India, April 30 -- For the Nawab of Lucknow, the darbar was held after he finished his round. It was either at the caddyshack, or the nearby chai tapri. 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. 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 and Lucknow Golf Club. Vijay 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....