18-09-2019
Rahil Gangjee – In the Land of the Rising Sun
Indian star Rahil Gangjee had ended a 14-year international victory drought with his triumph at the Panasonic Open Golf Championship in Japan last year. The win also earned him a card on the Japan Golf Tour. Gangjee now spends a major part of the year playing golf and living in Japan.
In this interview, Rahil shares his experiences from the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’.
Q1. How do you compare the playing conditions (courses and weather) on the Japan Golf Tour with those on the other tours you've played on?
The first thing that is different to the other tours I have played is the fact that these courses are in better condition than most tours. The type of grass is 99% bent grass on the greens but the fairways vary. The tour makes sure that the greens always run at speeds of 11 and above on the stimpmeter. The pin positions set are more challenging because of the speeds. My way of playing golf has slightly changed due to this. You have to make sure that the ball is below the hole.
Another difference is that they love turning par-5s into par-4s. This is a regular occurrence every other week. There are not too many more differences other than when we have to play the whole day in the rain as the occurrence of lightning is less than other parts of Asia.
Q2. How easy has it been to adjust to life in Japan, in terms of the food, language, communication, weather, travel, cost of living and other aspects? (It is said to be one of the most expensive countries to live in)
Food: Not a very vegetarian friendly country I would say but the meats are just to die for. It also doesn’t matter where you eat as the quality of food even in a cheaper restaurant is absolutely amazing.
Language: In my short experience the language barrier is breaking down and it is solely because the Japanese are trying harder to learn English. They love to travel abroad and live in other countries for short periods of time just so they can learn the language. Other than that, Google Translate has broken the barriers between the Japanese and the Gaijin (word used for foreigner in Japanese).
Weather: The occurrence of hurricanes during the summer months makes it that much more challenging for the tour to complete tournaments on time. Japan also does get hot in the summer.
Travel: Travelling by public transport in bigger cities is easy, as they would have a subway / skytrain system, but the small towns and villages are accessible by busses, trains and taxis. So I would recommend just hiring a car like we do on tour. It would probably cost you about US$400 a week. Trust me, taxis can get expensive.
Cost of living: Japan is expensive if you want it to be. If you are a tourist you will end up having a good time and that means spending money. The locals, even though a lot of them eat dinners and lunches out , don’t spend that much. They know the places to go to (which is the difficult part). A meal can cost you anywhere between US$7 to US$200, depending on what you want to eat. Cheaper meals like a ramen are a daily go to meal and then on the other hand a great steak meal in Kobe or Miyazaki can cost you US$200 or more. The cost of hotels in big cities is between US$90 - 200 and in the small town you would get a decent hotel for about US$70 - 80. Hotel room sizes are built for me. Those who know me will understand! Yes, sometimes there is no space to even open up your suitcase without walking over it. Toilets are always clean but don’t try turning around in the shower. Taller people - watch your heads.
Q3. What is the best part about living in Japan?
It has to be the food. Life revolves around food for the Japanese people. They will sit and eat and drink on holidays for most of the day. Obviously a bunch of them also like their drink, but it will be a very civilized hard drinking session. The food, like I have said is awesome no matter where you eat. In most towns, it is not too difficult to get international cuisine either. But I recommend eating the local food. Trust me, you will not get it the same way in any other part of the world. For meat lovers this is a paradise.
Q4. What aspects of Japanese life and culture have impressed you the most?
The Japanese, as you may have heard, are very disciplined and respectful people. This is absolutely true. But to see it happen every day is another experience. Even on tour everyone knows how old you are and will greet you in the proper manner. The older you are the more respect you get.
When a Japanese person says he will do something, consider it done. You do not have to follow up with them. Yes means yes and no means no. There are reasons for the “no”, even though you may not agree with the logic but you know you can’t do that thing, so forget about trying to negotiate. When someone agrees to help you either find a place or buy a train ticket or something, you know they will make sure it happens, even if they need to walk a kilometre with you for the purpose.
Q5. In Japan, is there awareness about Indian golf and its steady rise (since three Indians - Jeev, Jyoti and yourself, have won on the Japan Golf Tour)?
Japan has only experienced Indian golf at short intervals and they have been quite far apart. In my opinion golf in India is not growing at the pace it should. Yes we have a few more players that are doing well on the international scene, but in relation to the number of people we have in the country, we are way behind most golfing nations.
The Japanese love golf and treat their professionals like real superstars. The fans are what make the game there. We in India are more cricket-centric. I’m not trying to say that people don’t follow other sports but to become a nation of fans following another sport is going to take some time. I believe if you create superstars in various sports then people’s outlook to other sports will start to change. We need to look at sports as a way of living a better lifestyle. The culture has to change from money making to one of sport. It is a better way to live life.
Q6. After a highly successful 2018, how do you reflect on your form and performances in the current season?
Yes, 2018 was a great year because I won twice. However, I must add, that last year I wasn’t as consistent as I would’ve liked to be. I had to play 18 new courses last year and that was hard as hell for me. To be in the winners category on a new tour gives you the opportunity to settle into that tour. I missed most of the cuts after my win last year, but that was something I was prepared for this time. When I won in 2004 and started to miss cuts I was at sea with my physical game and mental game. I didn’t know how to handle the stress. But this time was different.
Experience is the ultimate teacher. On the Japanese tour you will have about 4-5 events that change their venue every year, which means I am playing “catch up” most of the time. But I’m sure by the end of next year I will be confident enough to be able to keep my card without any exemptions.
Q7. Any particular part of your game that you're focussing on in order to get back to your best?
Ball-striking has been my strong point for most of my career. But I have spent the last 2-3 years focusing on my short-game as it was lacking. I now believe that the short-game has improved, but it’s time for me to get back to what I do best.
Q8. What are your immediate goals?
My short-term goal is to control that ball and make it do what I want. My long-term goal this year is to obviously win again.
About PGTI:
Formed in 2006, Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) is the recognised official body of professional golf in India. PGTI's objective is to promote professional golf in the country, as well as to give players an opportunity to be involved in the decision making on all aspects of the game. Headed by Mr. Srinivasan H R (President), PGTI's governing body comprises leading Indian golf professionals. PGTI currently has over 300 members.
For information on PGTI, please contact:
Nikhil Kalaan
Media Manager - PGTI
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Email: media@pgtofindia.com
