From L-R – V Krishnaswamy (Senior Golf Writer), Maj. Gen. Bibhuti Bhusan (DG, IGU), Kartik Singh and Brijinder Singh ((President, IGU) at Gotemba, Japan
At just 14 years old, Kartik Singh continues to cement his status as one of golf’s rising stars, with an impressive list of appearances at elite junior events including the Sage Valley Invitational, U.S. Junior Championship, Junior Presidents Cup, Boys Junior PGA Championship, R&A Junior Open, and Junior Players Championship. Last year, Kartik became the youngest player to make the cut at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (APAC), achieving the milestone at just 13 years old in Australia. In 2024, his trophy cabinet grew even larger, with international junior titles in both Singapore and Thailand.
Kartik recently played in his second Asia Pacific Amateur ( AAC), held at Gotemba, Japan, where he posted rounds of 71-67-72-70 to finish tied for 18th on even-par 280. It marked a significant leap from his 59th-place finish in last year’s edition in Australia, showcasing the young talent’s rapid improvement on the big stage.
The AAC is the region’s most prestigious tournament with the winner earning invitations to two of world’s pro majors – The Masters , at Augusta National GC and The Open championship in Britain. Past winners of the AAC include 2022 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama of Japan.
Meanwhile, 19-year-old Krishnav Nikhil Chopraa, son of former international cricketer Nikhil Chopra and currently a 2nd year college student in California, delivered rounds of 68-77-74-67 to secure a tie for 37th. He was matched by 17-year-old Rakshit Dahiya of Delhi, who carded 75-71-70-70 for a 6-over-par total of 286.
Vedant Sirohi, a third-year student at Webber International University in Florida, opened with a promising round of 69 but his 2nd day 81 meant that he was the only Indian to miss out on the weekend rounds.
Absent from the Indian squad this year were two of the country’s top amateurs, Raghav Chugh (Rice University) and Shubham Jaglan (University of Florida), who had represented India at last year’s AAC but were not selected for this year’s tournament.
Last year, the best position secured by an Indian was Tied 38th by Aryan Roopa Anand, who since joined the PGTI, which makes Kartik’s finish at 18th even more impressive. Krishnav was the only Indian returning to the AAC – he was 44th last year and 37th this time around.
Photo – Kartik Singh