Courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to walk through it! Ask Rahil Gangjee and he will swear by it.

By Abhishek Dinman

Not afraid to match shot for shot with international stars like Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa and Gaganjeet Bhullar, the 31-year-old golfer from Kolkata left behind a trail of superstars who failed to live up to the expectations at the inaugural Avantha Masters at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon on Friday.

India's number one amateur in 2000, Gangjee carded a three-under 69 in Round Two. His score of five-under 67 on the opening day, where he was the best Indian on show, means he now totals a eight-under 136 and is tied eighth.

His score of 69 was punctuated by birdies on the 7th, 14th and the 18th holes. He laid up on the 14th and fired in his third shot from 76 yards to within a foot for an easy birdie. On the 7th, he putted a 15-footer for yet another birdie.

No wonder, a sense of satisfaction was writ large on his face. "Felt good from the very outset, even though I was feeling a little nervous to begin with. I was reading the putts to perfection and my long game was solid. I was picking up targets and hitting them too. There were some problems with my driving on the first day, but fortunately, I found my rhythm with the driver on the second day," said Gangjee, whose answers were stuffed with big smiles.

However, there were moments when one could sense Gangjee losing his composure. A hint of aggression, maybe! But, judge a golfer's attitude at your own peril!

"I was not as aggressive as it might have seemed to many as some shots came off, meeting my expectations, while others went astray. I did not plan to be aggressive, or otherwise," replied Gangjee.

It may be a little too early to predict, but going by his progression, Gangjee must be plotting ways and means to lay his hands on the elusive trophy: the tournament is co-sanctioned by the European Tour, the Asian Tour and the PGTI.

Gangjee's career-graph is an interesting read. He burst onto the scene with a victory at the 2004 Volkswagen Masters - China, where he out-scored a field that boasted of Phillip Price, Ian Woosman and Nick Faldo!

But all that is in the past! A determined Gangjee will not rest until he has made most of his starts. However, he needs to be wary of variations on the course that could take many players off-guard. "I think they will dry it out. I may also require a different set of clubs to meet the challenge. But I am upto it," said a confident, yet cautious Gangjee.

Gangjee has had a rewarding last two days. However, the real challenge lies ahead. With the field now cropped, Gangjee will need to take his game to a different level. For now, though, he should just savour what he has achieved.