Rukmini set to become youngest pro-golfer from India

Kolkata, Sep 3 (UNI) Rukmini Mehta, a 5 handicap golfer from the Protouch Golf Academy, has become the youngest lady professional golfer in the country.

Rukmini, who just passed her class XII from Calcutta International School, took up golfing along with her brother as a kid and slowly fell for the sports.

Talking to UNI, Rukmini said, ''I wanted to be on tour since its early days. It would not only help me develop my skills, but also help meteach golf.'' ''I will head for DLF in Gurgaon where I will attend a course in teaching and also participate in the Ladies Professional Cirtuit tournament commencing next week,'' she said.

She has just turned 18 last month which is the legitimate age to play professional ladies golf. Being managed by protouch sports systems, she will also be doing a teachers and golf range management course to help her grow both as a player and as a pro-coach. She has joined the Protouch academy as an assistant professional and will be getting her teachers certification from the Indian National Golf Academy.

'I am confident of doing well for myself and hope to be on tour soon,'' Rukmini said.

Its a huge boost to ladies golf in Kolkata after Simi Mehra became the first professional on the LPGA tour in the United States.

Director of the Protouch Golf Academy Indrajit Bhalotia told UNI, ''Rukmini has a bright future as a player and especially as a teacher as she a lot of patience and is very sincere in what she does, she will be an asset to junior golf in Kolkata.'' Rukmini idolises South African Ernie Els and hopes to try and at least come close to emulating her feats. ''She (Ernie Els) is perhaps the best in the world. And I would like to do a Ernie,'' she adds with oddles of laughter.

UNI