
You're allowed a harmless bout of tantrums if you’re thirteen and grown men are almost jumping around while placing you on the leaderboard. But don’t be fooled by Honey Baisoya’s bratty kid’s insistence on getting his samosas in the middle of the round. The Delhi Golf Club junior has all the familiar nuances of the pro with a club in his hand, a head for the game, and a pre-planned career graph to boot.
Baisoya, playing his first-ever tournament on the amateur circuit at the LG Northern India, shot a round of three-over 75 at his home club on Tuesday that placed him tied 11th on the leaderboard. Son of a former caddy at the club, Baisoya enjoyed the comfort of his father on the bag and the curiosity of club regulars in his game as he played among the bigger league.
“It’s the first time I tried qualifying for an amateur tournament, and I got in. I wanted to start off and see how I face the competition,” Baisoya said.
Being the youngest player in the field — he turned 13 last month — though, did not exactly put him in the greenhorn’s bracket. Baisoya was literally brought up on a dose of the sport through his uncle Gast Ram, a regular on the pro circuit for many years, cousin Kapil Kumar, who’s in his rookie year on the pro circuit, and of course his dad, who has grand dreams for his son.
Talking on Tuesday, though, Baisoya suddenly piped up with a somewhat stunning declaration: “I’m going to turn pro in two years.”
... contd.