Who Made it Happen

For a player whose win at the Indian Open in 1991 heralded a new era for Indian golf and opened up the floodgates for players, Ali Sher appears to be a diminutive person. Coming from a generation where humility was the hallmark, Ali is unpretentious about his achievements and would rather suggest you ask “others” about his landmark victory.

When reminded of his contribution to Indian golf, he says, “I am happy that all the players respect me for my seniority and wherever I go I am recognised as Indian Open winner.” Despite being the first Indian pro to win the Indian Open, he credits Jeev Milkha Singh, Gaurav Ghei and Jyoti Randhawa for making the game popular with victories in different Tours.

Since the victory of Billu Sethi in 1965, a year after the inaugural Indian Open, Indians looked up to the foreign stars as eventual winners and waited eagerly for goras. The scenario changed completely with Ali’s historic title. His fairytale success became the source of inspiration for golfers and many players turned pros after his triumph. And in the following years, Indian players not only were part of the field, they actually played to win. And now the nation boasts of winners such as Firoz Ali Mollah, Arjun Atwal, Vijay Kumar and Randhawa.

In recent times, the Indian Open has changed and so has the perception, but the name of Ali Sher is etched in golden letters. Says former DGC captain Ramesh Kohli, who was at the 18th greens when Ali lifted the trophy in 1991, “Without any doubt, it was hugely important…it was a path-breaking achievement. The win gave great impetus to professional golf in the country.” Kohli believes that the win “In a way was the turning point. There has been no looking back since then and he followed up with another win and then Gaurav’s victory in Gadgil Masters opened the avenues for Indian pros.” Kohli stressed that it was Ali who ended this ‘complex that Indians could not beat goras’.

Fellow pro players who have grown up under the shadow of Ali always offer their respect to him. Former Asian Order of Merit winner Jeev Milkha Singh recalls, “I was so excited to see him win. His win changed the thing for Indian golf and players.” Ghei agrees, “His victory brought recognition to Indian golfers especially at that time. Billu Sethi had won long time back… It gave a lot of momentum for people like Jeev and me, who had just turned pros.”

The victory of Ali was also important in another way as he scripted the successful transformation from a caddie to pro. Kohli says, “It was an important success story of caddie-turned-pro.” However, Ali dismisses all this talk of caddie-turned-pro and says those who talk in these terms only create division within the ranks of the players. “I have never felt that way…wherever I go, I get the same kind of respect from players and clubs.” Jeev Milkha Singh also dismissed such talks and said, “All players are one, there is no such division, they are all good players and are very talented”.

A veteran of Indian Open, Ali has been playing the event since 1988. When he won the Open, his share of the prize money was around Rs 10 lakh. However, the figure has increased since then with the changes on several fronts in Indian golf. This year’s total prize money has been raised to $ 1-million, which means that the player who finishes seventh will receive the same amount that Ali got as champion in 1991 and 1993. Ali does not remember much about the money but acknowledges that fact that it gave him instant fame. Kohli says, “I remember going to the finance minister to ask him for tax exemption.”

Just when Ali became the talk of the town and golf went from elites’ drawing rooms to the dingy houses of caddies and many turned pros, there were critics who considered the win a fluke. All this talk made Ali unhappy and true to his nature he preferred to speak through action and his repeat win in 1993, was sensational. Golf started getting recognised as a professional sport instead of a pastime. Ali’s exploits were recognised by the government, and he was awarded with the Arjuna award. The Delhi Golf Club also acknowledged the achievement of its former caddie by giving him honorary membership of the club.

Ali is a self-made player and the only help he received, was from Phil Philing, whom he considers to be his favourite player. Ali picked up the basic nuances of the game by initially caddying for Philing. This year, Ali has completed two decades of his journey at the Indian Open which is a milestone in itself. Amongst the current breed of players, Ali rates Rashid Khan as a fine prospect.

With golf making inroads into India, players seeing rise in their earnings and more of them playing on different tours abroad, it is time to remember the contribution made by Ali. He made the Indian players believe that if he could win against a field dominated by goras, so could any of them. Until Randhawa’s arrival on the scene a decade later, Ali remained the only Indian to win the Indian Open twice.