Jyoti Randhawa - A Trailblazer
Indian defence forces have helped grooming many sports personalities. Indian golf pioneer, Jyoti Randhawa, too was fortunate enough to have his father- a decorated senior officer to cultivate interest in golf since very early age.
Jyoti's father Brigadier R S Randhawa used to take Jyoti on the golf courses which ignited a passion in Jyoti for golf.
“I started in 1986, I was fourteen years old, my father used to play golf in the army, I used to go around with him, that’s how I started.”
During his early years, Jyoti played exceptionally well by winning a couple of tournaments.
“I had good successful career all along, as a sub-junior I won the All-India Sub-Junior Championship then, as an amateur, I won the All-India Amateur Championship so, there has been a gradual steady rise.”
Jyoti's first success in professional golf came at home in 1998 at the Hero Honda Masters. In the following year Jyoti successfully defended his title, by winning the 1999 Hero Honda Masters.
After getting back-to-back Asian Tour titles in 1998, 1999, that gave a tremendous confidence to Jyoti because in 2000, Jyoti won three times on the domestic tour (PGA of India) and won the national championship (Wills Indian Open) for the first time in his career. Along with the Indian Open, Jyoti also won the Singapore Open on the same year.
However, in 2001 the adventure enthusiast Jyoti, met with an accident, injuring his collar bone. Injury pushed Jyoti out of the game for a couple of months but later in the following year, he made a strong comeback and won the Asian Order of Merit title in 2002 and also became the first Indian to win the Oom title in Asian PGA Tour.
“I did have a motorcycle accident in 2001, when I came back won the Asian Order of Merit, that was a good comeback.”
One intriguing fact about Jyoti's 2002 OoM title was that he didn’t win a single event that year but still he was declared the title winner and made history by becoming the first Indian to do so.
“I guess because I was very consistent, I had a lot of top ten finishes, top five finishes didn’t win that year but I won the Asian Order of Merit.”
In 2003, Jyoti played his first full season on the Japan Golf Tour, in his 10th event of his rookie season, Jyoti won his first-ever Japan Golf Tour title at the Suntory Open. And Jyoti became the first Indian to win in Japan.
“That was amazing, it was the first time an Indian had done it, it was a tough tour that time for us, we were not good as players than but it was a great experience, I cherish that forever.”
The two highlights for Jyoti that week in Chiba, Japan was finishing ten strokes ahead of the legendary Phil Mickelson who at that, had already won 21-times on the PGA Tour.
The second was, Jyoti being awarded 1000 bottles of Beer by the tournament sponsor Suntory.
During an exclusive chat with DKT Sports, Jyoti revealed what he did with those 1000 beer bottles.
“I gave all those bottles to my physio, then to the staff, to some players, I never drank and gave it my caddy. My caddy used to drink, Bunty so, I just gave all of it.”
Since 2003 onwards Jyoti’s career sky rocketed as the former Asia No. one golfer won four more titles on the Asian Tour. From 1998-2009 Jyoti won eight times on the Asian Tour.
Apart from winning on the Asian Tour, the domestic tour, one major international tour title- European Tour has still continued to elude Jyoti.
When asked Jyoti a win on the European Tour he said “Yes, I do think about it, I have lot of second finishes, I never won there, that is something that I will remember and I will regret it yes.”
This week in India’s eastern state of Jharkhand, Jyoti told DKT Sports that he is now looking for a comeback as his last victory on the continental tour (Asian Tour) came 12 years ago in 2009 (Singha Thailand Open), last victory on the domestic tour came 9 years ago in 2012 (PGTI Players Championship).
“Now, I am playing and practicing, waiting for a comeback so let’s see.”
Jyoti who turns 50 in May 2022, told DKT Sports on his plans for next year,
“I think I will be going for the Senior US Tour Qualifying because I will be 50 next year, I will do that and also play on the Asian Tour and of course I will keep playing on the Indian Tour also.”
December 18, 2021 - By Dhruv Trivedi