Seven-year-olds usually dream of achieving many different things in life when they grow up, but being a professional golfer may perhaps not be one of them.
But that is exactly what Sahish Reddy wants to become — a professional golfer with a dozen-odd clubs in his bag and his name being announced before tee-off. He seems very excited at that prospect.
One could have well considered that as a pipe dream of a seven-year-old, but for the fact that the second-grader recently achieved some distinction at an international golf championship held in Georgia.
Sahish Reddy came 9th at the July 30-Aug. 1 United States Kids Golf World championship at Pinehurst in Dooly County, Georgia. He was in one of the top places in his age group out of a total 123 contestants from all over the world.
“Sahish started playing recently but in less than a year he picked up, and picked up very fast given this was his first major tournament he ever played,’” Sampath Reddi, his father, who is a computer professional and an amateur golfer, told this correspondent.
He said that his younger son took to the sport barely a year ago, and he is already showing some promise. “My son has a passion to play and within a couple of months after he started playing, he came first in local tournaments. He started shooting in 30’s. Everyone who has seen him says he is a prodigy. He plays on his own even though we have given him some coaching. We think he is a very natural and gifted player,” Reddi told News India Times.
Referring to the international championship, he said his son was a bit nervous before the game as he had never played in any major tournaments, taking part only in a few local tournaments. “I thought he could be in one of the top 3 champions but he played very conservatively and nonetheless achieved distinction,” he said.
There were about 1,500 kids in different age groups at the championship watched by over 5,000 spectators and this was the first time his son came out with flying colors at an international tournament.
Sahish got bitten by the golf bug at an early age thanks to his father who hits the ground occasionally on weekends for fun with his friends, and also due to his 17-year-old elder son Anish, who has been playing golf for some time.
He said that Sahish watched his brother play in a local tournaments and he was impressed with the way they announce their names before they tee off.
Sahish told his father that h wants to play in tournaments like his brother. “I asked him why, and he said he would like his name to be announced before tee off and that he likes it when everyone claps,” His father said not everybody took him seriously, and dismissed it as a childish fancy. “But not me, and I thought maybe this child has some latent talent.”
His father told him that he cannot go and just play without practice and hard work as it is a tough sport. And within months he amazed everyone.
“He then started coming to the course and practicing everyday with his brother. That is the story behind his success,” Sampath Reddy said.
His father said his younger son is very independent. “We hardly force him to study or play. He does things on his own. He is a very good soccer player as well. He excelled in soccer in his age group but we have decided that he should play one sport and focus more on that,” the father said.
“Sahish wants to become a professional golfer and we encourage him and want him to be more focused on realizing that dream.”
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