No shortcut to success, says golfer Arjun Atwal

KOLKATA - Golfer Arjun Atwal, the first Indian to win a US PGA Tour event at the Wyndham Championship in August, says the only way to success is “smart hard work” and there can be no shortcuts.

“There is no shortcut to success. The only way to success is to do smart hard work which will lead to improvement,” said Atwal, who was felicitated at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club Thursday night.

“But that doesn’t mean you work hard from morning to night. You work hard smartly. If you work hard for seven months and see no improvement, then somewhere something is going wrong. You need to change your style. You have to be smart enough to understand which way you are going.”

Asked about his message to young talent who wish to shine in golf, Atwal said: “They should believe in themselves. I think it’s more about the individual than the infrastructure that is important”. Atwal is scheduled to turn out in the Indian Open in New Delhi December 2-5.

“I will try to win that,” he said confidently.

On his failure to win any Major so far, Atwal said: “Majors are tough, very tough, because of the pressure and the hype surrounding them. I have spoken to some Major winners. And they have told me they treat Majors just like any other PGA tournament. If you can do that, then you have a very good chance of winning a Major.”

Asked how he kept himself motivated, Atwal said it was his wife Sonia who gave him the strength.

“She has been with me through thick and thin. I got involved in a car accident from where I got a clean chit later on, and then my shoulder injury. I was really down. Sonia has been with me throughout. She is my strength.”

Atwal said he never discussed golf with compatriot tour players Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa.

“After all, we are competitors. But yes, together we are trying to change the golfing scene in the country in our very own ways. We hope our success can make it a game kids will like to take up as a career option.”

Atwal in his career has won eleven titles - One PGA Tour, three European Tour and seven Asian Tour.