At 20 years old, Arjun Bhati from Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, is not your regular, ready-to-start-a-career sort of boy. He is a professional golfer.
His life as a golfer started at the age of eight when he announced to his shocked parents his intention to be a professional golfer. His parents, especially his father Bobby, didn’t take him seriously. But getting the golf set not only changed the 9-year-old's life but also that of his family.
Three years after he took up golf, Bhati became the Junior World Golf Champion in 2016. It didn’t stop there. He repeated the feat twice more in 2017 and 2019.
His journey as a junior golfer saw him winning over 150 events in India and abroad. In 2022, at the age of 17, Bhati took the call to turn professional, qualifying for the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI). In 2023 he won the “Rookie of the Year” award.
He was honoured by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his efforts to raise funds during the COVID-19 pandemic and help nearly 600 affected people. He received the prestigious National Youth Award (NYA) on April 3 in an official event organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports at Parliament House.
It's just that players are very different. It's just different playing with people twice my age. They have more experience and have been on the tour for the past 20 years. Adjusting with these players and becoming friends with them has been the more difficult part. I have always played these courses as a junior - the golfing part is much easier than adjusting to people I have looked up to – playing with them has been surreal.
He works with his coach Inderjeet Malik, a Pro golfer himself, when in India and with Benn Barham, who is also a pro golfer on the European Tour.
His English coach has played on the European Tour alongside the likes of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
Rather than focusing on the technical part we just stick to playing on the course. He was himself a player on the European Tour so he talks about his experiences.
Having turned professional in 2022, Bhati said he enjoyed his experience so far. “It's been very good to get the Rookie of the Year award in 2023. People are very supportive, there are people whom I have looked up to like my coach Amardeep sir we have been friends for the last seven years now.”
One of those who guide him a lot and think highly of him is India’s golf legend Jeev Milkha Singh - a multiple-time winner on the Asian, and European Tour.
He has an annual event 'Jeev Milkha Singh invitational'. That way he is very supportive of the youngsters, and he has always encouraged everyone, I get to meet him every year. He just tells me to stay focused. Shares a lot of his experiences. He is obviously an inspiration for all of us. Just playing with him, being in his company has done wonders to me as a golfer and a person as well.
Asked who he follows avidly on the European Tour, Bhati said that among Indians he follows the performances of Shubhankar Sharma closely. Amongst the foreign players, he follows World No.1 Scotty Scheffler of the United States and Australian Min Woo Lee.
I was in America when I first saw him play now he is on the PGA Tour it's really inspiring too.
He was in Thailand in February playing in the Q school for the Asian Tour. “Its been nice- Thailand is somewhat different- more humid. So I have been playing in Thailand for the past eight years, my first international event was also in Thailand. Courses are lovely, people are very supportive.”
Speaking about his aim, Bhati said the focus would be on qualifying for The Open. “Next three months I'll be focusing on the gym part. I will be representing India in the qualifiers for the Open championships I will go earlier - a month before the tournament just to get everything sorted. A few nooks here and there just focus on the technical part and get the mental part right.”
Finally, for someone who has been on the road since the age of eight years, what is the day in the life of Arjun like?
“I start my day at 5.00 am in the morning. I go to the golf course practice for a few hours. I get back home, rest for some time, and then head off to the gym. Again go to the golf course, play, and spend time with friends and family. I love listening to music. I have been travelling with my coach and manager now for the past two years, I miss home and family but that is something I have to get used to."
