New Delhi: Shiv Kapur will seek a first professional victory at his home course, the Delhi Golf Club when he tees up in the SAIL-SBI Open presented by Incredible India, Ministry of Tourism tomorrow.

In recent months, Kapur won the closing event of 2012 on the PGTI Tour when he beat a limited but very starry field at the Shubhkamna Champions. Then at the start of 2013, he won the Gujarat Kensville Challenge on the European Challenge Tour.


“After not winning for so long (seven years), it seemed like getting two monkeys off the back,” said Kapur with a laugh. “Honestly it was a lot of relief and of course brought back the winning feeling and confidence.”

Kapur learned the game at the venerable Delhi course when he was a young boy before going on to become one of the country’s leading golfers where he has won once on the Asian Tour. The 31-year-old is presently in fine form, winning twice at home over the past three months but it is a victory at the US$300,000 SAIL-SBI Open that he is after this week.


“When I was a boy, we had a car sticker that said “DGC – my second home” but it really is my first home,” said Kapur, whose lone Asian Tour title came in 2005. “Actually, I used to spend more time at the DGC than home.”

“I remember the days when I was eight or 10 years old and trying to get through the crowds to get a peek at the players. Now, I’m one of them. I’ve never won as a pro on this golf course and I hope to win here. I like to think my chances are good as I kind of know every blade of grass on the golf course and know the lines to take from off the tees.

“It’s nice to be playing here as it is a magical place for me,” added Kapur, who finished eighth on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit last season.