Gauri’s stellar season in 2008-09, where she won five titles, was capped by the best amateur title at the Asian tour’s Indian Open this past week. “I completely credit Ashok for the turnaround. When I started with him, in October 2007, I was playing off a handicap of 16, by the time he finished training me in August last year, I was down to 2,” says Gauri.

“He worked on my swing and hitting, apart from the short game. But more importantly, he would make me practise extremely hard,” Gauri says.

Surprise package
The result has been there for all to see. The surprise package of the amateur circuit, Gauri had been consistent throughout the season, winning the Army Ladies Amateur, the Southern India, the Punjab Open, the West Bengal Amateur and the Western India. She won two of them by whopping ten-shot margin.

“I’m hitting much longer, and once I’d got my first victory, I was confident of doing well and that paid off,” Gauri says.

Gauri, the daughter of long-time amateur circuit regular Aashna Monga, had begun playing the sport just about three years ago, and at first taste, didn’t think much of it. “I attended a camp, but once it was over I wasn’t very keen on continuing,” she says. “I thought it was a sport for old people,” laughs Gauri. “Then my brother convinced me to give it another go, and as I began hitting correctly and the shots started going high, I got really excited,” Gauri says.

She got onto the circuit, working on getting the experience, before Ashok took a look.

“My mother had asked him to look at my swing, and he was obviously impressed, because he asked her if he could coach me,” she says. “I felt almost honoured that a top player like him had chosen to train.”

The Indian Open performance last week, where she finished tied 13th in a field of top Asian tour players, was more memorable to her for another reason.

“I was very satisfied with how I played there. It was nice to finish as the best amateur because Tanya Wadhwa, who is a really good player and has even won in the United States, was in the field. I finished six shots better than her,” Gauri says.