In Memoriam
Shiv Prakash (10 August 1960 – 23 May, 2021)
In news that saddened the golfing community, veteran Indian Tour pro Shiv Prakash passed away this week at age 60, in his hometown of Kanpur after ailing for nearly a year. Shiv won 18 tournaments on the PGA of India Tour, as it was called then, between 1991 and 2002. His last win came at the SRF Matchplay at Delhi Golf Club.
Shiv, was known for his gentle demeanour while being a deadly competitor. He was known for an impeccable short game while being a short but extremely straight and steady hitter. I recall playing many competitive rounds with Shiv and one that stands out is when he beat me by one stroke on the final hole at the 1991 Army Golf Club Open, Dhaula Kuan.
Shiv’s swing stands out in my memory for being a classic example of keeping your right elbow tucked near the right hip throughout the backswing and upto impact. His short, simple, compact action repeated with machine gun precision and held up under pressure – a useful tip for any golfer to follow.
His victories spanned Kanpur, Delhi, Chandigarh, Meerut, Bangalore, Chennai, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Mhow, Faridabad, and Coimbatore. When he wasn’t winning , he was consistently in the top 10.
Shiv was a constant companion of Lucknow’s Vijay Kumar and perhaps was in his shadow as Vijay racked up close to 100 victories during his career.
He will be remembered fondly for being a gentleman, always playing by the rules and his unhurried, steady play. Rest in Peace Shiv Prakash – you made a great contribution to Indian golf.
A list of Shiv Prakash’s Victories –
1. Kanpur Wills Open, Defence Services G.C, Kanpur, Nov. 21-24 1991.
2. Army Golf Course Open – Dec. 05-08, 1991. Score 290
3. Chandigarh Classic – Chandigarh G.C, Feb. 27- Mar.1, 1992. Score 291
4. Meerut Open – Oct.13-16 1994, Army Golf Club Meerut
5. Fortune, KGA – Sept. 31- 3 Oct. 1995
6. Classic South, Madras – Sept 19-22 1996. Score 277.
7. Classic North, Chandigarh – Oct 17-20 1996. Score 289
8. Classic Masters, Feb 19-22 1997, Score 285
9. DCM – SRF Open, Delhi Apr 22-25 1998, Score 271
10. Wills South, KGA, Sept 2-5 1998, Score 240
11. Mc Dowell Open, Bangalore G.C., Sept. 24-27 1998, Score 277
12. Compton Matchplay, BPGC, Feb 3-7 1999.
13. Eicher Central India, MHOW, Mar.23-26 2000, score 275
14. J Hampstead Open, DLF, Apr. 18-21 2000, Score 278
15. Aravalli Open, Oct.12-15 2000, Aravali G.C, Score 263
16. Wills North, Lucknow, Nov. 9-12, 2000, Score 270
17. Cotton City Open, Coimbatore, Aug. 16-19, 2001. Score 286
18. SRF All India Matchplay, DGC, April 2-6, 2002.