Local Golfers Shine at US Kids Golf Indian Championship
Outstanding Performances at the Championship
Manesar, Dec 20: Nihal Cheema, Drona Singh Dhull, and Prince Bainsla were among the top performers in the fifth edition of the US Kids Golf Indian Championship held at Classic Golf and Country Club. On the girls' side, Naaysha S Sinha, Gairat Kaur Kahlon, and Shiksha Jain also delivered impressive performances.
Despite facing challenging weather and smog, local golfers dominated the event, showcasing their skills under difficult conditions.
Due to a delayed start, the Tournament Committee decided to shorten the final round for all categories to nine holes because of insufficient daylight.
Nihal Cheema, competing in the Boys 8 category, was the only player to maintain par or better across all three days, securing a decisive victory over his closest competitor, Zowra Sikand. Cheema, hailing from Chandigarh, recorded scores of 36-34-33 in his nine-hole rounds, finishing the last day without any bogeys and achieving three birdies.
Another standout was Drona Singh Dhull from Haryana, who birdied four of the nine holes in the Boys 11 category. He achieved the best round of the day with a remarkable 4-under 32, featuring four birdies and no bogeys.
Prince Bainsla, who had the best overall round of the week with a 6-under 66 on the first day, triumphed in the Boys 15-18 category, finishing ahead of Shashank Sachin Gadre, who scored par on all three days. Arshvant Srivastava secured third place.
In the girls' categories, Aanya Dandriyal excelled in Girls 11-12, while Preitisha Kaur Gill stood out in Girls 15-18. Aanya and Malaysia’s Choi Quinn Cie were neck and neck, both finishing with a total of 196 over 45 holes, but Aanya clinched the tie-breaker with an eagle and a birdie against four bogeys.
Other notable performers included Naaysha S Sinha in Girls 8, Gairat Kaur Kahlon in Girls 9-10, and Shiksha Jain in Girls 13-14. In the Boys section, Taanush Kumar (Boys 9), Vedaansh Jain (Boys 10), Siddhant Sharma (Boys 12), and Arihaan Beri (Boys 13-14) also shone brightly.
This year marked the first time that all winners up to fifth place received cash prizes, with the champions taking home Rs. 25,000, while second and third places received Rs. 10,000 each, and the next three places were awarded Rs. 5,000 each.
Rajesh Srivastava, President and Founder of US Kids Golf India and Asia, stated, “The US Kids Indian Championship offers Priority Status for top performers, and the introduction of cash prizes aims to attract golfers and their families who invest significant effort in nurturing their children’s talents.”
He also mentioned plans to bring in foreign coaches and provide opportunities for kids to train abroad. “We have expanded across Asia into nearly a dozen countries, welcoming Indian kids to play, and inviting children from other nations to visit India. Within a year, we aim to host an Asian Championship for US Kids across Asia at a premier Championship course,” he added.
The US Kids Indian Championships also included various Skills contests with prizes. The schedule for local Tours, which will feature double the number of events divided into two halves of the season, will be announced soon, along with details about the US Kids National Championships in different Asian countries.