Shubham Jaglan: Five things you need to know about India's 10-year-old golf wonderkid

Shubham Jaglan is creating ripples in the world of golf by winning some major tournaments at a very young age. The New Delhi-based player won the Taylormade world juniors in July 2013 and is back in the news after triumphing at the IJGA World Stars of Junior Golf event in Las Vegas on 23 July. Not just that, five days earlier (on 19 July), he also pulled off a one-stroke win at the Junior World Golf Championships in California.

Brilliant, right?

Well, here are five things you need to know about the rising star:

- Even though he’s making a name for himself by winning golf tournaments left right and centre, Shubham is still referred to in the media as a milkman’s son. “Shubham learnt his golfing skills in the fields of Israna, a village near Panipat,” a 2009 NDTV report says. However, his sheer potential in the sport convinced his parents to move to New Delhi. The shift and exposure to a bigger city with more competition has certainly worked in Shubham’s favour.

- Shubham practices at the Delhi Golf Club (who sponsor him with Rs 2 lakh/year, plus free entry) and credits his parents and the club’s support for his success. Also, his school — Laxman Public School — has played a big role in improving his language skills, which he clearly needs if he’s to be a roving golfer.

“It was all because of my family’s support, my coach, my school which helped me in the US, that’s why I could speak to you actually and my golf club DGC for giving me all facilities for playing. Especially my dad supported me through my life and it has been a great journey,” he told Times of India .

- Shubham comes from a region where slapping thighs and challenging opponents in akhaadas is more common than wearing polo t-shirts and wielding golf clubs. In fact, Shubham’s grandfather claims that the Jaglan family has a rich tradition of wrestlers too.

But as Shubham tells India Today : “I started off by playing golf in our ‘sarson ka khet’ (mustard field). My grandfather asked me to take up a new sport instead of obvious and much-easier choice - wrestling. I learnt golf from internet as there was no coach or mentor in our village. Seeing my interest in the game, my father took me to Madhuban golf course in Karnal.”

- Severiano Ballesteros and Gary Player are his inspirations. He also says that he would rather be like Jack Nicklaus than Tiger Woods. He also wants to break Nicklaus’ record of most majors won. For swings, he studied videos of Louis Oosthuizen. Clearly Shubham knows his sport and who to follow.

- Shubham seems pretty grounded too. The way he talks is unlike a 10-year-old and he scored 90% in his class IV exam last year too. When asked about the difference in taking up golf as a sport in India and America, Shubham said: “Golf facilities in the US gives ample opportunities for kids to take up golf. While in India, most of the parents only think of medals. However, in the western countries there is no pressure on kids to win medals.”