Honey Baisoya in the driver’s seat with a seven-shot lead; Aman Raj slips to T11

Noida, September 21, 2017: Delhi’s Honey Baisoya was in the driver’s seat after round three of the PGTI Players Championship at Noida Golf Course as he pulled ahead by a substantial seven shots courtesy a fiery six-under-66 on Thursday. Baisoya, who totaled 15-under-201 for three days, is now well-placed for a successful title defence at the Rs. 30 lakh event.

Bengaluru’s C Muniyappa (68) and Noida’s Vikrant Chopra (69) were a distant tied second at eight-under-208.

Honey Baisoya (66-69-66), the runner-up last week in Jaipur and the overnight leader by one shot, will now be the firm favourite for the title come Friday. Baisoya, looking for his second win of the year, had a blazing start in the third round with three birdies on the first six holes which gave him a handy lead early in the day.

The 21-year-old Baisoya’s bogey on the seventh was negated by three more birdies on the ninth, 10^th and 13^th as he sank almost everything that came his way. Honey bogeyed the 15^th against the run of play but ended the round on a high with birdies on the 17^th and 18^th, making a 15-feet conversion on the latter.

Baisoya, who fired a record 19 eagles on the PGTI last season, said, “I’m quite happy with my current position. I have the self belief since I won at this venue earlier this year.

“My best birdies today came on the sixth and 18^th. I was on the cart path on the sixth and didn’t have a clear shot at the green, but still managed to hit it within ten feet of the flag. The final birdie from 15 feet on the 18^th further lifted my spirits. I also made a great par save after landing it on the bunker lip on the third.

“I’m quite satisfied about the fact that I’ve been extremely consistent in the second half of the season so far having posted top-6 finishes in the last three events. I’ve been playing with my natural aggressive attitude and that has only helped me grow in confidence,” added Baisoya, who is currently placed sixth on the PGTI Order of Merit.

C Muniyappa’s (69-71-68) third round 68 propelled him from overnight tied ninth to tied second place. Muniyappa used his wedges to great effect setting up a tap-in birdie on the 14^th and thereafter recovering from the bunker on the 18^th to land it within six feet for par.

Local lad Vikrant Chopra (69-70-69) emerged as a contender for the second week running after a timely 69 that moved him up three places from overnight tied fifth. Chopra set up four feet birdie putts on three occasions thanks to some brilliant chipping.

Delhi’s Sachin Baisoya occupied fourth place at seven-under-209.

Gaurav Pratap Singh of Noida shared fifth place at six-under-210 along with Bengaluru’s Udayan Mane, Chandigarh’s Abhijit Singh Chadha and Gurgaon’s Shivendra Singh Sisodia.

Today was a bad day for Aman Raj as he shot 4 over 76 to be placed tied 11 with an aggregate of 4 under 212. The Patna lad was on the lead on the first day of the championships with 7 under 65.

Defending champ Honey Baisoya moves ahead in round two; Patna's AmanRaj slips to 2nd

Honey Baisoya

Noida, September 20, 2017: Delhi’s Honey Baisoya, the defending champion, posted a solid three-under-69 to establish a one-shot lead in round two of the PGTI Players Championship at Noida Golf Course. Baisoya’s total read nine-under-135 at the halfway stage of the Rs. 30 lakh event.

Round one leader Aman Raj (71) of Patna slipped to second place at eight-under-136.

The cut fell at three-over-147. Fifty-seven professionals made the cut.

Honey Baisoya (66-69) shot a 69 that helped him move up from overnight tied second to first place. Baisoya displayed the kind of form that saw him win at the Noida Golf Course earlier this year.

Honey, a three-time winner on the PGTI, dropped bogeys on the 11^th and 13^th, before rallying with consecutive birdies on the 14^th, 15^th and 16^th where he came up with some outstanding wedge shots. The 21-year-old Baisoya, who made the turn at even-par after a bogey on the 18^th, produced a flawless front-nine, adding three more birdies to his card to end up with an imposing nine-under.  

Baisoya said, “I’ve done pretty well with 13 birdies in the tournament so far. This is not an easy course to score low once the wind comes into play as it did today. Importantly, I’ve been striking it really well and have been aggressive on the first two days.

“I recovered extremely well today despite the early setbacks. I’m now looking at scoring 11-under over the next two days to take my total to 20-under which should be good enough for the title,” added Honey whose 69 was the day’s joint best score.

Aman Raj (65-71) too had a slow start like Baisoya as he dropped a couple of strokes on the first five holes. Aman was thereafter denied birdies as his putts lipped out on multiple occasions. But the former 2016 Emerging Player of the Year turned it around with a chip-in birdie on the seventh. That was followed by two more birdies on the eighth and ninth.

Aman Raj said, “I was striving for a birdie all day but when I saw my chip roll in on the seventh it gave me a lot of satisfaction and confidence. I knew I was still in the game at that stage. I fought my way back into the match thereafter. The approach on the ninth was special as it landed three feet from the pin and led to another birdie.

“I’ll need to grind it out from here on and just repeat what I did in the first two rounds.”

Bengaluru’s Udayan Mane kept himself in contention as he closed the second round in third place at seven-under-137. Gurgaon’s Shivendra Singh Sisodia was another shot back in fourth.

Vikrant Chopra was the highest-placed among the Noida golfers. He was tied fifth at five-under-139.

Noida golfers Amardip Sinh Malik (three-under-141) and Gaurav Pratap Singh (two-under-142) were placed tied 13^th and tied 17^th respectively.

Among the other Noida golfers who made the cut, were Dipankar Kaushal (tied 20^th at one-under-143), Rahul Bajaj (tied 29^th at even-par-144), Arjun Singh Chaudhri, Raju Singh and Vikram Rana (all in tied 47^that three-over-147).

Press release

Patna's Aman Raj blasts 7 under 65 to take lead at Noida

Aman Raj of Patna

Noida, September 19, 2017: Patna’s Aman Raj came up with a terrific seven-under-65 to take the lead in round one of the PGTI Players Championship at Noida Golf Course.

Delhi’s Honey Baisoya and Gurgaon-based Shivendra Singh Sisodia occupied tied second at six-under-66.

Aman Raj took the early advantage at the Noida Golf Course on Tuesday thanks to a round that featured an outstanding nine birdies against two bogeys. Aman’s hot putter ensured he was quick off the blocks as he sank some long putts to move to five-under through eight holes.

The 22-year-old, playing his second season as a professional, bogeyed the ninth but came back stronger with four more birdies on the back-nine where he landed his chip shots within a couple of feet on two occasions. The 2016 Emerging Player of the Year dropped a stroke on the 18^th to end the day with a seven-under.

Aman said, “I shot an eight-under in the final round of the Jaipur event last week that helped me finish in the top-10. I feel I’ve carried forward the form and confidence from there.

“I struck it well today and didn’t miss many greens. Whenever I missed the green, I recovered with some good chips. I capitalized on all four par-5s today with birdies. I believe hitting fairways will be crucial this week as the fairways are pretty narrow here. My target score for the week will be anything above 15-under. That will give me a good chance to bag my first title.

“The first half of the 2017 season was good, but the second half has not been up to my expectations so far. However, I feel my game is coming back and I just need to keep grinding from here on,” added Aman, who is currently in 13^th position on the PGTI Order of Merit.

Defending champion Honey Baisoya, who finished runner-up last week in Jaipur, continued to impress with seven birdies and a bogey in the opening round at Noida. Baisoya, a winner of three events, including one this year, made some brilliant recoveries from the bunker and the rough on at least three occasions to salvage birdies.

Shivendra Singh Sisodia also had seven birdies and a bogey to show on his card. Sisodia was two-under at the turn but his round took off after his birdie chip-in on the 12^th. He collected three more birdies thereafter to end the day with a solid 66.

Local lad Amardip Sinh Malik was the highest-placed among the Noida golfers. He shot a 68 to be tied for fourth along with Mukesh Kumar of Mhow, Bengaluru’s Udayan Mane and Delhi-based Himmat Singh Rai.

Among the nine golfers bunched in tied eighth at 69 was Noida’s Vikrant Chopra.

PGTI release

Anura Rohana’s 67 catapults him to joint first with Harendra; Patna's Aman Raj at T6

Anura Rohana of Sri Lanka

Kochi, April 14, 2017: While overnight leader Harendra Gupta of Chandigarh hung on to the lead with a quiet 72 on day three, he was joined at the top by Sri Lankan Anura Rohana who carded a splendid 67 that catapulted him four places from his overnight tied fifth position. The duo was two shots clear of the rest at nine-under-207.

The chasing pack featured Delhi’s Honey Baisoya, who followed up his second round 67 with an equally impressive 68 on Friday, and Mukesh Kumar of Mhow, the 2015 champion, who returned a 71 in round three. Baisoya and Mukesh shared third place at seven-under-209.

The seasoned Anura Rohana (70-70-67), lying tied fifth at the halfway stage, bridged the gap of five shots between himself and the leader with his awesome five-under-67 in the third round. The 43-year-old from Colombo, keen to end his two and a half year title drought, made some long birdie conversions on the fifth and sixth which were neutralized by bogeys on the seventh and ninth.  

However, his round took flight on the back-nine. Anura first birdied the 10th from 10 feet and then followed that up with an incredible run of birdies on the last four holes. He struck it well on the 15th and 16th, to pick up strokes on both the par-5s and move to three-under for the day. The three-time winner on the PGTI finally ended the day in a blaze of glory with two more birdie conversions from eight to 10 feet on the 17th and 18th.

Rohana said, “The low score came just at the right time for me. I’ve been feeling good about my putting since the event in Chittagong earlier this month where I finished in the top-5. Today I converted five birdie putts from a range of eight to 15 feet. My approach shots were also quite accurate. I kept landing them close to set up birdie putts.

“I hold the record for the lowest score at this course, an eight-under-64, which I shot during the 2015 PGTI Cochin Masters. I’ve had that at the back of my mind all week. I know I can shoot low scores here and that has been encouraging me to play well.

“I kept missing birdie putts from within 10 feet from the 11th to the 14th but I didn’t let that affect me as I came back well with a fantastic run of four successive birdies at the end. It’s now going to be a fascinating contest with Harendra who came from behind to beat me in Pune exactly one year back.”  

Harendra Gupta (70-65-72) was looking good when he moved to two-under for the day after a brilliant bunker shot on the sixth that left him a tap-in birdie. But a wrong club selection that resulted in a bogey on the seventh changed the course of his round. Gupta, the overnight leader by three, could not conjure any more birdies from there on. In fact, he went on to drop another shot on the 14th.

     

Harendra said, “My driving and tee shots were not as good compared to the second round. I found the hazard a couple of times today. I feel the bogey on the seventh took away the momentum from me as I kept thinking about it through the round.

“However, I’m still very much in contention and a score of four to five-under in the final round would give me a good chance of winning.”

Three-time winner Honey Baisoya produced a flawless 68 to move up from overnight 11th to tied third. He was joined by veteran Mukesh Kumar in joint third. Mukesh had four birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey during his round of 71 on Friday.

Delhi-based Shivendra Singh Sisodia (73) was in fifth place at five-under-211.

Rookie golfer Tapendra Ghai of Gurgaon produced the day’s best score of five-under-66 to be placed tied ninth at two-under-214.

Defending champion Feroz Ali Mollah (73) of Kolkata closed round three in tied 23rdplace at one-over-217.

The third day of the tournament was not so good for Patna's Aman Raj as he scored one over 73 to be placed joint sixth along with Raju Ali Mollar and Om Prakash Chouhan. Raj's total score was 3 under 213.

Harendra Gupta rises to the top with sublime 65; Patna's Aman Raj placed T5

Harendra Gupta continues to lead

Kochi, April 13, 2017: Chandigarh’s Harendra Gupta continued to build on his terrific start to the 2017 PGTI season as he rose to the top in round two of the PGTI Cochin Masters presented by CIAL Golf Club as a result of his sublime seven-under-65, the week’s best score so far. Gupta established a three-shot lead as his total moved to nine-under-135.

Mukesh Kumar of Mhow, the 2015 champion, made his way to joint second place at six-under-138 after posting a four-under-68 on Thursday. He shared second place along with overnight joint leader Shivendra Singh Sisodia (71) of Delhi.

The cut went at four-over-148 with a total of 54 players making it to the money rounds.

  

Harendra Gupta (70-65), lying tied 10th and three off the lead after the first round, made his move on day two thanks to an incredible tally of eight birdies which came at the expense of just one bogey. Gupta, playing with new irons since the start of the season, looked in total control through the day as he made greens in regulation in 17 out of 18 holes.

Harendra, currently ranked fifth in the PGTI Order of Merit courtesy his four top-10s in the first five events of the season, scored on the two par-3s on the back-nine with some outstanding tee shots that left him birdie putts within a range of six feet. He also picked up a shot on the par-5 16th to make the turn at a promising three-under.

Gupta’s front-nine featured two 20-feet birdie conversions and a couple of excellent chip-putt birdies. The 32-year-old, a winner of nine professional titles, only missed the green on the seventh and ended up dropping his lone bogey on that hole.  

   

Harendra said, “I was not at my best last year even though I won a title in Pune. But I feel my game is now slowly coming back. I changed my irons at the start of the season and that has had a positive effect on my game. The runner-up finish in Dhaka last month gave me a further boost.

“I’m eager to do well at the CIAL Golf Club since I missed the cut here last year. My ball-striking has been exceptional on the first two days as I’ve hardly missed the greens. With the growth of trees on either side of the fairways this year, hitting maximum fairways assumes greater importance. That will be the priority in the last two rounds.”

  

The seasoned Mukesh Kumar (70-68) gained eight spots from his overnight tied 10th after a bogey-free 68 in round two. After winning in 2015, Mukesh had missed the cut at the PGTI Cochin Masters in 2016.

Mukesh said, “My hitting has helped me set up a lot of birdies since round one but my putting has been a big letdown on both days. However, I enjoy playing at this venue having won here in 2015. This round has given me the launch pad for the last two days.”

Shivendra Singh Sisodia (67-71) slipped from overnight joint first to tied second place after a 71 in round two.

Ajeetesh Sandhu of Chandigarh, another joint leader from round one, dropped to fourth place at five-under-139 following his second round of 72.

Greater Noida-based Sudhir Sharma, also part of the leading trio on day one, occupied tied fifth place at four-under-140 along with five others at the halfway stage.

Patna golfer Aman Raj was placed tied 5 along with five others with 4 under 140. On day two of the tournament, he carded 2 under 70.

      

Defending champion Feroz Ali Mollah (69-75) of Kolkata was in tied 16th place at even-par-144.

Asian Tour regular Rahil Gangjee of Bengaluru was placed tied 36th at three-over-147.

All the three local professionals in the field, M Anand (10-over-154), Madesh K (17-over-161) and Vivek V S (20-over-164), missed the cut.

PGTI release

Ajeetesh, Shivendra, Sudhir leading trio in round one; Patna's Aman Raj at T10

Ajeetesh Sandhu

Kochi, April 12, 2017: Chandigarh’s Ajeetesh Sandhu, Delhi’s Shivendra Singh Sisodia and Sudhir Sharma of Greater Noida took the opening day honours at the PGTI Cochin Masters presented by CIAL Golf Club 2017. The trio shot scores of five-under-67 to lead by two strokes.

Defending champion Feroz Ali Mollah fired a three-under-69 to be placed tied fourth along with Om Prakash Chouhan, M Dharma, Amardip Sinh Malik, Deepinder Singh Kullar and Dipankar Kaushal.

   

Ajeetesh Sandhu, currently second in the PGTI Order of Merit, carried forward the momentum from the season’s previous events with a flawless 67. Sandhu, who has one win and two other top-5s in his four starts so far this season, picked up his first shot of the week with a 20-feet conversion on the fourth. The 28-year-old added four more birdies to his card thanks to two 10-feet conversions and a couple of quality chip-putts.

Ajeetesh, who also has a partial card on the Japan Golf Tour this year, said, “It’s been a great first half for me on the PGTI so far. I also played well in my first event on the Japan Golf Tour last week. I battled extremely tough weather conditions at the tournament played near Osaka in Japan. It was cold, windy and it rained. But I did well to make the cut and finish 50th.

“The conditions in Kochi this week are exactly the opposite of what I encountered last week. In that sense, I think I’ve made a pretty good start. The CIAL Golf Club is playing better and tougher than ever before. The fairways and greens are softer this time around and the course is playing to its true yardage. The trees have grown now and there is greater risk on missing the fairways.

“A couple of good weeks on the PGTI would give me the much-needed boost before I return to Japan for a string of events beginning in June.”

Shivendra Singh Sisodia was part of the first round joint lead at the CIAL Golf Club for the second year running. Sisodia, playing at one of his favourite courses, began with three birdies on the first four holes. He dropped a stroke on the fifth but rallied with three more birdies on the back nine.

Sisodia said, “I had started the week with a four-under last year and this year too I’ve had a solid start. I really like the layout here. I feel long and narrow courses such as this one give me the freedom to hit it long as driving has always been my strength.

“I was quite accurate with the irons today having landed it within three feet of the pin on five occasions. That helped set up a lot of birdies for me. I played my first full season on the PGTI last year and had a decent 39th place finish in the Order of Merit. This year the aim is to improve on my position in the money list and win an event. Hopefully, I can build on this start and post a top finish this week.”

Sudhir Sharma, like Sisodia, also produced six birdies and a bogey on day one, to take a share of the lead. Sudhir’s round featured two birdie conversions from 20 to 25 feet and a missed eagle opportunity from five feet on the 16th.

“My fourth place finish at Kochi last year is my best result on the PGTI till date. So I’m quite confident playing at this venue. I drove well today, hitting 13 out of 14 fairways. I’m working on my returning to my old swing after a year’s gap and things are beginning to fall in place for me now,” said Sudhir.

M Anand was the highest-placed among the three local professionals in the field. He shot a 79 to be tied 102nd. The other two Kochi-based professionals, Vivek V S (81) and Madesh K (85) occupied tied 115th place and tied 122nd place respectively.

Patna lad Aman Raj struck 2 under 70 to finish the day tied 10 along with 7 other players.

Siddikur Rahman wins inaugural Chittagong Open; Bihar's Aman finishes T18

Chittagong, Bangladesh, April 1, 2017: Bangladeshi golfing icon Md Siddikur Rahman lived up to the expectations of the home crowd that turned up to cheer him at the Bhatiary Golf & Country Club (BGCC) in Chittagong as he registered an imposing six-shot victory at the inaugural City Bank American Express Chittagong Open on Saturday.

Siddikur shot a clinical two-under-70 in the final round to keep the trophy in the host nation of Bangladesh. He ended the Rs. 40 lakh event with a remarkable 16-under-272 total.

India’s Sanjeev Kumar finished runner-up at 10-under-278 after his impressive final round of four-under-68. It turned out to be the Lucknow golfer’s career-best finish.

Siddikur (69-66-67-70), the overnight leader by seven strokes, drove home the advantage on the final day with considerable ease as none of the other golfers posed any threat to his lead. As a result Siddikur bagged his sixth title on the PGTI. It was also his first win on the tour since his triumph in Dhaka exactly one year back.

The 32-year-old Rahman was three-under through 11 holes on Saturdayafter chipping-in for birdie on the fifth and also setting up tap-in birdies on the 10th and 11th with a couple of top-class chip shots. The two-time Asian Tour winner made another chip-in on the 16th, his second of the round and fifth of the week, to cruise home despite the bogeys on the 12th and 17th.

“My chipping was the best aspect of my game this week. I made five chip-ins through the tournament. I didn’t leave myself too many long putts, especially on the last day. I felt I kept up the intensity through the final round and was therefore in total control.

“I was really excited and pumped up due to the massive crowd that came out to cheer for me today. It feels really nice to win another tournament in my home country Bangladesh. This will give me loads of confidence for the rest of the Asian Tour season,” said Siddikur, who is a leading celebrity in his country.

He added, “I would like to thank all the sponsors, the BPGA, the PGTI and the Bhatiary Golf & Country Club, for making this event happen. More such events in Bangladesh will help raise the level of the sport in the country.”

Sanjeev Kumar (70-71-69-68) climbed from his overnight tied third to second place courtesy his 68 in round four. Sanjeev, who struck six birdies and two bogeys on Saturday, thus finished the event as the highest-placed Indian golfer.

The 25-year-old Sanjeev’s career-best finish and second top-10 of the season also propelled him from 12th to sixth position in the PGTI Order of Merit.

Sanjeev said, “I’m delighted with this result. I’ve been playing really well since last year and the results are gradually getting better for me.”

Delhi’s Shamim Khan (70) finished third at eight-under-280. He continues to lead the PGTI Order of Merit.

Md Zamal Hossain Mollah (even-par-288) and Md Jakiruzzaman Jakir (one-over-289) were the other two Bangladeshis in the top-10 as they finished ninth and tied 10th respectively.

Bihar's Aman Raj finished tied 18 along with two others carding 4 over 292. On the last day he scored at par. His final tally was 74, 74, 72, 72. 

PGTI release

Siddikur takes control in round two with a blistering 66; Bihar's Aman Raj makes the cut in Chittagong

Md Siddikur Rahman

Chittagong, March 30, 2017: Bangladesh’s premier golfer Md Siddikur Rahman delighted the home crowd with a blistering six-under-66 in round two of the City Bank American Express Chittagong Open. Siddikur’s brilliant effort at the Bhatiary Golf & Country Club on Thursday helped him build a substantial lead of six shots at the halfway stage as his total read nine-under-135.

Indians Shamim Khan (72), Sanjeev Kumar (71), Khalin Joshi (70) and Harendra Gupta (72) were bunched together in tied second at three-under-141 along with Sri Lankan Anura Rohana (72).

The cut was declared at eight-over-152. Fifty-three professionals made the cut including 33 Indians, 17 Bangladeshis and three Sri Lankans.

Bihar's Aman Raj also made the cut with tied 22nd with 4 over 148 at the end of the second day's play. Aman shot 2 over 74 on the Day Two as was identical with his opening day's score. 

Siddikur (69-66), who was lying overnight tied third, one off the lead, came into his own on the second day thanks to a fabulous all round effort. With three straight birdies on the fifth, sixth and seventh followed by three more on the 10th, 11th and 13th, he raced to six-under for the day through the first 13 holes. The bogey on the 15th was his only blemish but he finally ended with another birdie on the 18th to stamp his authority on the second round.

Siddikur said, “I’m really enjoying playing here in Chittagong. The Bhatiary Golf & Country Club has a challenging layout and is one of my favourite courses. The City Bank American Express Bangladesh Open will go a long way in further popularizing golf in the country.

“I had a decent start in round one but really got my game going today. I struck it well and also took my chances on the greens. I have a healthy lead at the moment but won’t take anything for granted as there is a lot of golf still to be played in this tournament. I would love to do well here in front of my home crowd this week,” added the two-time Asian Tour winner.

Md Jakiruzzaman Jakir (70) was the next best Bangladeshi golfer after Siddikur. Jakir was placed seventh at two-under-142.

Round one joint leaders Samarth Dwivedi and Honey Baisoya of India, slipped to tied eighth at one-under-143 after both shot scores of 75 in round two.

Bangladeshi amateur Md Nobi Hossain made a hole-in-one on the 17th during his second round effort of 78. However, he missed the cut as his total score was 19-over-163.

PGTI release

Shamim Khan coasts to comfortable five-shot win at Kolkata Classic; Aman Raj finishes tied 28

Kolkata, March 24, 2017: With a three-shot overnight lead Delhi’s Shamim Khan was well aware that just keeping the errors out on the final day would pave the way for his victory at the Kolkata Classic 2017. That’s exactly what he did with a dogged final round of even-par-72 that earned him his first ever title at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC).

Shamim ended the Rs. 40 lakh event with a total score of 10-under-278 to bag his 13th professional title and take home the winner’s cheque worth Rs. 6 lakh. He thus climbed from fourth to first in the PGTI Order of Merit.

Reigning Indian Open champion and pre-tournament favourite SSP Chawrasia of Kolkata finished runner-up at five-under-283 after a final round of two-under-70.

Kolkata’s Shankar Das (72) claimed third place at four-under-284.

There was a marked difference in Shamim Khan’s (70-68-68-72) ball-striking on Friday. He went from hitting six out of 16 fairways in round three to 10 out of 16 in the final round. This massive improvement in his tee shots helped him coast to victory without much trouble in round four.

The 38-year-old Shamim made a confident start with an eight feet birdie conversion on the second. The pro from the Delhi Golf Club had a few anxious moments when he dropped bogeys on the sixth and seventh but his lead was intact as nearest rival Mukesh Kumar of Mhow stumbled with five straight bogeys at the same time.

Shamim, the PGTI’s all time prize money leader with over Rs. 3 crore in earnings on the tour since 2006, consolidated his lead by draining a 25-footer for birdie on the 12th and making a brilliant chip-putt for birdie on the 15th. The bogey on the 17th was a minor blip before he cantered to the title with ease.

Shamim said, “I was driving much better today and hit a lot of fairways early on as compared to round three. That gave me loads of confidence. I knew I didn’t need to do anything spectacular from there on. I just stuck to my plan of keeping it in play and that worked out well for me.

“I made a lot of good chip-putts this week that more than compensated for my poor driving in the first three rounds. I worked on my hitting yesterday and also sorted some problems with my alignment.

“I’ve always played well at the RCGC and had some top finishes here in recent years. But it feels great to finally win at one of India’s best golf courses,” added Khan, who has now displaced Chandigarh’s Ajeetesh Sandhu as the Order of Merit leader with season’s earnings of Rs. 12,49,900.

SSP Chawrasia (71-70-72-70), who began the day in tied fifth, seven off the lead, carded an eventful 70 that featured an eagle, four birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey. He therefore moved up three spots and ended the week as runner-up at his home course.

SSP, fresh from his Indian Open win two weeks back, said, “I made many mistakes through the week. I needed just one really low score and that could’ve set up the tournament for me. But all credit to Shamim. It’s not often that one wins with such a huge margin at the RCGC.”

Shankar Das, another local professional, posted a final round of 72 to end up in third, one stroke behind Chawrasia.

Mukesh Kumar, who was overnight second and three off the lead, slipped to tied fourth at three-under-285 on Friday after a forgettable 76 that saw him drop six bogeys over a stretch of seven holes from the sixth to the 12th.

Chandigarh’s Sujjan Singh (71) and Om Prakash Chouhan (71) of Mhow shared fourth place with Mukesh.

Among the other prominent names, Chikkarangappa (73) was tied 12th at even-par-288 and Rashid Khan (71) was tied 15th at one-over-289.

Lucknow’s Sanjay Kumar shot the best round of the tournament, a five-under-67, to clinch tied 20th place at three-over-291.

Patna's Aman Raj was placed tied 28th along with two others with a total of 5 over 293. Aman played one over 73 on the last day. 

Caption for Prize Presentation pictures:

Shamim Khan receives the winning cheque and trophy from Mr. Yashaswi Shroff, Director, Alcove (extreme left), also seen in the picture are Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI (2nd from right) and Col. Devrishi Singhal (Retd.), CEO, RCGC (extreme right).

PGTI release

Shamim Khan surges ahead on penultimate day; Bihar's Aman at T30

Shamim Khan

Kolkata, March 23, 2017: Shamim Khan’s near-flawless short-game helped him surge ahead by three shots in the penultimate round of the Kolkata Classic 2017 even as his driving woes continued at the Rs. 40 lakh event.

The Delhi-based professional, known for his effortless golf swing, struck the day’s joint best score of four-under-68 at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) to take his total to 10-under-206. He thus moved up one spot from overnight second.

Mhow-based Mukesh Kumar, on the other hand, conceded his overnight lead and slipped to second after an even-par-72 that saw him struggle on the greens. Mukesh’s three-day total stood at seven-under-209.

Kolkata’s Shankar Das made significant gains on day three, moving up 11 places to tied third as a result of his 68 which was the joint best score of the day along with Shamim’s round.

Shankar shared the third position along with Sri Lankan Mithun Perera (70) at four-under-212 on a day that witnessed just 11 under-par rounds.

Pre-tournament favourite SSP Chawrasia of Kolkata signed a card of 72 to be tied for fifth at three-under-213 along with Sanjeev Kumar (70) of Lucknow and Noida’s Gaurav Pratap Singh (71).

Shamim Khan (70-68-68) was erratic off the tee yet again but that didn’t stop him from producing a second straight 68 that handed him a valuable three-stroke advantage.

Despite finding just six out of 14 fairways on Thursday, the 38-year-old Shamim continued his rise in the tournament with an eagle, three birdies and a bogey. The highlight of his round was the eagle on the par-5 fourth where he holed out from 110 yards. He also sank a couple of birdie putts from 20 to 25 feet.

Shamim, a winner of 12 professional titles, came up with three stupendous par-saves as well that made his round all the more special.

Shamim said, “I’ve been low on confidence because of my poor driving but my approach shots, chipping and putting have been the saving grace. I made some excellent par-saves from difficult positions today.

“I’ve never won at the RCGC before so that is a motivating factor for me this week. In the final round, the priority would be to make a steady start by hitting maximum fairways and greens. That would get my confidence going. I can then play as per the demand of the situation.

“With the experienced Mukesh, Shankar and Mithun behind me, a poor start could see my lead disappear quickly. So I have to play some conservative golf to begin with, in order to force the others to do the catching up.”

Mukesh Kumar (69-68-72) just couldn’t find the hole from short-range from the first to the fifth. He thus ended up dropping three strokes on that stretch.

However, Mukesh revived his round with some accurate hitting that led to birdies on the sixth, 10th, 15th and 16th. The 51-year-old finally conceded a three-shot lead to Shamim when he found the hazard on the 17th for a bogey against the run of play.

Mukesh said, “I wish I had made just one birdie on the first five holes. That would’ve changed the course of the day. Nonetheless, I’m happy that I fought back well from the sixth onwards.

“My ball-striking has kept me in the contest so far but I have to sink those short putts in order to have a chance in the final round. I don’t have the option of sitting back in round four, I have to play aggressively from the word go and apply pressure on Shamim.”

Shankar Das was the highest-placed local professional in tied third. He was having a quiet day with pars till the seventh, but an astounding approach on the eighth set up a tap-in birdie for him. Shankar’s round took off thereafter as he went on to add an eagle and two birdies against a lone bogey.

SSP Chawrasia made an incredible four birdies on his last five holes to card a 72 which meant he closed the day in tied fifth, seven strokes off the lead.

Among the other prominent names, Chikkarangappa (76) was tied 10th at one-under-215, Rashid Khan (71) was tied 19th at two-over-218 and PGTI Order of Merit leader Ajeetesh Sandhu (72) was tied 24th at three-over-219.

Patna'a Aman Raj was tied 30th with 4 over 220 along with three others. He shot one over 73 today.

Photo and release: PGTI

Mukesh Kumar takes the halfway lead at Kolkata Classic; Patna's Aman Raj makes the cut

Mukesh Kumar

Kolkata, March 22, 2017: The seasoned Mukesh Kumar grabbed the halfway lead at the Kolkata Classic 2017 courtesy his second round of four-under-68. The man from Mhow was ahead by one at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) as his total read seven-under-137.

Delhi’s Shamim Khan also fired a second round score of 68 to occupy second place at six-under-138. His was the only bogey-free round of the day.

Pre-tournament favourite SSP Chawrasia of Kolkata brought in a card of 70 to end the day in tied fourth at three-under-141.

The cut fell at five-over-149. Fifty-four professionals made the cut. Patna's Aman Raj also made the cut with 3 over 147. On the second day, he shot one over 73 while on the first day, he fired 2 over 74.

Mukesh Kumar (69-68) moved up two spots from overnight tied third to first as a result of his determined second round effort which saw him fire five birdies at the expense of just one bogey.

The 51-year-old Mukesh, the winner of a record 18 titles on the PGTI who finally registered his first international win last year in Delhi, began his ascent to the top with a 25-feet birdie conversion on the fourth on Wednesday.

Mukesh’s birdie on the eighth was negated by a bogey on the 10th but the oldest winner on the Asian Tour came roaring back with a trail of birdies on the 14th, 15th and 16th. He was in troubled waters on the 15th and 16th but made excellent recoveries to extract birdies on both holes.

Mukesh said, “I have two victories at the RCGC, but it’s been a while since I last won here, definitely over a decade. So I’m eager to perform well this time. I was quite pleased with the way I recovered on a couple of holes today. I was in the bunker on the 15th and in the rough on the 16th, but managed birdies on both occasions.

“I’m well placed to consolidate from here on but the experienced Shamim, Chikka and Chawrasia are likely to give me tough competition over the next two days.

“I’m now focusing on sharpening my game further ahead of the Asian Tour event in Japan next month. The conditions will be totally different in Japan so I’m planning my preparation accordingly. The emphasis is on the approach shots and putting.”

Shamim Khan (70-68) climbed from overnight tied seventh to second place after delivering the only bogey-free round of the day. Shamim sank three birdies from a range of 12 to 30 feet on Wednesday.

“My driving has been off but despite that I’ve dropped just one bogey in the tournament so far. My short-game has kept me in contention. I matched the course record of 63 in the year-ending tournament held at the RCGC last year. That is a positive memory that I’ve carried into this event,” said Shamim.

While overnight joint leader Chikkarangappa of Bengaluru slipped to third at five-under-139 after shooting a 71 on day two, local favourite SSP Chawrasia made major gains with a 70 that took him from overnight tied 18th to tied fourth at three-under-141.

Chandigarh’s Sujjan Singh (71) and Sri Lankan N Thangaraja (71) joined Chawrasia in tied fourth.

Chiragh Kumar, the round one joint leader, slipped to tied 14th at even-par-144 after his second round of 76.

Delhi’s Rashid Khan and PGTI Order of Merit leader Ajeetesh Sandhu of Chandigarh were in tied 31st place at three-over-147.

Kolkata-based rookie Viraj Madappa (eight-over-152) missed the cut.

PGTI release and photo

Patna golfer Aman to represent India in Nomura Cup

Patna, October 21, 2015: Bihar's Aman Raj is among 4-member Indian team which will participate in the Asia Pacific Amateur Golf Championship for Nomura Cup to be held at Yas Links golf Course, Abu Dhabi from October 22 to 25.

The four players were selected after a six -day trial - three days at Delhi golf club and the other three at Jaypee greens golf course (Greater Noida). After counting the best five days score top four out of eight players from the country were selected to play this prestigious event. Twenty seven countries are participating in this tournament.

Other three players are Samarth Dwivedi from UP, Rahul Ravi from Bangalore and Harimohan Singh from Noida.

Aman said, “We are together a very strong team and now it's time to get the results from all the time we have given on the range hitting thousands of golf balls and improving our fitness in the gym. The hope of our coaches, family and friends are really high .Most importantly we have to perform for the pride of our country and we will surely give our level best.”

Patna golfer Aman excels in Northern India Junior Golf Championship

Patna, October 5, 2012: Aman Raj, currently the front-runner on the IGU order of merit of junior boys, the favourite lad of Patna Golf Club and a class 12 student of  Kendriya Vidyalaya, Bailey Road, earned the second prize in Toyota IGU Northern India Junior Golf Championship (Cat-‘A’below 18 yrs) concluded at Golden Green Golf resort, Gurgaon, today.

In this IGU National categorized golf event, this was Aman’s great show off in the fray of big participation from various part of the country. Aman’s 4 round scores were 74, 73, 74 and 74 nett 295.

First day Aman played 2 over par (74)with 2 birdies on 1^st and 8^th hole and one eagle on 9^th hole and ended the top of the leader board. Second day Aman played 1 over par (73) and third day he played 2 over par (74)and  was on 2^nd position. From second day he maintained his  position and finished the same(2^nd).

Aman scored today 74(2 over par) with 5 birdies on 1st, 3^rd, 12^th, 14th and 16^th hole. He was 3 strokes behind the winner. The Winner of the tournament was Viraj Madappa. Arjun Singh got the 3^rd place.  

Aman, 17, represented India in world championship in Japan (August 1 to 5, 2012) where he finished fourth.  Recently, Aman won the Usha Karnataka Open junior golf held at Clover Green Golf Club, Banglore and was third in Toyota IGU Southern India Junior Golf Championship, held at KGA, Banglore.

Aman has been selected to represent the India at Asian Junior Golf Team Championship to be held in South Korea from October 16 to 18, 2012.