SENSATIONAL BANGLADESHI GOLFER SIDDIKUR RAHMAN ENDS LONG TITLE DROUGHT

Sensational golfer Siddikur Rahman believes his recent performance in the Porsche European Open and the hard work he put in prior to that event is helping him raise his game, although he has not won a title on a significant tour in almost four years.

Despite going agonisingly close quite a few times, the 32-year-old has not had success on either the Asian Tour or the European Tour since winning the Hero Indian Open in November 2013. With the third-place finish in Hamburg late July, the two-time Asian Tour winner has now twice gone very close to winning on the European Tour but could not go on to capture the title.

Siddikur, however, is not concerned about the lack of trophies in his cabinet -- the Bangladeshi golfer has two Asian Tour titles and six on the Indian Tour (PGTI) -- as he feels his overall game has improved.

“My game is fine at the moment,” Siddikur said in an interview with The Daily Star. “I'm doing everything that needs to be done to be on top. I had some lacking in fitness which I have worked hard on recently. You could see the result of good fitness and psychological strength in Hamburg.”

The Bangladeshi golfer was not in fact planning to go to Hamburg until he received a late invitation. “It wasn't really planned. I didn't know much about the course. Had I known the course would be so long, I might not have gone there. Nevertheless I wanted to put to use the things I did during training. Thankfully, I went and I can say that it was one my best performances,” Siddikur said.

Siddikur earned a paycheque of 112,600 dollars from finishing third in that event while his overall Asian Tour earnings this season has been 95,420 dollars, despite two top-ten finishes and six cuts overall. No wonder the ace golfer is concentrating more on the 'big events', in a dual attempt to preserve his fitness as well as improve his standing and prize money.

“Maybe I haven't won a title on the Asian or European Tour in recent times, but my game has improved. I won a PGTI event in Chittagong this year. I finished second in Mauritius last year and third in Germany this year. Average earning is pretty good and the position that I have held means more than wins for me,” claimed Siddikur, who is currently 19th in the Asian Tour Order of Merit and 315th in world rankings, up 81 places from the week before the European Open.

The premier Bangladeshi golfer, who represented the country in the Rio Olympics last year, said he is planning to play at best six to seven more events in the remainder of the season as he wants to make the most of his ability and fitness while maximising the chances of a further rise in rankings and tour standings.

However, like any other prominent golfer, his ultimate aim remains playing in the US PGA Tour, which he believes is possible if he keeps on improving his overall game.

“I definitely want to play on the PGA Tour one day, but that will take time,” Siddikur said. “It doesn't depend on your will or hard work only. These things don't happen by fluke. You can hit a good shot by fluke or have a good day that way, but over the long run you need a lot of hard work put in a proper way to be a good golfer. The way I'm doing things right now, Inshallah I will be able to be there after a few years.”

For the time being though, Siddikur is fully focused on the Asian Tour and European Tour. He will be leaving for Switzerland the day after Eid, hoping to make a mark in the 2.7-million-euro Omega European Masters.