India, April 30 -- For the Nawab of Lucknow, the darbar (court) was held after he finished his round. It was either at the caddyshack, or the nearby chai tapri (tea stall). There was a good reason for that, one that defined Vijay Kumar as a person. Vijay would be there, one of his legs tucked under another, a glass of piping hot tea in his hand, and lording over his audience with easy elegance. He would smile throughout, talk sparingly, and listen to everyone around. The story goes: towards the middle of the 1990s, a popular golf club in the country "allowed" some of the top "caddy-turned-professional" players to enter the clubhouse. But there was a caveat. The club also posted the names of these "top caddie players" who were permitted. Of course, all the "gentleman pros" did not face any restrictions. Vijay saw this, and then, in his usual understated way, he thanked the members and told them that until every "caddy-turned-pro" was permitted the use of the clubhouse, he'd rather have his tea and chew his guthka in the comfort of the caddyshack. So, who really was Vijay Kumar, a doyen of Indian golf who passed away following a cardiac arrest at home on Tuesday at the age of 57? Golfers who grew up in India around the turn of the century, have immense respect for the man. In his prime, Vijay won nearly a hundred titles on the domestic tour (no proper records exist before 1997), and four Order of Merit titles between 1996 and 2002. The crowning moment of his career was the stunning win at the 2002 Indian Open, making him one of a handful of players with international wins. Vijay was born in a small village called Martinpurwa, sandwiched between Lucknow's most respected educational institute La Martinere, and Lucknow Golf Club. It supplied all the caddies and forecaddies to the club. Vijay too started as a caddy, shadow-practiced and played in the village with a club made of a branch. He became so good at the sport that the whole village started playing golf. PGTI is planning to honour Vijay by naming a tournament after him and hosting it at Lucknow Golf Club. It could be as early as June this year when the Tour goes to Lucknow for a NexGen (feeder) Tour event. Like many players from his generation, Vijay was never coached. "You look at these (self-taught) players of the time, and they will be excellent in one aspect of the game," reminisces Brandon de Souza, who played with Vijay during the late 1980s. Vijay Kumar is survived by his wife and three sons....