SSP Chowrasia, Golf's original rags to riches man - gardener's son, who grew up watching rich people play golf at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC)where his father worked. Like any child, he would dream big. But never this big.
By the end of the third day though, he was the toast of the golfing circuit. An Indian had achieved the impossible — beaten Els and the rest by quite a big margin to pocket the winner's trophy and a cheque for 240,000 pounds (R2.4 crore in today's rates).
With a career earning that's well over 10 million dollars as of last week, Chowrasia is one of the few
Indian golfers who are a part of the Asian and European PGA circuit. He no longer lives in a small one-
room chawl near the RCGC grounds. Nor does he take public transport to reach a golf course anymore.
Borrowed kit, land of dreams
Fifteen years ago though, Chowrasia would have laughed if someone told him he would be a rags-to-riches story one day. "I couldn't even afford a golf kit. I got my first kit in 1997 when a kind gentleman called Neil Law gifted me his golf set. For a few years I played tournaments with this kit," he says.
Meanwhile, the Kolkata lad did all sorts of things to make sure he could continue playing golf. He caddied for golfers in his local club and did odd jobs to save enough to fund his trip to a tournament in Chandigarh in 1998. "My parents were getting jittery by this time and told me that it was time I stopped fooling around with the golf club and focused on learning the art of maintaining the greens. Chandigarh would be my last chance," he recalls.
But fortune favours the brave. "I played really well in a couple of tournaments and in the last tournament, held in Delhi, I came 23rd and took home a cheque for R30,000. My parents had never seen so much money. This was the first time I realized I could have a career playing golf," Chowrasia says.
"R30,000 convinced you this was worth a career?" I ask. "It would convince you too, if you never saw a R1,000 note in your life before that," he shoots back with a smile. Chowrasia bought his own golf set with the money and set about making history.
Fifteen years ago though, Chowrasia would have laughed if someone told him he would be a rags-to-riches story one day. "I couldn't even afford a golf kit. I got my first kit in 1997 when a kind gentleman called Neil Law gifted me his golf set. For a few years I played tournaments with this kit," he says.
Meanwhile, the Kolkata lad did all sorts of things to make sure he could continue playing golf. He caddied for golfers in his local club and did odd jobs to save enough to fund his trip to a tournament in Chandigarh in 1998. "My parents were getting jittery by this time and told me that it was time I stopped fooling around with the golf club and focused on learning the art of maintaining the greens. Chandigarh would be my last chance," he recalls.
But fortune favours the brave. "I played really well in a couple of tournaments and in the last tournament, held in Delhi, I came 23rd and took home a cheque for R30,000. My parents had never seen so much money. This was the first time I realized I could have a career playing golf," Chowrasia says.
"R30,000 convinced you this was worth a career?" I ask. "It would convince you too, if you never saw a R1,000 note in your life before that," he shoots back with a smile. Chowrasia bought his own golf set with the money and set about making history.
full article in the link below
- See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/ssp-chowrasia-golfs-original-rags-to-riches-man/15063040#sthash.j3eCQcX9.dpuf
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Posted by: Ravi Narasimhan <ravi.narasimhan.in@gmail.com>
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