Tiger Woods draws inspiration from Nepal’s top female golfer Pratima Sherpa in her quest to turn pro
- When Tiger Woods read about Pratima Sherpa’s exploits in 2016, he arranged to meet her in Florida, where they went to the golf range and hit a few balls
- The former world No.1 described the young golfer as ‘amazing’ and praised her perseverance, hard work and determination
When Pratima Sherpa started playing golf as a child, she used a rudimentary club her father had carved from a tree branch. Fast-forward a decade, and Pratima – by this stage Nepal’s top female golfer – was getting a lesson from the legendary Tiger Woods. It has been an amazing journey.
The 20-year-old – who stands a mere 1.57 metres (5 feet 1 inch) tall – grew up in a shed next to the Royal Nepal Golf Club’s nine-hole course, which, despite being near Kathmandu’s international airport, is prowled by troops of monkeys and the occasional leopard.
Several strokes of luck, some generous sponsors, talent and determination have propelled her halfway around the world in her quest to turn pro.
“Apart from my own professional ambitions, I want to inspire the next generation in Nepal and help kids who, like me, can’t automatically afford to play golf,” says Sherpa.
“Meeting Tiger [Woods] in the summer of 2018 was like a dream. He’d read about me in a golfing magazine and invited me to come to the Medallist Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida. The moment he stepped out of his golf cart I couldn’t stop myself – I just flung my arms around my hero.” The meeting was supposed to be limited to a photo session, but the one-time world No. 1 took Sherpa to the range and lent her his clubs.