Gairat Kaur Kahlon made a remarkable mark in Indian golf history by becoming the first player from India to qualify for the Drive Chip & Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club.

This nine-year-old from Mohali stood out among thousands of junior golfers who participated in 348 Local Qualifiers across all 50 states in the U.S. She clinched victory in her 7-9 age category, triumphed in one of the 62 Sub-Regional Qualifiers, and ultimately earned her spot as one of just 10 players in her age group to display her talent at one of the most prestigious golf courses in the world, coinciding with the Masters week.

On Sunday, she became only the second Indian woman to compete at Augusta National, following Avani Prashanth, who has participated in the Augusta National Women's Amateur twice. In terms of men, only four Indian golfers—Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal, Anirban Lahiri, and Shubhankar Sharma—have played at the Masters.

Even with the weight of this achievement and the presence of numerous golf superstars in the audience, Gairat remained unfazed by the moment. She didn’t miss a shot and seemed to relish every second of the competition.

However, the fierce competitor in her felt a tinge of disappointment.

Gairat expressed her pride in being the first Indian to reach the DCP Finals, saying, "It's a really proud moment for me. I'm thrilled with the experience, but I can't help feeling a bit let down since I was hoping to win the tournament." She ended up finishing fifth overall, placing seventh in driving, fourth in chipping, and fifth in putting.

The journey to the DCP Finals was tough, especially for Gairat and her sister Rabab. Just four days before their trip to Charlotte, North Carolina for the Local Qualifiers, their car was stolen in Jangpura, New Delhi, along with their golf sets stored in the trunk. Rabab had to compete with a rental set and didn’t make it through, while Gairat managed to use a new set of clubs.

They faced additional hurdles too. Gairat and her coach, Mahesh Kumar, knew that the 18th green, where players putted, would be incredibly fast. The greens at Augusta National are nearly like glass compared to the Mohali course, which typically runs at an eight on the stimpmeter on a good day. To prepare, Gairat had been practicing her putting on artificial turf at the Chandigarh Golf Association range for the past few months.

Gairat started playing golf at just four years old after tagging along with her sister to a golf camp in Mohali.

Mother Akalkala shared that her daughter has a natural talent and impressed everyone with her shots right from the start. "She probably absorbed a lot just by watching Rabab during her coaching sessions," she noted.

Akalkala attributes her daughter's success to Gairat and her passion for golf, but it’s definitely a team effort. Rabab describes herself as Gairat's "temporary coach" and has been a bit of a nagging alarm clock over the last six months whenever her sister tried to sleep in. Akalkala stepped away from her dental career to become a full-time travel buddy for her daughters. Meanwhile, their dad, Guruamardeep, works in the merchant navy and serves as the family's "chief finance officer." Additionally, their maternal uncle Mehraj, who lives in Charlotte, has been instrumental in gathering information about DCP, helping with registrations, and acting as the family’s host and designated driver.

Gairat is a huge admirer of Nelly Korda's effortless swing, Bryson DeChambeau's impressive swing speed, and Tiger Woods' iconic accomplishments in golf. He’s determined to make this trip to Augusta National just the beginning of many more.

"I want to come back here. I still have a few years to qualify for the DCP Finals, and then I aim to compete in the Augusta National Women's Amateur," shared the fourth-grade student from Manav Rachana School, who aspires to be a top professional golfer on the LPGA and dreams of representing India in the Olympics.

These are ambitious goals, but Gairat is already off to a strong start in pursuing them.

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