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 continues domination in round three, leads by seven; Patna lad Aman jumps to T17

Md Siddikur Rahman

Chittagong, March 31, 2017: Md Siddikur Rahman, Bangladesh’s leading golfer, continued his domination at the City Bank American Express Chittagong Open thanks to a fiery five-under-67 in round threeon Friday. Siddikur thus increased his lead from six to seven shots at the Bhatiary Golf & Country Club as his total stood at 14-under-202.

Sri Lankan Anura Rohana (68) occupied second place at seven-under-209 while the Indian trio of Khalin Joshi (69), Sanjeev Kumar (69) and Shamim Khan (69) were in joint third place at six-under-210.

Local favourite Siddikur (69-66-67), leading by six at the halfway stage, capitalized on the advantage with a sizzling 67 in the third round. The 32-year-old began the day with a bogey on the first but soon came roaring back with a terrific tee shot on the par-3 second where he landed it within a foot for a tap-in birdie.

The two-time Asian Tour winner added three more birdies on the front-nine thanks to some exquisite chipping. He chipped-in on the sixth and made up and down from the bunker on the fifth and eighth for his three birdies.

Siddikur went on to make his second birdie chip-in of the day on the 10th before adding three more birdies on the next eight holes at the expense of two bogeys.

  

Siddikur said, “I was really pleased with my ball-striking and chipping today. I’ve made three chip-in birdies so far this week including two in the third round. I also made some top-class chip-putts today. However, the highlight of my round was the tee shot on the second that stopped just a foot from the pin.

“The BGCC course is playing tough due to the windy conditions and I don’t feel that I have the advantage of local knowledge here since I’m playing at this magnificent venue after almost 16 years. The aim in the final round will be to play according to the situation by not getting too ahead of myself. I’ll follow my usual routine and not think too much about the scores,” added Rahman, who had produced the tournament’s lowest score of 66 during the second round.

Anura Rohana, who was overnight tied second, made an eagle, three birdies and a bogey en route his second round of 68, to end the day in sole second position at seven-under-209.

Khalin Joshi, Sanjeev Kumar and Shamim Khan, all of whom were also tied second at the halfway stage, slipped to tied third on Friday with matching scores of 69. Their total moved to six-under-210.

Md Zamal Hossain Mollah (77-71-69) was the second Bangladeshi player in the top-10. He was placed tied 10th at one-over-217 at the end of the penultimate round.

Patna's Aman Raj played at par to be placed tied 17 along with four others. Aman's score in the last three days were 74, 74, 72-4 over 220.

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

Indian youngsters Samarth Dwivedi, Honey Baisoya share first round lead

 Honey Baisoya 

Samarth Dwivedi

Chittagong, March 29, 2017: Indian youngsters Samarth Dwivedi and Honey Baisoya shot scores of four-under-68 to share the first round lead at the inaugural City Bank American Express Chittagong Open as the PGTI made its debut at the pristine Bhatiary Golf & Country Club.

Bangladesh’s leading golfer Md Siddikur Rahman was one stroke behind in tied third along with Sri Lankan Anura Rohana and five Indians Anil Bajrang Mane, Harendra Gupta, Naman Dawar, Shankar Das and PGTI Order of Merit leader Shamim Khan.

Samarth Dwivedi, playing only his second season as a professional, got off to a disastrous start with bogeys on the first two holes where he missed chip-putts. The 24-year-old from Allahabad then regained his confidence with a 10-feet birdie conversion on the seventh.

Samarth followed up his first birdie with two more on the eighth and 10th, driving the green on the latter. Dwivedi then made some crucial par putts on the back-nine before his final flourish that saw him make birdies on the 16th, 17th and 18th.

Samarth said, “I’ve not had the ideal start to the season having missed the cut in three out of four events so far. But I feel I’m now driving better with my new driver which I began using last week. The new driver has added about 15 to 20 yards distance on my drives.

“I had a poor start today but the birdie on the seventh got my round going. I struggled with my hitting on the back-nine till the 16th but stayed on course with some good par saves from about six feet. I then struck it well on the last three holes and landed it within three feet on two occasions. That helped me end the day on a high.

“One needs to have confidence with the driver here since it’s a tight course. The greens are smaller in size than usual and reading the lines will be tricky. Whoever putts the best will win here.”

Honey Baisoya, the winner of the season’s opening event in Noida, also had a terrific start to the week. Delhi-based Baisoya mixed eight birdies with four bogeys to share the lead with Dwivedi.

Honey, a three-time winner on the PGTI, said, “It’s a good start considering we’re all playing here for the first time. I’m now looking to carry forward the momentum that was built after my win earlier this year. The aim is to be consistent this season.”

Mumbai’s premier golfer Anil Bajrang Mane, who enjoyed one of his best seasons on the PGTI last year thanks to a 40th place finish in the Order of Merit, sparkled with a 69 in round one. Armed with a new putter, Mane made some long conversions to end the first day in a strong position.

Local favourite Siddikur Rahman produced four birdies and a bogey to also take a share of third place.

Md Ripon was the next best Bangladeshi golfer in tied 10th with a score of 70. His round featured an eagle-two on the 10th, three birdies and three bogeys.

Among the other prominent names, Indians Khalin Joshi (71) and Udayan Mane (74) occupied tied 13th place and tied 41st place respectively. Md Zamal Hossain Mollah of Bangladesh fired a 77 to be tied 65th.

PGTI release

PGTI to make debut in Chittagong with Rs 40 lakh tourney

Chittagong, March 28, 2017: The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), the official sanctioning body of professional golf in India, makes its debut in the city of Chittagong with the staging of the inaugural City Bank American Express Chittagong Open.

The tournament, PGTI’s second in Bangladesh this year, will be held at the magnificent Bhatiary Golf & Country Club (BGCC) from March 29 – April 1, 2017, and will carry a prize purse of INR 40 lakhs.

The tournament is co-sanctioned by PGTI and Bangladesh Professional Golfers Association (BPGA) and approved by Bangladesh Golf Federation (BGF).

The tournament is set to feature some of the top names of the South Asian region. The Indian challenge will be led by the likes of Shamim Khan (PGTI Order of Merit leader), Shankar Das, Honey Baisoya, Udayan Mane, Khalin Joshi and Feroz Ali Mollah, to name a few.

The Bangladeshi duo of Md Siddikur Rahman and Md Zamal Hossain Mollah will lead the charge for the host nation while Sri Lanka will also be well-represented by the likes of Mithun Perera, N Thangaraja and Anura Rohana.

  

This is a 72-hole stroke-play tournament featuring a field of 126 players where the cut will be applied after the first 36 holes. The top 50 players and ties will make the halfway cut and continue to play for another 36 holes.

  

Lt. Col. Md Ikramul Yasin (Retd), CEO, Bhatiary Golf & Country Club (BGCC), said, “On behalf of the President and all members of Bhatiary Golf and Country Club, I thank BPGA and PGTI for co-sanctioning the tournament. We also thank all the officials of BGCC, BPGA, PGTI and RIZ Events for their untiring efforts to make this event happen. We congratulate all participants of this tournament and wish all success for this event.”

  

Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, said, “The inaugural Chittagong Open marks a new chapter in Indo-Bangladesh golfing ties. The tournament is a result of the joint vision of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) and the Bangladesh Professional Golfers Association (BPGA) to take professional golf to the next level in the South Asian region. PGTI members are excited about playing at the magnificent Bhatiary Golf & Country Club for the first time as the tour makes its debut in the historic city of Chittagong. We are confident that PGTI and BPGA will continue to work together to further strengthen the golfing partnership between India and Bangladesh.”

PGTI release