In a game where the focus is on numbers, Nicollet has quite a few to her credit. She’s only 20, stands just an inch short of six feet and is already the best player in India. Blessed with eyes that are a curious mix of brown and grey whirlpools and an attitude that’s forthcoming, this Bangalorean has got the golf circuit excited for reasons that go beyond her swimming skills. Within months of going pro, Nicollet’s not only accumulated titles and the No.1 ranking, but also legions of fans. For her, the male attention has never been in short supply and she confesses that it gets a tad irritating at times. “But I’m not a fighter or a hater,” comes her teasing reply.
“ I like fashion and love to wear bright colours. Sania (Mirza) changed tennis in India and I want to bring young people to golf,” she explains.
Before swinging those clubs, Nicollet was on her way to becoming a champion swimmer – “I was a state – level swimmer” – and also played basketball and tennis. But soon enough, the 11-year-old Nicollet developed a greater love for the greens.
She also getting used to being alone on tour and handling everything she earlier relied on her mother for. “ The past year, I’ve been traveling alone. It was tough initially because suddenly I had to do everything from scheduling practice to clearing hotel bills, but it’s all part of growing up isn’t it?” she asks.
Getting better at her game is the constant thought running through her head. A keen student – she scored 85% in Class X – Nicollet’s now studying Psychology with the objective of being able to help herself and her game. “I would say 60% of golf is mental and just 40% is physical, Psychology helps me be better prepared to handle the mental side of things.”
A big fan of hip – hop, the leggy lass never misses a concert in the city unless she’s traveling. “I need to have a life. I deserve some space and keep the course out of my life at least on weekends. I don’t restrict myself totally. I watch TV all the time, but that doesn’t mean I don’t train properly. For five days a week I’m golf obsessed, on the weekend, I’m just a girl,” she shays sweetly. Spending time with her seven dogs “I’m an animal lover, wherever I go, they follow me” and zipping around in her car is another way Nicollet unwind. “I love cars. My Honda City is all pimped up,” she says excitedly.
For the young hopeful who has her eyes set on the 2016 Olympics-when golf will finally be included in the games – there seems to be a lot of fun waiting to be had in the process...
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