Feature by Farzan Heerjee and unselfish in his desire to see all his teammates participate and enjoy the game . This is the reason his friends often wonder why Uttam was unable to reach ultimate glory and the pinnacle of success in his professional career which could easily have been his . What was that component that detracted him from keeping afloat when it mattered ? Perhaps like all golfers he was pretty spoiled , he had never known real struggle , life had been smooth and easy ; fate was kind and things came easily . So although the only focus from a young age was to succeed at golf , towards which he had prepared well , perhaps he lacked the kind of relentless devotion needed for the game and stopped short of reaching his full potential or pitching to his maximum ability . It seemed as if the deep desire within , the fire suddenly went out .
Today , as CEO of the PGTI , Uttam has taken a big plunge into administration . Playing at the top level for so many years , he understands the player ’ s needs and aspiration . He states that his objective is to make the tour grow and better it . He is happy that more youngsters are taking to Golf because he believes that ‘ without players there is no tour .’
It was to fully understand the enigmatic Uttam Singh Mundy that I had the following conversation with him . It is a rare opportunity to hear him recollect the highs and lows of his extraordinary career and his thoughts on the future of the game .
Q . You ’ ve been around playing golf for so many years , what is your first golf related memory ?
A . Yes , it ’ s been a long time since I first picked up a club way back in 1980 and won my first club tournament with in a year in 1981 at the Air - force Golf Club , Delhi . The win was a great feeling but the look on my parent ’ s face was priceless and cannot be described . Also , for me to represent India within 3 years in 1983 at the French Amateur , India vs France , left my parents almost speechless .
Q . I ’ ve come across golfers who say they have learnt a few things watching you swing . Whom did you admire and what did you learn from him when you first started playing golf ?
A . I feel humbled to hear that . There have been quite a few golfers who have motivated me . However , Jack Nicklaus has made an indelible impact on me and watching him play live in Canada in an exhibition match against Jim Nelford was a high point . I had the opportunity to meet him again at the Masters and I felt like a kid again and had a fan moment . Another person I have consistently followed and admired is Greg Norman for the way he has carried himself his entire career .
Q . You were determined to play top quality golf . Was it onerous or did you always enjoy the game ?
A . I would not have still been associated with the game after 37 years if it was onerous even for one minute . I have loved the game ever since I first picked it up in school and gave up soccer and athletics which was my passion at that time . On the contrary , my love for the game has grown over the years and everything that I have achieved so far has been related to golf . So I live my passion every single day .
Q . What was it about golf that attracted and thrilled you and drove you so hard ?
A . The pattern of the sport itself is motivating and rewards you in person . You compete with yourself and are driven to improve everyday that you play . I find the game extremely fair and if you put in hard work and honesty then no one can take away the laurels . The game is like meditation and in spite of the ups and downs you come back each day knowing that it will rejuvenate you tomorrow again .
Q . Most golfers experience a sort of Eureka moment when something suddenly clicks . Have you ever experienced such a moment ?
A . Most definitely ! There have been numerous times when either my swing or my putting was nagging me and I worked really hard for days at end to fix it following a particular drill . And then one fine day it just fell into place and I was just thrilled . I remember struggling with my putting the week before the Honda Siel Championship in 1996 as a professional golfer but then was able to drill my way through certain techniques just in time and went on to win the biggest professional event in the country at that time !
Mona , the better-half of Uttam in the true sense has been his best friend & confidant-supporting & cheering & inspiring him to give off his best .
GolfPlus JULY 2017 55