Sajib wants to follow in Siddikur's footsteps

Like the country's golfing icon Siddikur Rahman, Mohammad Sajib Ali also got to know what golf actually is as caddy of Kurmitola Golf Course. He was only 11- or 12-years old when he started carrying the players' bags in order to support his family before emerging in the amateur golfing arena as a player himself. He became one of the leading amateur golfers, playing in around 20 different countries in the last nine years. He came to the limelight during the Bhutan Amateur Golf Championship in 2014 where he won both the titles of team and individual category. Since then, he has come on in leaps and bounds. The 28-year old golfer talked with Dhaka Tribune regarding his career, ambition and how he got into the game of golf in a country where people rarely choose it as a playing career.How did you get into the game of golf?My father Azmat Ali was a caddy master at Kurmitola Golf Club and after he passed away, there was no one who could earn and run the family. One of my father's colleagues, caddy Siraj, brought me to a golf course from school. I started working there and used to earn Tk25 daily. Though it was in 2000, still, the money was very little considering the demand of my family. My mother once asked me why I was doing this. So, there was always determination within me to get something out of this game.How did you get the opportunity to emerge as a golfer?It's been some years I have been a ball-boy, or you can say caddy, at Kurmitola. The interest grew more in 2007. I saw everyone playing, including Siddikur Rahman, who had been doing great at that time. I told my boss that I wanted to play. They supported me, gave me encouragement and I started practising. I qualified for an amateur golf tournament in India and performed well there. It boosted my confidence. I got Bay Development as sponsor to support me in 2010. Then I started playing regularly.Tell us briefly about your career.....From 2009-2015, I played in many amateur golf tournaments abroad, in around 20 different countries. My first PGTI (Professional Golf Tour of India) event was in 2011 but it was in the Bhutan Amateur Golf Championship where I won my first title. I played my first Asian Tour event in the Bangladesh Open in 2014. I finished 53rd there. I took part in the next edition last year where I missed the cut. I was placed second behind Siddikur in the PGTI event and the BTI Open last year. These were important events for me as I only turned professional.What have you learned most from watching Siddikur?One day I was watching Siddikur practise and hitting accurate shots most of the time. I asked myself – how did he get so accurate so often? He told me to always make a focus point and concentrate on it. I had been struggling with my accuracy and after some days I realised what Siddikur meant. I also learned a lot from a Scottish coach who guided nine of us in a golf school, titled RNA, for four years. My most favourite golfer is Phil Mickelson because of his brilliant short-game.Where do you want to see yourself in future?I want to play in the PGTI events regularly in the next two years. Then, if I can perform well, my target would be to play in the Asian Tour. After that, if I get better results, then PGA Tour is my goal. Now, I want to play in the next PGTI event from December 24-28 and I have to go through qualification round, which will be held in Bangalore in the same month.