The sporting fire that lit so brightly when Arjun Atwal turned professional some 25 years ago is showing no signs of flickering as the Indian legend prepares to write a new chapter in his illustrious golf life.
Atwal has deservedly earned legendary stature in India and Asia due to his trailblazing success on golfâs finest fairways, which includes becoming the first Indian to play and subsequently triumph on the gameâs biggest stage, the PGA TOUR.
He is also a man of many firsts. Atwal was the first from the sub-continent to win a European Tour event (2002), the foremost golfer to earn over US$1 million in career earnings on the Asian Tour (2003) and the first to taste victory on the Korn Ferry Tour (2008).
For all his easy-going and laidback demeanour, the Indian, now 47 years young, is still as ambitious as he was at 22 when he joined the play-for-pay ranks. While he believes he can still compete at the highest level â he briefly held the co-lead during the third round of the recent Rocket Mortgage Classic â he has set more lofty goals by stating his intention to win on PGA TOUR Champions when he becomes eligible for the over-50 circuit.
âBy the time, Iâm 50 Iâm ready to play (PGA TOUR) Champions. I want to win on this Tour as well. I still have the desire to win as long my body can still perform. If those things are there, then I will play. As of right now, Iâm feeling great,â said Atwal, who resides in Windermere, Florida with his family.
The former Asian No. 1 says he has never felt this good in a long time. Throughout a career which saw him garner eight Asian Tour wins including three European Tour co-sanctioned titles and the regionâs Order of Merit crown, he endured some difficult times with debilitating back and shoulder injuries. In 231 PGA TOUR events, Atwal enjoyed one win, 11 top-10s and 29 top-25s which his overall report card could have indicated better stats if not for those setbacks.
Hence at the turn of a new decade, Atwal made a pledge to get fitter, trimmer and stronger. When he showed up in Detroit last month, he had shed 15 pounds to bring his weight back to 185 pounds which was the number he tipped on the scales in his PGA TOUR debut in 2004. With his wife Sonaâs help, he now consumes only healthy food, stopped the casual alcohol intake, works out at the gym four times a week and diligently practices yoga to ensure he remains supple and agile.
âThis year, I made a commitment to get fitter. I wanted to see how fit I could be and also to get rid of the aches and pains. Iâve been working out and I feel good ⌠the legs feel stronger and Iâve added swing speed. Iâm hitting the ball longer than in the last five to six years. I donât remember how long ago Iâve felt like this,â said Atwal, who pounded a drive of 342 yards at the Rocket Mortgage for his longest one to date in 2020.
This week will mark exactly 10 years when Atwal wrote another slice of Asian golf history by winning the Wyndham Championship. As a Monday qualifier, he led from start to finish to become Indiaâs first winner on the PGA TOUR, fulfilling his American dream which began when he attended high school in New York.
He is once again in this weekâs elite field at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, with T53 finishes in his last two starts at the 3M Open and Barracuda Championship. After making the cut in his last start, the Indian star cheekily tweeted: âThree cuts in a row…not bad for a 47 year oldâŚletâs see if the body holds up on the weekend!â
Atwal though is not the sort of guy who would dwell in past successes, preferring to look ahead towards new challenges. âI donât think about it (the win),â he said. âItâs so long ago. Once itâs over, itâs over. Iâm just looking forward to competing, and I got excited to practice again with a purpose when I got into the Rocket Mortgage Classic (where he finished tied 45th).â
âThereâs definitely pride in what Iâve done in my career. Playing on the Asian Tour taught me a lot and itâs a matter of pride to be first Indian to win on the PGA TOUR, Korn Ferry Tour, European Tour ⌠thatâs not bad. Iâve always dreamt about playing here and this is the dream. Hopefully I can become the first Indian to win on Champions as well. There may be generations doing much more after me but they canât take away being the first. Itâs pretty cool coming from a country of 1.3 billion people.â
Atwalâs two sons, 16-year-old Krishen and Shiva, 12, may not quite follow in his golf footsteps despite being introduced to the game when they were young. At 6â5â and 6â1â in height, respectively, and still growing, both seem intent on playing basketball and will have their dadâs full encouragement should they harbour dreams of playing in the NBA.
âThe older boy has decided to play only basketball while the younger one is playing both sports but because heâs a big boy, basketball comes easier. Iâm not going to push them and my advice is to have discipline and work ethics. Theyâve seen their dad work hard and I think they get it. When Iâm home, Iâve got the discipline and the ethics. I think they will learn by example,â Atwal said proudly.
âThatâs my legacy to my kids.â
