India's top amateur Khan (19) turns professional

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New Delhi: Rashid Khan, prodigious amateur and winner of the silver medal in the team competition at the just concluded Asian Games, has chosen the Hero Honda Indian Open to turn professional.
The 19-year-old Delhi golfer, who has been India’s leading and most high-profile amateur, had put off turning professional just to be able to play in the Asian Games.
“I always wanted a medal from the Asian Games. I am glad I got a silver medal in the team event for India. I was close in the individual but the more important medal was the team event.”
And no sooner had Khan returned to India, he decided to take the plunge and join play for pay ranks at the Hero Honda Indian Open which starts on Thursday.
“It is the National Open and there could not have been a better tournament to do so than the National Open. I already had an entry as an amateur, but I have now decided to play as a professional,” said Khan.
Khan is also a two-time champion at the Faldo Series Asia champion and a third time he came in third. He has also won titles on the amateur circuit in countries like Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore besides representing India at events like Eisenhower Cup.