Jamie Troughton/dscribe.co.nz
Thomas lines up a putt during last year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Royal Wellington G.C. in the New Zealand capital.

By Kent Gray
Range work. Revision. Repeat. The next month will feel like Groundhog Day for Rayhan Thomas but the Indian teen is happily in the zone, making the most of a rare gap in the calendar to prep for his next big school and amateur golf examinations.

Thomas is counting down to the 10th Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy in Qatar next month so if he’s not catching up on his studies ahead of a critical Year 11 exam later this month, he’s working on “tidying up” his game in readiness to represent Asia-Pacific in the biennial Ryder Cup-style matches against Europe.

The 18-year-old MENA Tour product wasn’t happy to miss the cut at last month’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic, rounds of 73-77 leaving former Open champion Darren Clarke the only player (albeit a major champ) between Thomas and the foot of the 132-player leaderboard.

A holiday visiting family back in Kerala over Christmas/New Years was wonderful and so too is hindsight. With the beauty of some of the latter, Thomas knows he wasn’t ready for the historically low scoring during the Desert Classic.

Related: Practice round with Rory at Desert Classic was “off the wall”

“I didn’t have enough preparation time before the Desert Classic but there’s no excuses, I should have been ready,” said the Dubai Creek member, speaking with a self-awareness that belies his tender years.  “I wasn’t happy with my ball striking or my touch and feel around the greens, the whole lot.”

If he doesn’t have his nose in text books, you’ll find Thomas on the range, often under the watchful guidance of Butch Harmon School of Golf Dubai Director of Instruction Justin Parsons, determinedly putting things right.

“I’ve always had a pretty shut [club]face at the top and been a bit across the line which is okay if my timing is on, but when it’s not, my misses a wide,” the world No.18 said. “So I’m working on trying to get a little bit more out in front and hopefully my misses will be a lot smaller.”

Europe leads the Bonallack Trophy 7-2 ahead of the 10th matches at Doha Golf Club from March 8-10. Selection is another huge accomplishment for Thomas given the competition’s alumnae, major champions Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Danny Willett and Geoff Ogilvy among the big names. World No.2 Jon Rahm and Ryder Cuppers Chris Wood and Nicolas Colsaerts are other former European reps while Thomas will follow decorated countryman Shiv Kapur and Japan’s world No.6 Hideki Matsuyama in representing Asia-Pacific.

Rory McIlroy, Joost Luiten, Oliver Fisher and Richie Ramsay helped Europe to a 18-14 win at the 2006 Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy at Auckland G.C. in New Zealand. Sandra Mu/Getty Images

After the Bonallack Trophy, Thomas will return to the Sage Valley Junior Invitational near Augusta in April and is also eyeing another tilt at The [British] Amateur Championship at Royal Aberdeen and Murcar Links in June. He missed the cut last year – and thus the matchplay stages of the 122nd Amateur at Prince’s and Royal St George’s – by a solitary stroke.

Thomas has his final Year 11 exam in between the U.S. and Scotland and needs to keep up his grade averages over the next year ahead of joining Oklahoma State University, one of the most decorated schools in collegiate golf who count Rickie Fowler among their former stars.

Related: Ray’s a Cowboy and Rickie Fowler’s delighted!

Thomas might have a full year of correspondence school left before his U.S. odyssey but it doesn’t stop him talking like a proud Cowboy already.

“Oklahoma just won a big event in Hawaii, it was by 12 or 14 strokes we won by and it was a big event. We’ve got a fantastic roster and a great coach as well. I can’t wait.”