Final US PGA Qualifying Tournament Dec. 2003

Post by **jayakris** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 2:06 pm

I just checked the Times of India. It has been 18 hours since the historic event, and they just placed an article in the "miscellaneous section" of the sports pages, saying Atwal the first Indian , blah blah.

The sports page headline --

"Sachin is Real No.1 -- VVS Laxman"

There is no article in any newspaper in the world that drives me up the wall like all these Indian newspaper articles with different guys commenting on Sachin.

Second headline -- "Indians took us by Surprise: Hayden"

God, we Indians look sooooo childish in the sports pages of our newspapers. Only groupies at Brittney Spears concerts could be a a worse star-struck lot than Indian cricket fans. I give up!

.. COME ON!

Jay

ajay · Post by **ajay** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 5:50 pm

BSharma wrote:
As per Bhushan's quote Arjun's wife name is Sona Bhalla? Atwal’s wife Ritika said ...... So whoz Arjun's wife? Is she known by two names? -Kumar
Perhaps she has two names - "?Ritika Sona nee Bhalla".

Ok, this mystery is solved. Real name is Ritika Atwal while she also goes with pet name Sona.

BSharma · Post by **BSharma** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 6:54 pm

Thanks "PI" Ajay for solving this mystery.

One gone, two to go!

I was figuring that this mystery of Arjun's wife's real name would be more difficult than those involving Daniel.

If only the Indian newspaper were as diligent as the forum members of this web site, we would be getting reliable news.

Kumar · Post by **Kumar** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 5:34 am

I just checked the Times of India. It has been 18 hours since the historic event, and they just placed an article in the "miscellaneous section" of the sports pages, saying Atwal the first Indian , blah blah.

Comeon Jay, India drawing the FIRST Test match is a MUCH bigger event than Arjun easily qualifying for the PGA tour. How can you even compare India battling 3 days in horrid weather

to draw a test match with Arjun just playing easy 6 rounds of Golf in cold weather....

Even if you consider the occurance of the two events, they are closely matching. India drawing its first test match abroad (outside subcontinent) is a rare occurence and has probably occured only once before (in West Indies couple of years back) in last 18 years when compared to Indian player qualifying for PGA which has never happened...

Thanks Ajay for satisfying my curiosity!!!

Ok, this mystery is solved. Real name is Ritika Atwal while she also goes with pet name Sona.

Dhurv / Ajay, Is it possible to arrange a chat session with both Daniel and Arjun (hopefully on the weekend)

vishnureddy · Post by **vishnureddy** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 8:08 am

Kudos to both Arjun and Chopra. I have only started following this game from WGC where both Jyoti and Arjun played. Now there is an incentive to watch Golf next year

.

kathiresan_v · Post by **kathiresan_v** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 10:16 am

Kumar.....quite interesting!!!!! thanks, u have open up my eyes man

vishnureddy · Post by **vishnureddy** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 10:28 am

Guys if you don't mind just a few questions. Who is a better golfer at present Jyoti or Arjun or Jeev? Why did Jyoti give the qualies a miss? How good are Jeev and Jyoti's chances of making it to US PGA Tour? What are the top tours? I know US PGA Tour is the best. How do the others line up? It would be great if you could answer these as it will clear most of my doubts.

Post by **Dhruv** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 12:35 pm

Arjun is probably the most consistent and hence the better golfer amongst the three. He is set to win the money title on the Asian PGA tour as well.

This is how I see the top tours stacking up. Others may have varying opinions

US PGA
European PGA
Australasian PGA
Japan PGA
Southern Africa PGA
Nationwide Tour
Asian PGA
Canadian PGA and Challenge Tours

Post by **jayakris** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 1:38 pm

Times of India actually placed an article by saubhagya mohan kala, on their sports front page today, on Atwal and Narain

Here is another interesting article today
Born-again Chopra scales a great wall

I didn't know the story about Daniel being totally broke a couple of years back and taking a $5000 loan from Jeev after almost quitting the game! .. Man ...

Jay

PKBasu · Post by **PKBasu** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 2:54 pm

Kumar, I presume, has his tongue firmly in his cheek and sarcasm dripping from his sleeve.
But India did not draw the first test against the Windies last year, they won in Trinidad. Taking a first innings lead over Australia in the first test of a series in Australia is indeed a very rare occurrence -- it has not happened in the past seven years.
I'm excited about Arjun's achievement, and I think the breathless comments about Sachin are way over the top.
But India's cricket achievements this year (runner-up in the world cup, and now the first team competing effectively with the Oz lion in its den) are among the top achievements by Indian sportsmen this year. Like it or not, wherever you go in India cricket is played by the masses (I saw this with some bemusement in remote parts of rural West Bengal last week), golf is barely played by the richest of the rich (as Arjun, for instance, is) although some caddie-turned-pros have made a few tentative strides outside India.

BSharma · Post by **BSharma** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 8:47 pm

But India's cricket achievements this year (runner-up in the world cup, and now the first team competing effectively with the Oz lion in its den) are among the top achievements by Indian sportsmen this year. -PKB

I agree with PKB about the first half of his statement (runner up in World Cup) but the second half of the statement is similar to a golfer having a good round of golf on the first day of the tournament. The latter half does not deserve as among the top achievements by Indian sportmen this year yet. If the Indian cricket team wins a test match in Australia or draws all the matches then I could agree with it.

May be we should discuss this in the cricket thread or in the top achievement of 2003 thread.

BSharma · Post by **BSharma** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 9:45 pm

Prize earnings at the Final US PGA qualifier:

First place (Mathias Gronberg) $50,000
Second place (Danny Ellis) $40,000
Third place (Michael Allen) $35,000
Tie for 4th place $28,750
Rest of the players who qualified (Daniel, Arjun, etc) $25,000 each

PKBasu · Post by **PKBasu** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 3:47 am

Bhushan, you will notice that I haven't added the Indian cricket team's performance in Brisbane to the list of India's sporting achievements of the year. Ofcourse merely drawing a test (even against the virtually unassailable world champions of the sport) does not in itself qualify as a great achievement, and I don't for a moment take it as such. But the combination of the two achievements (World Cup and Brisbane) is noteworthy. If India wins a test (or, god forbid) even the series, it would be among the greatest achievements of Indian sport. Let us wait and see. (In my view, India would win this series if they can contrive a way of getting either Murali Kartik or Narendra Hirwani -- the two best spinners in the country, in my view -- over to Australia before the third and fourth test).

nayan · Post by **nayan** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 4:14 am

Hot news, Murali Kartik is on his way to Australia! just flashed on NDTV.

PKBasu · Post by **PKBasu** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 4:21 am

Thanks nayan, although we should continue these discussions in the cricket thread.
How are Daniel and Arjun's preparations going in Thailand?