Despite two rounds of top notch golf behind him, the sternest test for Himmat Singh Rai began only on Sunday. Having led the Iskandar Johor Open for the weather-cut tournament’s two opening rounds, the 22-year-old Rai was facing 18 make-or-break holes, playing in the group under the maximum scrutiny, and alongside one of the region’s best names who had chosen that day to find his best raging form.

KJ Choi might have walked away with the Asian Tour title last week in Johor Bahru in Malaysia, but for Rai, the biggest takeaway was reassurance of having kept his nerves and his game in perfect condition.

“I had played well all through the tournament and the last round of two-under (70) gave me confidence of holding it together on the last day. I didn’t get ahead of myself at any moment through the day. I might not have won, but I came away from it knowing that I could,”

Rai, who returned home last night, told Sportline on Wednesday. The tied third place — along with two-time Major winner Retief Goosen of South Africa — was the Delhi player’s best ever finish on the Asian Tour.

Of course, playing with Choi was a learning experience in itself, as the Korean spoke to his younger playing partner about his routine and his experience of playing on the PGA Tour. “The most important thing he stressed on was working on the mental game to succeed at the highest level,” Rai said.

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