan hopes to carry that form into the Duncan Taylor Black Bull Challenge, a Challenge Tour event (a tier-two pro tour in Europe) that begins at the KGA here on Wednesday.
“I am playing really well. The fact that the event is happening at the course where I have grown up playing really helps,” Aryan told TOI after a practice round on Monday.
“I have high expectations for myself. Things have been going good and I am just going to ride the wave and hope things turn out well on Sunday evening,” added Aryan, who finished second at the Gujarat Open Golf Championship earlier this month.
A two-time all-India amateur champion, Aryan attributed some of his newfound success to consistency and a minor tweak in his grip. “I have been consistent, but nothing much has changed in terms of the mentality. I am still going out and trying to shoot the best score possible. I think that has helped me. I am not trying too hard because I am on a higher tour and playing with better players,” he said.
“The change in grip happened at the time I made the switch to pro golf,” he went on. “After that, I have definitely been a lot more consistent in my ball striking and the way I am playing. But then, golf is not all about technicality and stuff, but also about how you manage yourself mentally and the preparation you put in,” pointed out Aryan, who trains at the Tarun Sardesai Golf Academy near Kolar.
Putting has always been the key at the lightning quick greens at the KGA. Known for his putting and short-game prowess, Aryan will rely on his strengths to figure prominently on the leaderboard.
The youngster, who has got a good head on his shoulders, however, is not putting too much pressure on himself in his rookie season. “I am trying to stay in the moment and take it one shot, one tournament at a time and see where the season takes me,” he said and added, “However, there are a few personal goals, like finishing in the top-10 in the Order of Merit and winning on the Tour this year. I don’t want to limit myself as possibilities are limitless.”
