A week after it all changed, SSP goes back in time

the prestigious Indian Masters at the Delhi Golf Club, vanquishing bigwigs like South African Ernie Els, Arjun Atwal, Jyoti Randhawa and many other seasoned campaigners.

Yet, even as SSP has overnight become the toast of the town—he now gets to rub shoulders with Tiger Woods & Co after earning his entry into the coveted European Tour—the Kolkata golfer just can’t help but recall those years of struggle; those days when he was just another rag-tag caddie on the RCGC course.

“How can I forget those days. People are asking me how much the win will change my life. But it’s the other way round. I am telling them all about the days of struggle.

“I don’t think things will change, I don’t want things to change,” a candid SSP opens up to The Indian Express after a round of practice at the RCGC greens.

Even as he obliges autograph hunters, SSP gets emotional, recounting the Cinderella story, and how it all began 40 years back. When his father Ganesh Prasad (a green-keeper at the RCGC) came down to Calcutta all the way from Ghazipur, near Varanasi, with no money and humble hopes.

His parents barely made ends meet out of their ramshackle hut on the border of the plush RCGC course. Shiv Prasad, the youngest of four brothers, took a serious liking to the sport at the age of 15.

With support from the club, SSP took just three years to turn fully professional.

“As a caddie, I did struggle much more than the golfers I compete with now. But growing up on the course helped me get deep insights into the game’s technicalities,” explained the golfer.

Ask him about what his plans are over the phenomenal Rs 1.6 crore kitty, and SSP says it’s all but a priority. “I don’t have any major plans right now, except that I have to arrange my youngest sister’s marriage later this year.

“The prize money can wait. My focus at this point is the upcoming European Tour, and I have vowed to make my participation count,” he signs off.