By IANS
Gurgaon : There is no doubt that Mark Brown has a special affinity for India. His best has come here and last week he won his maiden pro title in India at the SAIL Open.
On Saturday, in the third round of the Johnnie Walker Classic, Brown landed two eagles in a stunning round of eight-under 64, which also had seven birdies and three bogeys. He was the clubhouse leader, but as the day wore on, he was tied for second, one behind the surprise leader, Taichiro Kiyota (67). He still has a good shot at two wins in a row.
Brown has done well on each of his four visits to India – the first being a tied fifth at the Hero Honda Indian Open.
Through his four trips to India, he has had the same caddie, Munna.
Brown’s total is now 13 under par 203, for which he credited Munna, who has proved lucky for the New Zealander.
Asked how he played so well in Delhi (and its neighbourhood), Brown smiled and said, “Not sure. (I) got a very good caddie here. I like the climate. It’s nice and dry and the weather has been fantastic. The caddie is reading the putts well. I am just really comfortable here. I have a good time every time I come to Delhi. The caddie’s name is Munna and he’s from DGC.”
As for Munna, he loves his golfer. The 48-year-old lanky caddy is quick to hand back a compliment and said: “It is just luck that we have developed a good rapport. I have been in this profession for a long time and experience counts. I am lucky that he has faith in me and that is the reason why he falls back on me for advice.”
On the tournament itself, Brown was not sure whether he could manage back-to-back victories. “I have not looked at the leader board but obviously when you have guys like Vijay Singh and Shiv Kapur and Jyoti Randhawa, someone can really come out tomorrow and shoot a round like what I did today. So who knows.”
Brown also said that the win at the SAIL Open last week had given him confidence to win this tournament, which is the showpiece golf event in the continent. “I think the win last week certainly helped the way I’ll be feeling tomorrow (final round on Sunday) and the way I approach it,” said the 33-year-old golfer.
Five years ago, Brown had all but given competitive golf for good. Frustrated by his performance, or rather the lack of it, he turned to teaching in a junior development programme in his hometown Wellington.
Three years down the line, he found himself inspired by the very kids he was teaching and returned to competition. A trip to the Qualifying School saw him earn full playing rights for 2007 and then he ensured he kept the card for 2008.