SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — Indian American Maryland teenager Rij Patel, who is regarded as one of the nation’s best young golfing talents, is on his way to Cambridge.
Patel has drawn heavy interest and praise from his coaches and peers alike, and has displayed what is believed to be determination and seasoning beyond his years. His game transformed once he evolved swing, something he was driven to do because of recurring pain in his body.
“I was having way too many upper back and neck injuries,” he told the Baltimore Sun. “There was a loop at the top of my swing. I was bringing it inside and then swinging over the top. People were surprised I was able to pull off such good shots with that swing.”
Patel has enrolled himself in a multitude of tournaments this summer to further polish his game before arriving at Harvard. He’ll begin practicing with his new university teammates on Aug. 29, and believes he has a legitimate chance to crack the starting lineup.
“I think if I am playing my best golf, there’s a good chance I will be in the top five,” said Patel, who chose Harvard over Yale and Columbia universities and the University of Pennsylvania.
Harvard’s own coaches are fairly eager to see what Patel can do for the Crimson.
“He would be a strong prospect for any school in the country,” said Fred Schernecker, Harvard’s director of golf. “His golf career has been top-notch. He has done extremely well in events, but also qualifying for the premier events in the country.”
Schernecker said Patel’s biggest meal ticket is his demeanor, it just so happens to be what he covets most in his golfers.
“Ninety or 95 percent of what we look for is how they carry themselves on the golf course,” he said, “whether they are in control of their emotions, how they approach their game and react to shots. That’s really what impressed us about Rij.”
His coach, Wright Abbot, concurs, and said Patel is the best golfer he’s had the pleasure of working with during his 31-year career.
“He’s been an extraordinary golfer in the MIAA (Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association),” the coach said. “But if you ask other league coaches, the first thing they will say is that he is a better human being and how much respect they have for him. He never loses his temper. The Loyola coach [William McLean] said he has been teaching 40 years and never has seen anybody like him.”
