I am making my return to tournament golf this week on the Asian Tour in Oman at the $2 million International Series – Oman. It is my first competitive tournament in four months and my first in 2024.
The off-season break always gives us time to reflect on the previous year and learn. We are all learning about the game and ourselves all the same time, even me as a 42-year-old ‘veteran’ who turned professional in 2004.
I realized that I made a few mistakes last year when I tried to come back too soon after my injuries. I had been suffering from rotator cuff tear symptoms in my shoulder as well as arthritis.
I now feel 90 per cent ready and my ongoing pain is now manageable – hopefully. Most of the players suffer some pain every week, that is the price of being a professional sportsman or sportswoman and playing full-time sport.
There is always the temptation for any athlete to come back too soon after any injury.
I believe I am now tournament-ready for this week.
I am planning out my tournament schedule for 2024 and am targeting to play 15 – 16 tournaments in total – slightly fewer than in previous years.
With my health challenges, it is important to pace myself with both my golf schedule as well as my travel.
I was always going to play this week. I played last year and made the cut nicely. I was talking to fellow Dubai resident Adrian Meronk, who recently signed up for LIV Golf, at The Els Club over the weekend prior to me driving to Muscat on Monday and we both agreed Al Mouj was one of the best golf courses any of us plays all year on any tour.
With the Greg Norman layout, you have to have all the shots – especially with the almost guaranteed winds.
It tests all the clubs in the bag but is a very fair test. As with other tournament venues on the coast, anywhere in the world, you can be on the wrong side of the draw. Fingers crossed I get lucky – or rather not unlucky.
The finishing holes are really dramatic at Al Mouj and you have to be on your game.
Last year’s winning score of ten under-par 278 can easily be beaten or not even feasible – depending on the winds. Staying focused on every shot and playing the golf course is always good advice – the 36-hole cut last year was six over par.
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It will be good to catch up with some of my Dubai friends in Oman. Anirban Lahiri, Jeev Milkha Singh and Gaganjeet Bhullar are all in the field along with Joshua Grenville-Wood (UAE), who has recently played several tournaments on the DP World Tour.
UAE-based amateur Jay Mullane (Jumeirah Golf Estates), who is currently 10th on the 2023 – 24 EGF Men’s Order of Merit, has also received a regional invite.
There are also a host of LIV golfers playing this week which always adds interest.
Wish me luck and speak to you all soon.
Shiv Kapur has seven professional wins to his name. He is a Dubai-based Dubai Golden Visa Awardee and plays on the Asian Tour.