DPWT Pro Terms LIV Golf “Fun”; Wants “A Mix of Everything” in the World of Golf

LIV Golf has been called many different things! Ever since its inception, the league has been under the radar for being ‘non-traditional’ in terms of its format. After all, before the Saudi-funded league, the holistic sport hadn’t thought of itself as a game that would be played for 3 days instead of 4, and that too with no cut! But LIV made it happen! With a few golfers, such as Rory McIlroy, accepting the league they first bashed, there are still a few players, renowned and uprising, who still have trouble accepting the LIV in all its glory.

In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports during the press release of the Hero Indian Open, Manu Gandas, a professional golfer from India, shared his thoughts about LIV Golf. When asked about the Breakaway League, Gandas expressed intrigue. He claimed that he was curious to see how the league would pan out in the future. “Only time can tell how it’s going to turn out in the coming years,” said the 2023 DPWT rookie. However, unsurprisingly, there was more!

When asked in the interview if Gandas agreed that LIV was ‘less work’ and ‘less pressure’ he again had a neutral stance. “For some people, maybe,” said the golf star, seemingly being a traditionalist and appreciating the older way of golf.

The golf pro further shared how he thinks of LIV as something “fun” but would appreciate it if golf were a “mix of everything” to maintain a healthy balance. “Traditional golf has been played in a different way altogether for more than a century, and it can be a good idea to have sort of a fun format, but that cannot be all that is there to golf. It has to be a mix of everything to balance it out,” said the DPWT pro in the EssentiallySports Exclusive interview when questioned about his stance on LIV’s format.

Manu Gandas will be competing in the Hero Indian Open, scheduled from March 28–31 at the DLF Golf Course in Gurgaon, India. The golfer has returned after spending his rookie year on the DP World Tour, during which he competed in 25 events, made five cuts, and had two top-30 finishes. He made his first cut at the Thailand Classic at Amata Springs CC in Bangkok.

Gandas’s first ever season on the DP World Tour was not all pleasant, as he had some hardships to face too! From loneliness to the weather and even the food, the golfer’s path was met by hurdle after hurdle.

Manu Gandas reveals the rough side of being a golfer on the move

Hailing from India, Gandas was not used to the weather conditions that he witnessed in Europe. And he even claimed in the exclusive interview with EssentiallySports that he had to get used to the “colder” and “windier” conditions in order to put his best foot forward. Once he got the hang of the weather, things got slightly better for him. But not entirely!

Unfortunately, the injuries he had been dealing with for the last 2–3 years in his right wrist and left ankle kept aggravating, arguably due to the cold weather. And the fact that he often failed to get enough rest only made things worse. Ganda’s plights were far from over, though, for his biggest enemy while traveling to play the sport he loved was loneliness.

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The golfer mentioned that he usually liked being alone, but in 2023, he felt a longing for home and found himself feeling lonely very often. This even caused him to visit home every 2-3 weeks, adding to his already busy travel schedule.

One good thing that came from his frequent visits home, however, was the delicious homemade vegetarian food he could eat. Considering he did not consume in predominately non-vegetarian countries, Gandas had to rely heavily on dairy products and ready-to-cook meals while competing.

Now that he has returned home, things will certainly be different for the youngster. However, whether it’ll end well, only time will tell!

Read More: Is Rory McIlroy Clearing the Runaway for a $950M LIV Golf Takeoff?