The Perfect Christmas Gift...

What a year this has been. Earlier this week, I got the perfect Christmasgift -- my invitation to the Augusta Masters.

It has been my life-long ambition to play at the Masters. Walking down the18th green at the Chandigarh Golf Club in my early years, I would often tell mycaddie about my dream of walking the 18th at the Masters and he would simplyshake his head and ask me to get on with my hitting.

This week, I could not help thinking about all those moments, when themailman handed me the envelope with the Masters invite. That capped a perfectyear, the kind I have been dreaming about since the day I first picked up a golfclub.

So, what has been the change this year? The most important change has beenthat I am more focused on my routine and processes; and that I have felt calmand composed, both personally and professionally. I am no longer resultoriented; I just want to play my best and I know every time that happens I willbe in contention.

I started the year feeling it would be great if I could get one win. And nowwhen I am ending it, I have four wins and a place in world's top-40. It reallyhas been amazing. On January 1, 2006, I set myself a goal of getting a win thathad eluded me since 1999. I knew I had it in me but I was not ready to make anymore goals till I attained this one first.

Right at the start of the season I came close in Pakistan when I tied forsecond. I knew I was close, but I did not talk about it to anyone except thoseclosest to me. Then all things finally fell in place at Volvo China Open inBeijing.

When I walked off the 18th green my first feeling was one of relief -- themonkey was finally off my back. It was also a reward for hanging in theredespite so many close calls. It was an emotional moment for me. I am evergrateful to my family, friends and all those who had stood by me in the toughyears in between. I am quite strong mentally -- a gift I have from my father --but it is still difficult when things are not going the way you want them to.

In the years before this amazing 2006, I had been coming close. There was onegood round in a tournament, and then it became two in a week and it rose tothree in a tournament. But to win a tournament, you need four good rounds and Ialways believed it would happen.

While getting ready for 2006, I had worked on some technicalities with myclose friend, Amritinder Singh. The improvement showed. When I won Volvo ChinaOpen I got back my confidence. I had stuck to the process and maintained mymental strength.

Once that win was in the bag, a few doubts had been set right. Now I neededto reassess my goals. Now I was looking forward to a top-100 ranking in theworld. I was getting great results -- regular top-10 finishes and Volvo ChinaOpen had put me on top of the UBS Asian Tour Order of Merit.

I was a little disappointed at not having made the British Open, but I didmake the US Open and for the second time I made the weekend rounds. That gave memore confidence.

The Volvo China Open was the start. But the defining moment was the VolvoMasters of Europe. I had never seen the golf course at Valderrama, except on TVand the field was star-studded.

But the way things happened I was always in contention and on the final day Iwas proud of the way I played. The shots towards the end of the round especiallyon the 17th are something I will never ever forget. And there was a win, thebiggest one of my career, waiting at the end of it.

The Volvo Masters of Europe is the biggest event after the British Open inEurope. And suddenly the whole world had opened in front of me. That night wasone of the most emotional ones for me. My struggle and hard work seemed topaying dividends.

A place in top-100 was there, but now I wanted to carry on further. I cameclose to another win in Japan in the first week of November but ended second.That's when I felt I could pull of wins on three different Tours. I was playinga lot and my wrist was hurting a bit, but I was playing very well. I hadcommitted to some events in Japan, which is where I have my big sponsors, GMA,who make my irons.

Then it happened again in Japan. I won at the Casio World Open. A week laterI won again in Nippon Series JT Cup, making it four in a year and I was intop-50 of the world.

God, it was like a dream. I didn't want it to end. And it carried on till theVolvo Masters of Asia, which I wanted to win, if only to make it a unique Volvotreble. But I finished sixth, which frankly would not have sounded too bad atthe start of the year. I was now 37th in the world.

The Asian Tour Order of Merit, the prospect of playing all Majors and WGCevents and being chosen as the Players' Player of the year made it a dream yearfor me.

What of 2007? There is a saying that it is difficult to get to the top buteven more difficult to stay there. I finished as No. 1 in Asia and No. 2 inJapan. I will be playing with the very best in 2007 on a regular basis. But I amnot going to be overawed by emotions like making my debut at the Masters orplaying with the best in the world.

There will be pressure to stay in the top-40 or get even better, but I am notgoing to put any pressure on myself. I am just going to get out there and playmy best and let everything else happen by itself.

I know I have a whole lot of true friends out there backing me at all timesand it is to them and my family and God that I want to be most grateful for allthat happened this year.

PTI