'Plan B is the worst advice': Vani Kapoor's honest take on why Indian Women's Golf is struggling

NEW DELHI: For Vani Kapoor, India's challenge in women's golf has never been about talent. It's about opportunity. A multiple-time domestic champion who has represented India on international tours, Kapoor believes the country's women golfers continue to fight a battle that extends well beyond the fairways. In a conversation with TOI, the 31-year-old opened up on the financial realities of the sport, the importance of mental strength, and why meaningful support must come long before athletes become household names.Kapoor's journey into golf began not with dreams of trophies but with family weekends. Her father, an avid golfer, would take her along to the course, where a casual outing soon turned into a career."My father used to play, and the idea was just to spend a Sunday afternoon with him on the course.

But once I entered a summer camp and met my first coach, I fell in love with the game," Kapoor recalled. "By the time I was 12, I knew I wanted to turn professional."She fulfilled that goal on her 18th birthday, but the years that followed also exposed the financial demands of pursuing golf at the highest level."We're fortunate that we have a tour to play on, but if you're not among the top few players, it's very difficult to survive," she said.

"You're constantly investing in your game without guaranteed returns."According to Kapoor, this financial uncertainty forces several talented players to step away from the sport before realizing their full potential. She believes corporate India can change that by investing directly in athletes instead of limiting support to tournaments."If every corporate house that hosts golf events supported one male and one female golfer, it could make a huge difference," she said.

"We have the talent to win medals for India."Kapoor also emphasized that success in elite sport depends on much more than technical ability. A strong support system, she believes, often determines whether an athlete can sustain a long career."Surround yourself with the right people, that’s the advice even British golfer Tommy Fleetwood gave me last year," she said. "My parents always told me that whether I won or lost, I always had a home to come back to.

There's no safer feeling for a child than that."Her own relationship with the game has evolved over the years. Earlier, Kapoor admits, she relied heavily on numbers and technical analysis. Experience, however, has taught her to trust instinct as much as data."I used to be extremely technical. Now it's more about feel and how the ball is reacting," she said. "Numbers are important, but only in the right proportion. Just because the numbers are perfect doesn't mean you'll play well."Having competed extensively on the European circuit, Kapoor feels the biggest difference between Indian golfers and their overseas counterparts lies in mindset rather than skill."Indian golfers are incredibly talented and hardworking," she said. "The biggest difference is mindset. In India, we're always told to have a plan B. I honestly think that's the worst advice you can give a sportsperson."She believes stronger financial backing abroad allows athletes to play with greater freedom instead of treating every tournament as a make-or-break opportunity.Pressure, she admits, remains a constant in professional sport. What has changed over the years is the way she responds to it."People have every right to have opinions about me and my game," Kapoor said. "But people's opinion is not my reality. My reality is what I think about myself."As Indian women's sports continue to gain momentum across disciplines, Kapoor hopes golf receives similar attention and sustained investment. For her, the roadmap is straightforward: the talent already exists. What Indian women's golf needs now is consistent financial backing, stronger belief, and an ecosystem that allows players to focus on competing rather than merely surviving.