Having finished eighth, second, and third, respectively, in his last three attempts at the British Mid-Amateur Championship, Abhishek Mitra eventually clinched victory in the Net category at the tournament this year, becoming the first Indian golfer to win a major. Held at the Notts (Hollinwell) Golf Club in Nottingham between May 7 and 9, the competition has given the Kolkata boy his biggest win till date. My Kolkata caught up with Abhishek, 47, days after his victory to get a sense of his experience and what the title means to him.
“I started very well this year, shooting seven-under on day one. I was holding all my putts. I had three chip-ins from the outside, so I was doing well. On the final day, I shot a 73-and-one over the course. I knew I was in contention, but I didn’t feel I won until the news broke and people began to congratulate me. For the first 15 to 20 minutes, it didn’t sink in. Then I saw the group coming in from behind. I checked the scores and realised that it had happened…I was on cloud nine,” recalls Abhishek.
‘I knew the Europeans would have a better drive, so I had to make up with my putts’
Abhishek foresees a stab at professional golf sometime next year Abhishek Mitra
Currently based out of Hyderabad, Abhishek prepared well ahead of the tournament and practised his short game a lot more before heading to England: “I’d go practice at six in the morning before work every day. I prepared extensively for windy conditions by playing on link courses in Hyderabad. My friend, Rahil Gangjee, helped me out with some inputs, focusing on my putting and short games because I knew the Europeans would have a better drive, so I had to make up with my putts.”
An injury to his back (the tailbone) had put Abhishek away from the golf course for more than a decade. But he has not looked back since overcoming his fitness woes to return to golf in 2013. Being a corporate professional means that managing time and recovery for Abhishek is a considerable challenge. So how does he go about it? “I’m at work between 9.30am and 6pm. Before that, I wake up at 5am and get a couple of hours of golf in before I start work. I also play for an hour post-work. On the weekends, I play a full round of golf,” outlines Abhishek. “Golf is my first love and having my sponsor, NMDC, back me for the past two years has helped me a lot. The company I work for has also supported me by allowing me to go on several tours. I carry my laptop on tours. Once I’m done with the day’s golf, I log in and finish whatever work I have before sleeping early to get adequate recovery,” adds Abhishek.
In his last conversation with My Kolkata, Abhishek spoke about his goal to return to professional golf. Now that he has added a glorious feather to his cap as an amateur, where do his professional aspirations lie? “It’s still on my mind, but my focus is currently on the Spanish Mid-Amateur, which is a world championship. After that, there are the Scottish and Hong Kong Mid-Ams, which I will be playing this year along with a few in India. But I still want to turn pro. If all goes well at these events, I’ll give professional golf a shot next year,” concludes Abhishek.
