In the ever-growing world of Indian golf, it’s not common to find someone who knows the game inside and out while also understanding the law. Malavika Mishkita has managed to do this, she is a practising lawyer and a certified rules official, achieving both before many people even start to settle into one career.

Recently, she joined the respected R&A Rules Scholarship Programme, and Malavika represents a new generation of Indian golf officials: young, determined, and thinking on a global scale.

Her golf journey didn’t begin with big career dreams; instead, it started from a personal desire for peace and enjoyment.

“When I was around 10 years old, I started to feel the need to play an individual sport outside school,” she recalls. “So I decided to try my hand at golf when my family became members at Willingdon Sports Club, Mumbai — and it just clicked.”

Willingdon became a safe space for her and eventually a platform to showcase her skills, where she played as a junior and was awarded Ladies Golfer of the Year for four consecutive years. However, her path didn’t follow the usual route of an aspiring professional golfer. Instead, it led her to become a young official who cares about fairness, rules, and organisation.

While she was growing in golf, Malavika also studied law, two paths that might seem unrelated at first. But for her, these two areas work well together.

“Golf rules are very procedural, much like our laws. I’ve always joked that studying for the Rules Official Exams was a lot like studying for my Civil Procedure Code exam,” she says “You must pick out specific words like ‘may’ and ‘must,’ so that you can give a proper ruling.”

Her training in law has helped her develop a keen attention to detail — a vital skill when interpreting rules during important tournaments. Most of her legal work involves paperwork, and she has found a way to balance her time between the courtroom and the golf course.

“As an advocate, most of my work is drafting, so luckily, that can be done from anywhere. COVID also changed many things now that a lot of your work can be done online or through VC, which allows me to travel for tournaments and be able to balance other work.”

Now that she has her TARS certification and is part of the R&A scholarship program, Malavika is focused on her future goals, which centre around expanding the game of golf in her home country.

“I aim to officiate at prestigious golf tournaments worldwide and contribute to ensuring the integrity and fairness of the game.

I also want to help impart rules knowledge in India and hopefully help other people who aspire to be Rules Officials.”

Her talent was noticed early on by Mr. Shyam Sunder, Director of Technical, Rules & Amateur Status, IGU, someone who recognised her unique potential right from their first meeting.

“I met Malavika for the first time at the Level One Rules School in Mumbai in 2024. Within the first couple of hours, I realised that I am looking at a potential that would take an Indian rules official to the global stage.

At Noida in the Level Two school, she appeared very confident and topped our evaluation on all fronts.

It’s a proud moment for IGU to get one of our rules officials into the R&A Rules Scholar Programme.”

For Indian golf, her story means more than a personal achievement. It shows what can happen when good structure combines with passion, and knowledge meets instinct.

With Malavika at the forefront, the future of golf officiating in India looks not just bright, but also at a world-class level.