How 8-Year-Old Ridhima Kapoor Found Her Rhythm In Golf

Golf is known for being a sport that requires the utmost patience and control. While these qualities are rarely associated with energetic young schoolgoing children, Ridhima Kapoor proves these assumptions wrong. The talented eight-year-old is a student and junior golfer whose impressive win record speaks for itself.

Hailing from Bangalore, Ridhima Kapoor emerged at the top spot in the Indian Golf Union (IGU) South Zone E - Category and bagged two consecutive winner spots at the IGU South Zone Sub Junior Golf Tournament.

Ridhima's achievements don't stop there, with 415 points, she also secured the first rank in the E Category Order of Merit (OOM) South Zone for 2022.

Ridhima tried her hand at skating and dancing before she found her rhythm in golf. SheThePeople spoke with Ridhima Kapoor's father, Prateek Kapoor, about how the young girl kicked off her journey as a junior golfer.

Ridhima Kapoor Interview

What sparked Ridhima's Interest In Golf?

After trying her hands at different sports like Badminton, Go Karting, and Taekwondo, Ridhima finally found her passion for Golf during a summer camp she joined in December 2021.

After the camp she cleared the skill exam conducted on Putting and Chipping, her coach Mr Raheem introduced her to Junior Golf and encouraged her to participate in the Indian Golf Union Sub-junior tour.

Ridhima was the winner in the regional round of the Hyundai Interschool tournament in her category and won a Masterclass with Aditi Ashok which really motivated and inspired her golfing journey.

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What Is Ridhima's Favourite Thing About Golf?

Golf is not just a game, it's a way of life. Golf is fostering a growth mindset and is helping her to improve herself by making her more disciplined, patient and focused, giving her a competitive spirit, an appreciation for better players with better skills and above all enjoying the game and having fun.

Ridhima loves putting the most in golf, and putting a long footer on the green into the hole in one go is the best trilling and enjoyable moment for her on the golf course.

Has Ridhima Faced Any Setbacks and Disappointments During Practice/Tournaments? If Yes, How Did She Overcome Them?

Ridhima demonstrated the philosophy that "Comeback is always stronger than the setback" on Day 2 at CIAL Golf Course at Cochin when she was last in her category with a score of 55 on Day 1 in the 9-hole event. She came back with a score of 44 on Day 2 which included 5 Par's. She took home a second runner-up position in the E category division.

What Are Some Of Ridhima's Achievements Which Made Her Proud?

In her first year, she had 6 podium finishes in South Zone in E category and finished first in her category with 415 points. She was also the winner in the regional round of the Hyundai Interschool tournament at Bangalore and overall third in the national round of the same event and won the Masterclass with Aditi Ashok.

Golf Isn't As Accessible As Sports Like Football Or Basketball, How Did You Ensure That Ridhima Could Foster Her Talent? 

Ridhima is an Indian Golf Union student member and has applied for student membership in Karnataka Golf Association. She is confident that if she continues to play and improve her game, some sponsors will come forward to support her passion for the game. With the Indian government's focus on Khelo India, she is confident of getting some support from the Sports Authority of India and other ">sports foundations in India.