Irina Brar, India's No. 1 Ladies golfer enjoyed her first foray into a major golf tournament by participating at the recent British Open pre-qualifiers in Berkshire, England on July 16th. Among the 124 golfers at the pre-qualifiers, Irina finished tied 30th, missing the final qualification cut by one stroke.
Said a disappointed Irina, "It was frustrating to miss the final qualifiers by the thinnest of margins but I enjoyed the experience playing against such a strong international field. With this incredible experience behind me, I'm looking forward to achieving at this level."
Irina reached the pinnacle of women's golf in India when she was ranked the No. 1 ladies amateur golfer in 1999. She has maintained that position since then except 2002-2004 when she was forced to take a break from golf due to back injury. Last year, Irina turned pro and has since set her sights on competing on the international stage. She performed with distinction in her debut year on the Ladies Asian Golf Tour (LAGT) finishing as the top Indian with a creditable overall rank of 23, which included a 4th place finish at the women's Indian open, the first time an Indian lady professional has broken into the top 5 on the Asian Tour. After the recent exposure at the British Open pre-qualifiers, she is convinced of her ability to also play and win on the US and European Tours.
23-year-old Irina represents the growing popularity of golf in India. With the Indian men golfers having established themselves as a force to reckon with, Indian women, led by Irina are catching up fast. But professional golf is an expensive pursuit and without support, a player's possibilities are limited. When asked about sponsorships Irina replied, "I almost missed the opportunity to play at the British Open qualifiers due to lack of financial support but I was very fortunate that at the last minute the DLF group stepped in to back me. Sponsorship in women's professional golf has been slow due to its relatively recent entry in India. With sufficient funds I could plan my tours and tournaments well in advance and train without the uncertainty factor that limits me until now."
Golf is a sport of growing commercial possibilities and many of the top Indian brands are looking at leveraging the glamour and the class that goes with golf to reach out to their markets. Irina is hopeful that as more companies see the value of being associated with golf, she will receive the support she needs to pursue her dreams.
The other trend that is encouraging is the relatively recent presence of professional management in Indian sport. Irina, for example, is being managed by GoSports, a sports career management firm based in Bangalore. With a team of professionals managing her career Irina can focus on winning.
GoSports was founded by an Olympic athlete and graduates of Harvard and Oxford. Please
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