Kartik Singh, the 13-year-old from India, can solve the Rubik’s Cube at blinding speed.
It seems like the boy from Delhi also managed to unravel the mysteries of The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in a similar fashion.
At 13 years, nine months and 22 days, Singh is believed to be the youngest player to make the cut in the history of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC). After Thursday’s opening-round seven-over 78 in demanding conditions, he learned all his lessons and put them to use in Friday’s second round.
China’s Tianlang Guan was 14 years and eight days when he made it to the weekend in 2012 and then went on to record a historic win that year at Amata Spring Country Club in Thailand.
At eight over par after the first two rounds, Singh is T-36 going into the weekend.
“I came to the tournament with no expectations. I had heard so much about it, I just wanted to get the experience. But if there was a goal, it was to make the cut, and I am so happy that I have managed to do that,” said Singh.
Thursday’s seven-over round came as a rude shock to the World Amateur Golf Ranking No. 201, especially a five-putt triple bogey as early as his second round of the day.
“I was just 25 feet away for a birdie on the second hole and walked away with a triple-bogey seven. I then made a bogey on the next hole and I was four-over after my first three holes. The conditions were difficult with all the wind and cold, so I thought I did well to finish on +7,” he added.
“I went back home and thought about my round. One of the problems I faced on Thursday was that whenever I pitched my shots on the greens, they would run to the back because the greens are so firm. So, I made some adjustment today and started aiming for the front of the greens. That worked out much better today.”
The only regret Singh had about his 72 was the fact that he made lesser number of birdies (two) than Thursday, when he made three.
Now that he is into the weekend, Singh wants to play aggressive golf and see if he can go deep.
“I have nothing to lose and everything to gain really. I’d love to shoot a sub-par round and climb up the leaderboard. I know it is difficult to fire at the pins on the Royal Melbourne greens, but that’s what I want to do tomorrow,” added Singh.
