Rookie Angad Cheema bags maiden professional title

Jaipur, May 30, 2013: Rookie Angad Cheema of Panchkula won the second leg of the 2013 PGTI Feeder Tour at the Rambagh Golf Club in Jaipur on Thursday after he fired an even-par-70 in the third and final round. Cheema totaled five-under-205 for the tournament to bag his maiden professional title. Dehradun’s Richard Stephen Hilton was the runner-up as he finished one stroke behind the winner.

Angad Cheema (69-66-70), who was overnight second, had an ordinary start to the day. He bogeyed the first and third holes after a couple of poor shots. The 23-year-old Cheema picked up his first birdie of the day with an eight feet putt on the eighth. However, he stumbled with another bogey on the ninth.

Angad then produced a far better back-nine as he birdied the 10th and 15th and made a good par to win on the 18th. Cheema, a winner of three events on the amateur circuit, landed his approach shots within five feet and two feet for birdies on the 10th and 15th respectively.

Cheema said, “The turning point for me was the birdie on the 15th as that gave me a two shot lead. I also made a good chip-putt for par to win on the 18th. My putting was much better as compared to last week’s event in Faridabad where I missed the cut. After the poor performance in Faridabad, I came to Jaipur just to prove to myself that I can play much better golf. I wanted to get in the right frame of mind before the season’s bigger events.

“I knew I would do well at the Rambagh Golf Club as I had won a team event at this venue during my amateur days. It’s great to win my first title within five months of turning professional. This victory is of huge significance to me.”

Angad Cheema is now placed second on the PGTI Feeder Tour Order of Merit behind Arjun Singh Chaudhri who won the first leg of the season at Faridabad last week.

Richard Stephen Hilton (68-69-69) was the runner-up with a four-under-206 total. The 25-year-old Richard made four birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey in his final round of one-under-69. Hilton, playing in his second season as a professional, posted the best ever result of his professional career after he finished second at Jaipur.

Overnight leader Honey Baisoya of Delhi secured tied third place along with Amardeep Rawat of Lucknow at three-under-207. Baisoya shot a three-over-73 in the final round.

Vishal Singh of Jaipur and Chandigarh’s Roop Singh were in tied fifth place at one-under-209.

Photo caption: Angad Cheema (3rd from left) receives the winner's cheque from Mr. Vikram Singh, Captain, Rambagh Golf Club (extreme left), Mr. Yogendra S Shekhawat, Hony. Secretary, Rambagh Golf Club (2nd from left) and Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, Director, PGTI (extreme right).