'Loner' Gandas ready to chart his own course
In the middle of a 'learning curve' of his maiden DP World Tour appearance, local boy Manu Gandas hopes to turn a corner at Indian Open.
It has been less than a month since Manu Gandas began his maiden season on the DP World Tour, and safe to say, the start is far from encouraging. After finishing T-114 and T-120 at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship and Singapore Classic respectively, the 26-year-old ended T-28 at Thailand Classic last week and heads into a tricky home course on Thursday as Indian Open gets rolling.
The 26-year-old earned the season card for the DP World Tour -- erstwhile European Tour -- after a stupendous home run last year that saw him win a record six titles and top the PGTI Order of Merit with a whopping ₹88.50 lakh in prize money.
"The last year was a culmination of the work I have been doing on my game over 2-3 years. It was more about cutting down on my shortcomings and working on my strength. I mostly worked on my iron play. I feel I improved my control and shot accuracy which helped me throughout the season," said Gandas, reflecting on his breakout year.
By the end of the year, in a cascading effect of the Asian Tour siding with LIV golf, PGTI entered into an agreement with the European tour. Consequently, the PGTI Order of Merit winner gets a direct pass to the DP World Tour.
Gandas, thus, struck gold. Bypassing the quintessential grind of the Asian Tour and Q School, he landed in Ras Al-Khaimah in UAE earlier this month to begin his European sojourn. While traditionalists may scoff at the shortcut, Gandas is busy swinging. The first three outings have been a bit of an eye-opener although the Indian insists he was never wide-eyed.
"I don't think I was ever overawed. Of course, the competition is quite tough and there are challenges aplenty, but I think I have the game to survive and thrive," he said.
"I was not at my 'A' game in Ras Al-Khaimah but could have certainly done better in all three events. It has been a learning experience so far."
One big learning has been to improve his overall game, and more precisely, bring more accuracy in his long hits. "I need more precision in my long hits. I have never been a big hitter which means I need to be more accurate off the tee. My short game has to be on point too."
On-course challenges apart, playing in Europe is a test of mental strength. Living out of suitcases is the norm, and the jet-setting calendar can lead to a sense of loneliness and ennui.
"That, I would say, is the bigger challenge," said SSP Chawrasia, a four-time DP World Tour winner. "You play week after week and come back to the same empty room. There is no one to talk to. You must learn to deal with that loneliness," the 44-year-old, having spent 14 years on the European circuit, added.
Shubhankar Sharma, into his fifth year on DP World Tour, agrees. "It can get tough. It was the same with me for the initial seasons but gradually I made friends. Still, it can be a lonely place. These are experiences that you can't get sitting at home or buy off the shelf."
"It will be nice to finally have an Indian play alongside me in Europe," he added.
For Gandas, loneliness is barely an issue. "I am a bit of a loner anyway, so that doesn't bother me. I don't mind being alone," he said. Whatever time he finds between competitions, Gandas likes to spend listening to music -- as we spoke, he confessed to electronic beats playing in his head -- or sketching.
"I would like to believe I am a calm person. I try to go with the flow, so adjusting on a new tour has not been an issue for me so far."
The only issue is acclimitasing to the colder environment. Shubhankar believes the trick lies in revisiting the basics, things as elementary as figuring out how many layers of clothing one needs to wear on the course.
"The greens there are usually harder, but not much difference otherwise. Climatic conditions are certainly something you ought to get used to in Europe," said Gandas.
"Your body reacts differently to cold temperatures and it can be a bit tricky to deal with. The body takes longer to warm up which affects the strokeplay. The courses thus appear longer."
His realisations will be put to test when Gandas tees off at the Indian Open, his home course. Having started his golf journey at the in-house DLF Academy as a six-year-old back in 2003, Gandas is hoping for a happy homecoming.
"The finishing holes are quite tough here due to steep undulations and roughs and the course overall is bound to test you, but I am ready to perform. There will be expectations of me as a local boy, but as long as your own expectations exceed what others expect of you, you are in the right space," he concluded.
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