Golf Clubs fail to arrive in time as Kapur tries to qualify for Open

For the second time in three weeks, Shiv Kapur's golf bag did not arrive with him on his flight, forcing the Indian golfer to rely on hired clubs for practice ahead of the final qualifiers for the 148th Open at Royal Portrush here.

Three weeks ago, when he got a spot to play at the BMW International in Munich, Lufthansa failed to get his bags with him and they arrived just the day before the first round.

This time, Kapur reached Edinburgh after his outing in Valderrama to play the 36-hole qualifier to try and secure a spot at the 148th Open Championship, the final Major of the year.

Kapur, accompanied by wife Maya Gupta and two-year-old daughter Veda, arrived on the KLM flight sans the golf bag and five other pieces of luggage containing essential items for a small child.

It seems there were some logistical issues at Amsterdam airport and thousands of bags did not travel with their owners.

Kapur did manage to get essentials for the family from the market, but the clubs, most important for him, had to be hired. It is never easy to play with clubs other than your own, especially for professionals.

Still, Kapur is giving it a go at Fairmont St Andrews with a mix of clubs - Callaway irons, but Regular shafts, instead of the Stiff ones that pros prefer.

The mishmash bag will also feature a PING three-wood and Titleist wedges. As for the putter, he will have to see if the Pro Shop has a model he uses and then he will have to buy it.

The Open is Kapur's favourite golf tournament and he has qualified three times before. At Muirfield on the opening day in 2013, he started his campaign with six birdies in his first seven holes.

The airlines haven't been very kind to Indian golf recently. Last week, Colonel Mohan Sharma, father of Shubhankar Sharma, had to wait more than two days in Valderrama before his bag was delivered by Aeroflot.

Earlier in June, leading Indian amateur Seher Atwal travelled to Ireland for the prestigious Women's Amateur, only to discover that Aer Lingus had not collected her bag during the flight from Manchester.

Aditi Ashok, India's only representative at the LPGA Tour, has faced the wrath of disappearing golf bags twice in the past eight months.

In September last year, she landed for Lacoste Ladies Open de France without her golf bag again it was Aer Lingus.

Then, earlier this year in March, the American part of her new LPGA Tour season did not begin as per plans when British Airways failed to carry her bag from London to Phoenix.