Golf is often regarded as an elitist and rich man's sport, but India's Rashid Khan is doing his utmost to fight the stereotype on the course.
The 28-year-old was detained by New Delhi police - who he had called in - for several hours in May after he was refused permission to enter the Delhi Golf Club, despite claiming that a Supreme Court ruling had granted him admission as long as he pays the green fees.
Discouraged by what he perceived to be discrimination against those like himself - Khan is from a humble background and had to train with other less well-to-do Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) colleagues on a wasteland on the outskirts of the capital last year - he contemplated quitting the sport.
But his father's advice kept him going. Khan said: "He told me to just keep doing what I am doing, because, right now, I am fighting for myself and the future of other kids."
He has definitely come a long way from the boy who played truant from school for six months to play golf, and the teenager who went to Kolkata for two weeks to play in a junior tournament with just 5,000 rupees (S$95) given to him by his factory worker father.
At 18, he was selected for the Indian team that won silver at the 2010 Asian Games, before turning pro that year. It was not all smooth-sailing, however, as he would "play one good tournament, and then miss quite a few cuts" from 2015 to 2017.
But changes to his drivers and irons in 2018 paved the way for Khan to claim two titles on the PGTI last year.
At the SMBC Singapore Open yesterday, he posted six birdies against four bogeys for a two-under 69. He will go into today's final round at Sentosa Golf Club's Serapong Course in seventh place with a eight-under total of 205, nine shots behind leader Matt Kuchar.
A strong finish would help to strengthen his bid to join the field of 60 for the Tokyo Olympics in July - he is currently 55th in the Olympic golf rankings - which he hopes will change mindsets in India.
Khan, who trains at the Noida Golf Course in Uttar Pradesh, said: "Making it to the Olympics will be a dream come true after all I have been through.
"It will also show many people, especially kids, all over India that an Olympic dream is achievable regardless of background."
