After seeing Rory and Fleetwood Indian youngsters are ready for Asia Pacific Amateurs  

Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament Fred S. Ridley joins Ranveer Mitroo of India, Anshul Mishra of India, Raghav Gulati of India, Rakshit Dahiya of India and Harman Sachdeva of India at the Welcome Reception at the Royal Majlis on the eve of the 2025 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship being played at the Emirates Golf Club Majlis Course in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Wednesday 22 October 2025. Photograph by AAC.

Dubai: The reigning All India Amateur champion, Anshul Mishra, and Ranveer Mitroo spent a good part of last week watching global stars, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, and others at the DP World India Championships. This week the duo is competing at the 16^th Asia Pacific Amateurs at the Majlis Course at the Emirates Golf Course, where McIlroy has achieved so much success at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

“It was an education to just see Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood in action at the DP World India Championship,” said Anshul Mishra, who makes his debut at the AAC this week.

Mitroo, speaking on being here in Dubai for AAC, one of the biggest amateur events in the world, said, “It’s lovely. It’s such a dreamy event for an amateur, especially from the Asia Pacific region. From the start of the year and even last year I really wanted to qualify for this event and play for Team India.

Rakshit Dahiya, who is in college in the US, was unable to come to Delhi to watch McIlroy and Fleetwood, but he said, “I was constantly speaking to my friends back home and just asking how it was to see Rory and Tommy and players like Shane. It was probably the biggest crowd India has ever seen in golf. It is going to be good for the game in India because it’s going to attract more people and more golfers.”

Anshul, who turned 17 two days ago, now trains with Jesse Grewal. He was thrilled to be here and gushed, “I mean, it’s amazing, just being out here. The event is managed so well and I’m just loving the vibe here. Dubai is a really nice place. It’s a really nice city to host in.”

He added, “The course is amazing, it’s in great shape, and the layout is amazing. I’m just enjoying it a lot.

Ranveer Mitroo (left) and Anshul Mishra ahead of the 2025 Asia Pacific Amateur Championship in Dubai.

About his US experiences this year, he added, “I could have done a lot better in those events, but just playing on those courses and playing such great events with such a great field, that was a really good learning experience for me, and I learned a lot from that.”

The prize of a spot at the Masters is a massive incentive for all players. On what the AAC and the Masters means, Mitroo added, “I’m a really big fan of the Masters, and the winner this week gets to play in the Masters and the Open. That’s such a lovely reward for the winner, and I feel like it really boosts the game. I’m ready for this week. I’ve prepped really hard, and I feel like I’m going to have a good week.”

He has also played at the Majlis, so he is familiar with the layout. “I’ve played here a few times, Maybe, four or five times. Actually, a couple of weeks back I played it, and a couple of times last year in 2024. So I definitely know my way around. I’ve got a game plan this week, which I need to execute, and I feel like if I play well, and I do that. I think it’s going to be hard to beat me.”

Dahiya, who is the only player among the five here to have played the AAC once before said, “The past year has been pretty good. I’ve improved my game, my physical strength, and, of course, my mental aspect. I’ve played pretty well over the last year. I’ve gained confidence, and I’ve prepared a lot coming into this tournament. I asked a few of my friends that have played here, so I learned that your long irons and around-the-green game have to be good. So, I worked on that for the last month and a half.”

Raghav Gulati, who is based in the UAE and has played most courses here frequently has been a kind of a guide for his teammates. Dahiya said, “We played yesterday; he helped all of us out a lot. Like, if he wasn’t there, we probably wouldn’t have played this well in the practice round, because it obviously takes a lot to figure out the tee shots and around the green, so he helped us a lot. Local knowledge helps a lot.”

Harman Sachdeva had to make a choice between the AAC and the Asian Youth Games, which is also being held this week. He explained how he finally chose the AAC, as he revealed, “I had set a goal for myself last year that I wanted to play the AAC. I had it in the back of my mind. The opportunity to play at the Asian Youth Games was a surprise for me. I had this decision to make. I discussed with my parents and my coaches where I should go. So, it was a tough decision to make, but I eventually on the AAC because that was what I had set as a target. Here I am.”

This week could well be the turning point for the Indian amateurs, who see events like the DP World India Championship as the best thing to have happened for Indian golf.