Pariya regains the advantage with day’s best 68 at McLeod Russel Tour Championship

Kolkata, December 24, 2016: Thailand’s Pariya Junhasavasdikul regained the sole lead in round three of the McLeod Russel Tour Championship 2016 after he shot the day’s best score of four-under-68 at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC). Pariya, the leading foreign player in the field, totaled 14-under-202 after the penultimate round to enjoy a two-shot lead at the Rs. 1.5 crore PGTI year-ending event.

Delhi’s Rashid Khan stayed in touch with the leader after a third round of two-under-70 to be second at 12-under-204. He thus kept his Rolex Ranking title hopes alive.

Kolkata’s SSP Chawrasia, the winner of the tournament’s inaugural edition in 2012, came up with a third round of three-under-69 to lurk in third place at nine-under-207 and remain in contention.

Rolex Ranking leader Shubhankar Sharma (70) of Panchkula was a further shot behind in fourth place. As things stand, he is still the best placed to win the Rolex Player of the Year title.

Two-time Asian Tour winner Pariya Junhasavasdikul (66-68-68), the joint second round leader, was off to an explosive start in round three courtesy a hot putter. The wire-to-wire leader birdied the first three holes with conversions from a range of 10 to 30 feet. He added another on the eighth to make the turn at four-under.

Pariya then had a quiet spell till the 14th before an excellent recovery from the bunker and a 12-feet conversion helped him pick up his fifth birdie of the day on the 15th. His only blemish was the bogey on 16 where he missed an up and down from 50 yards. The 32-year-old Pariya is now in line to become the first foreigner to win the McLeod Russel Tour Championship.

Pariya said, “I feel my performance so far is a reflection of the fact that I’ve really enjoyed myself coming to Kolkata and the RCGC for the first time. I love the atmosphere, the spectators, the people and the food here.

“I had a better start than expected and that made it easier for me later on in the round. However, the course still presented quite a few challenges as was evident from my even-par on the back-nine.

“Even a six-shot lead is not enough at this venue, so I’m not going to relax at any stage in the final round. There are a lot of big Indian names chasing me, especially Rashid Khan, so it’s not going to be easy. I just need to continue playing in the same manner.

“I enjoyed watching Rashid play today. He hit some great iron shots. We also chatted a bit during the round.”

Rashid Khan (70-64-70), who shared the lead with Pariya in round two, slipped one position to second after mixing four birdies with two bogeys on Friday. Rashid, currently fourth in the Rolex Ranking, had a 20-feet birdie conversion on the fifth but also missed out on a 20-feet par putt on the last hole that pushed him two back.

    

Rashid, a winner of two titles on the PGTI this year, said, “I have to work on my putting stroke as I missed a lot of putts which went to the right of the hole. Once you’re a little confused with your putting, it gets tough, as putting is half your game. I have to sort this out if I have to win tournaments.

“There’s a lot to play for in the final round as I have to win if I want to seal the Rolex Ranking title,” added Khan.

Kolkata’s SSP Chawrasia, lying tied third after day two, improved his position marginally as he closed the day in sole third. Local lad Chawrasia will be looking to roll back the clock to 2012 when he won the inaugural edition of the McLeod Russel Tour Championship after being four off the lead on day three.  

Panchkula’s Shubhankar Sharma closed the day in fourth at eight-under-208. As things stand at the moment, he is expected to finish on top of the Rolex Ranking, slightly ahead of Rashid Khan.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (seven-under-209), Khalin Joshi (six-under-210) and Shiv Kapur (five-under-211) occupied the fifth, sixth and seventh places respectively.

Jyoti Randhawa and rookie Aman Raj were joint 10th at three-under-213. As things stand, Patna’s Aman Raj is expected to end up with the highest earnings among the rookies and as a result win the PGTI Emerging Player of the Year title.

Jeev Milkha Singh and Mukesh Kumar were a further shot back in tied 13th.

The Kolkata duo of Rahil Gangjee (one-under-215) and Arjun Atwal (four-over-220) were tied 16th and tied 38th respectively.

Reigning Rolex Ranking champion Chikkarangappa, also the defending champion of the event, was placed tied 35th at three-over-219.

PGTI release

Rashid Khan shoots a scorching eight-under-64, storms into joint lead with Pariya

Rashid Khan

Kolkata, December 23, 2016: Two-time Asian Tour winner Rashid Khan’s Rolex Ranking title hopes were raised when he returned a scorching eight-under-64 at the McLeod Russel Tour Championship 2016 on Friday. He thus stormed into the joint second round lead along with Thailand’s Pariya Junhasavasdikulat the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC).

Delhi lad Rashid and Pariya, who shot a four-under-68, opened up a four-shot lead at the top with their total scores reading 10-under-134.

Chandigarh’s Ranjit Singh sank the second hole-in-one of the tournament during his second round of 70. Ranjit shared third place along with local favourite SSP Chawrasia (68), Rolex Ranking leader Shubhankar Sharma (68) of Panchkula and Noida’s Amardip Sinh Malik (70) at six-under-138.

Rashid Khan (70-64), tied seventh and four off the lead after round one, found his way to the top of the pack with an error-free 64 that featured an eagle and six birdies. Rashid, who is currently fourth in the Rolex Ranking, has now received a shot in the arm for his aspiration to be the PGTI No. 1.

Khan made early inroads on Friday, sinking an eagle and two birdies on the first five holes. He drained a 20-feet eagle putt on the par-5 fourth.

Rashid, a double winner on the PGTI this year, carried on the good work on the back-nine by adding four more birdies to his card. He landed it within a foot on the 12th, sank a 35-footer on the next and also capitalized with a birdie on the second par-5, the 15th.

Rashid, who ended up one short of his 2014 course record of 63, said, “I was quite confident coming into this event as I had a runner-up finish last week in Jamshedpur. This round is a good boost for my Order of Merit chances.

“I had a really good start today, unlike round one, and that made a huge difference. Importantly, I capitalized on both the par-5s on this course by making an eagle on one and birdie on the other. I’m quite at home at this course as I hold the joint course record here. So that will definitely be at the back of my mind in the next two rounds.

“This season I’ve struggled with some injuries thereby playing fewer events on the both the Asian Tour and the PGTI. But I feel the game is getting better each week. It’ll be fun playing alongside Pariya tomorrow as both of us have played together many times on the Asian Tour before.”

Round one leader Pariya Junhasavasdikul (66-68) shared the second round lead with Rashid after a clinical 68 that included five birdies and a bogey. Pariya was one-under through the front-nine and then made a move on the back-nine with three long birdie conversions. His 25-footer for birdie on the last hole helped him end the day in the joint lead along with Rashid.

Pariya, said, “I’m hanging in there. I had a better back-nine thanks to some long putts. I’m a little disappointed to have missed out on a birdie on the second par-5, the 15th. I’ve not been able to make both the par-5s count on both days. That is one area I’ll look to improve upon.

“As I said yesterday, Rashid will be one of the top contenders this week. He is very good around the greens and can create a lot of shots.”

Kolkata’s SSP Chawrasia, winner of the inaugural edition of the McLeod Russel Tour Championship in 2012, moved up from tied seventh to tied third after a 68 on day two.  

Ranjit Singh aced the second during his round of 70. He thus hung on to his tied third position.

Rolex Ranking leader Shubhankar Sharma and Amardip Sinh Malik, who had a hole-in-one on day one, joined Chawrasia and Ranjit in tied third at six-under-138.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (69), Jyoti Randhawa (69), Khalin Joshi (72) and Sanjeev Kumar (69) occupied joint seventh place at five-under-139

Jeev Milkha Singh slipped from overnight tied fifth to the 11thspot after a sedate 71 on Friday. His total stood at four-under-140.

Shiv Kapur (70) was a further shot back in tied 12th.

The Kolkata duo of Rahil Gangjee (71) and Arjun Atwal (73) were placed tied 22nd at even-par-144 and tied 31st at two-over-146 respectively.

PGTI release

Pariya regains the advantage with day’s best 68 at McLeod Russel Tour Championship

Pariya Junhasavasdikul

Kolkata, December 24, 2016: Thailand’s Pariya Junhasavasdikul regained the sole lead in round three of the McLeod Russel Tour Championship 2016 after he shot the day’s best score of four-under-68 at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC). Pariya, the leading foreign player in the field, totaled 14-under-202 after the penultimate round to enjoy a two-shot lead at the Rs. 1.5 crore PGTI year-ending event.

Delhi’s Rashid Khan stayed in touch with the leader after a third round of two-under-70 to be second at 12-under-204. He thus kept his Rolex Ranking title hopes alive.

Kolkata’s SSP Chawrasia, the winner of the tournament’s inaugural edition in 2012, came up with a third round of three-under-69 to lurk in third place at nine-under-207 and remain in contention.

Rolex Ranking leader Shubhankar Sharma (70) of Panchkula was a further shot behind in fourth place. As things stand, he is still the best placed to win the Rolex Player of the Year title.

Two-time Asian Tour winner Pariya Junhasavasdikul (66-68-68), the joint second round leader, was off to an explosive start in round three courtesy a hot putter. The wire-to-wire leader birdied the first three holes with conversions from a range of 10 to 30 feet. He added another on the eighth to make the turn at four-under.

Pariya then had a quiet spell till the 14^th before an excellent recovery from the bunker and a 12-feet conversion helped him pick up his fifth birdie of the day on the 15^th. His only blemish was the bogey on 16 where he missed an up and down from 50 yards. The 32-year-old Pariya is now in line to become the first foreigner to win the McLeod Russel Tour Championship.

Pariya said, “I feel my performance so far is a reflection of the fact that I’ve really enjoyed myself coming to Kolkata and the RCGC for the first time. I love the atmosphere, the spectators, the people and the food here.

“I had a better start than expected and that made it easier for me later on in the round. However, the course still presented quite a few challenges as was evident from my even-par on the back-nine.

“Even a six-shot lead is not enough at this venue, so I’m not going to relax at any stage in the final round. There are a lot of big Indian names chasing me, especially Rashid Khan, so it’s not going to be easy. I just need to continue playing in the same manner.

“I enjoyed watching Rashid play today. He hit some great iron shots. We also chatted a bit during the round.”

Rashid Khan (70-64-70), who shared the lead with Pariya in round two, slipped one position to second after mixing four birdies with two bogeys on Friday. Rashid, currently fourth in the Rolex Ranking, had a 20-feet birdie conversion on the fifth but also missed out on a 20-feet par putt on the last hole that pushed him two back.

    

Rashid, a winner of two titles on the PGTI this year, said, “I have to work on my putting stroke as I missed a lot of putts which went to the right of the hole. Once you’re a little confused with your putting, it gets tough, as putting is half your game. I have to sort this out if I have to win tournaments.

“There’s a lot to play for in the final round as I have to win if I want to seal the Rolex Ranking title,” added Khan.

Kolkata’s SSP Chawrasia, lying tied third after day two, improved his position marginally as he closed the day in sole third. Local lad Chawrasia will be looking to roll back the clock to 2012 when he won the inaugural edition of the McLeod Russel Tour Championship after being four off the lead on day three.  

Panchkula’s Shubhankar Sharma closed the day in fourth at eight-under-208. As things stand at the moment, he is expected to finish on top of the Rolex Ranking, slightly ahead of Rashid Khan.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (seven-under-209), Khalin Joshi (six-under-210) and Shiv Kapur (five-under-211) occupied the fifth, sixth and seventh places respectively.

Jyoti Randhawa and rookie Aman Raj were joint 10^th at three-under-213. As things stand, Patna’s Aman Raj is expected to end up with the highest earnings among the rookies and as a result win the PGTI Emerging Player of the Year title.

Jeev Milkha Singh and Mukesh Kumar were a further shot back in tied 13^th.

The Kolkata duo of Rahil Gangjee (one-under-215) and Arjun Atwal (four-over-220) were tied 16^th and tied 38^th respectively.

Reigning Rolex Ranking champion Chikkarangappa, also the defending champion of the event, was placed tied 35^th at three-over-219.

PGTI release

Double delight for Chikkarangappa as he wins McLeod Russel Tour Championship & Rolex Ranking crown

Kolkata, December 27, 2015: It was double delight for Bengaluru’s Chikkarangappa S as he capped a memorable 2015 season with victory at the season-ending McLeod Russel Tour Championship which also paved the way for his ascendancy to the status of Rolex Player of the Year. Chikka shot a tenacious final round of three-under-69 at the Rs. 1.5 crore event at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) on Sunday to register a one-shot win with a 12-under-276 total.

Gurgaon-based Indian golfing great Jyoti Randhawa and Khalin Joshi, another Bangalorean, were joint runners-up at 11-under-277.

Chikka’s brilliant win at RCGC earned him his highest ever pay cheque of Rs. 22,50,000 which took his season’s earnings to an outstanding Rs. 48,87,440. He thus climbed from second place to first position in the money list to take home the Rolex Player of the Year title. At 22 years and three months of age, Chikka became the youngest winner of the Rolex Ranking title. In his seven starts in the season he posted three wins, a runner-up and three other top-10s. The seasoned Mukesh Kumar of Mhow, who finished tied sixth at five-under-283 this week, claimed second place on the 2015 PGTI merit list with earnings of Rs. 39,41,710.  

Chikkarangappa (68-69-70-69), who was overnight third, three off the lead, had a steady start to the day with pars on the first three holes. He started making inroads with birdies on the fourth and sixth, having converted a 15-footer on the latter. The pro from the Eagleton Golf Resort, made the turn at one-under after dropping a shot on the eighth where his ball was plugged in the bunker.

While Chikka’s nearest rivals Jyoti Randhawa and Khalin Joshi couldn’t really make a move on the back-nine, Chikka seized the initiative with three birdies against a lone bogey. The 22-year-old marched towards his eighth career title, sinking birdie putts from eight to 12 feet on 12 and 17. He also capitalized with a birdie on the par-5 15th after finding the green in two shots. The 2013 PGTI Emerging Player of the Year finally sealed the victory with a two-putt for par on the 18th.

Chikka said, “It’s amazing to win the biggest tournament on the PGTI and also the Rolex Ranking title on the same day. Emerging Order of Merit champion is special for me because I’ve been finishing second on the merit list for the last two years. I’m also delighted to have won here at RCGC since I missed cuts for three weeks running on the Asian Tour before this event.

“It was a tough fight today as I knew Jyoti and Khalin will not give up till the end. I think the turning point for me was the 12-feet birdie conversion on the 17th. That’s when I thought, I can take this, since I was one ahead with one hole to play. I didn’t strike it well through the week but my short-game was very sharp. I made very few birdies at this event as compared to my other successful weeks.

“The change of caddie this week also helped my cause. I had Anirban Lahiri’s previous caddie Narasimha on the bag this week. His inputs were quite useful. The focus will now be on making it back on the Asian Tour through the Qualifying School and thereafter doing well on the tour,” added an elated Chikka.

Jyoti Randhawa (68-65-71-73), the overnight leader by one stroke, slipped to joint second place on Sunday after mixing three birdies with four bogeys during his final round of 73. Jyoti, who had struggled with stomach cramps on Saturday, scrambled for most part of the final round and was three-over through 15 holes. Despite his tap-in birdies on 16 and 17, Randhawa could not catch up with Chikka.

“I was in a much better physical condition today but couldn’t really produce a round that could’ve helped me win on the final day. Nonetheless, I’m glad to have finished in the top-3 after all that I went through in the third round,” said Randhawa.

Khalin Joshi (70-67-68-72), lying overnight second, one behind leader Jyoti, showed promise in the first half of the day as he took the lead at one stage. However, he finally brought in a card of 72 and had to settle for tied second place along with Randhawa. Joshi was three-under through seven holes, having sunk three birdie putts from 10 to 20 feet. Khalin, a two-time winner on the PGTI, then missed some short putts to add three bogeys to his card.

Joshi said, “It was disappointing that I couldn’t close it despite taking the lead today. A bad tee shot on the eighth that landed in the hazard took away the momentum from me. I’ll now look to earn my card on the Asian Tour through the Qualifying School and make an impact there.”     

Kolkata’s SSP Chawrasia, the 2012 champion, fired the day’s joint best score of 68 to finish fourth at 10-under-278. Rahil Gangjee (71), another local favourite, finished three shots behind in fifth place.

Mukesh Kumar (68) of Mhow and Sri Lankan Anura Rohana (70) were tied sixth at five-under-283.

Kolkata’s Shankar Das, the 2014 champion, ended eighth at four-under-284 after his final round of 75.

   

Bengaluru’s Udayan Mane, who finished tied 20th this week at one-over-289, won the 2015 PGTI Emerging Player of the Year title for recording the highest earnings among the rookies this season. Mane’s earnings for 2015 stood at Rs. 22,21,507. Mane also finished a creditable fifth in the Rolex Ranking. Feroz Singh Garewal of Chandigarh, tied 27th this week, finished second in the Emerging Player list with season’s earnings of Rs. 6,81,040.

 Picture Caption:

Chikkarangappa receives the trophy and cheque from Mr. K K Baheti, Director, McLeod Russel (centre) and Master Akhil Khaitan also representing McLeod Russel (left)

Randhawa endures stomach cramps to shoot brave 71 and stay ahead by one

Jyoti Randhawa

Kolkata, December 26, 2015: Jyoti Randhawa endured stomach cramps in round three to shoot a brave one-under-71 that kept him in the lead by one shot at the Rs. 1.5 crore McLeod Russel Tour Championship being played at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC). The Gurgaon-based professional took his three-day tally to 12-under-204 on Saturday.

Bengaluru’s Khalin Joshi fired the day’s joint best score of four-under-68 to lurk behind the leader in second place at 11-under-205.

Jyoti Randhawa (68-65-71), the overnight leader by four shots, felt the effects of an upset stomach through the third day but still managed to deliver a resolute 71 to continue in the lead. Jyoti was quick off the blocks picking up birdies on the first, second and fourth, landing it within five feet on the first two occasions, to build a comfortable five-stroke lead. He dropped a stroke after missing a six-footer on the ninth but came roaring back with a 20-feet birdie conversion from just off the green on the 10th.

Randhawa missed the greens on 12 and 13 for consecutive bogeys as his lead was cut down to three strokes. It was on the 14th tee that the 43-year-old seasoned campaigner considered withdrawing from the tournament due to the pain and discomfort caused by the cramps. However, cheered on by the big crowd, he decided to carry on. Jyoti was solid thereafter, making pars all the way till the finish.

“It was a tough and draining day for me today due to my physical condition. However, I’m glad to have hung in there to stay in front. I look forward to coming back strong on the final day,” said Randhawa.

Khalin Joshi (70-67-68), who was overnight joint second, had a birdie and a bogey on the front-nine but he made his move on the back-nine with an eagle and two birdies. He made a 15-feet birdie conversion on 12 and then drove the par-4 16thgreen and followed up with a 25-feet putt for eagle there. He finally had a birdie chip-in on the 17th which helped him end the day within one shot of the lead.

“I think the 12th was the turning point for me today as I started swinging better from there on. I was far better on the back-nine in all aspects of the game. I was also very relaxed playing alongside my good friend Chikka. I play a lot of practice rounds with him back home in Bengaluru. I’m in a decent position now just one shot off the lead and will look to raise the tempo in the final round,” said Joshi.

Chikkarangappa, who was lying joint second after round two, slipped to third place at nine-under-207 after his 70 on Saturday. Chikka, second in the order of merit, is still the strongest contender for the Rolex Ranking title as money list leader Mukesh Kumar of Mhow is currently placed tied 15th in the tournament at one-under-215.

Defending champion Shankar Das (70) of Kolkata occupies fourth place at seven-under-209. The Kolkata duo of 2012 champion SSP Chawrasia (68) and Rahil Gangjee (72) are a further shot back in tied fifth.

Kapurthala’s Gaganjeet Bhullar moved up to seventh place at five-under-211 thanks to his third round effort of 68.

PGTI Press release

Jyoti Randhawa soars with two eagles to take commanding four-shot lead

Jyoti Randhawa

Kolkata, December 25, 2015: Jyoti Randhawa’s campaign at the McLeod Russel Tour Championship took flight with a sizzling seven-under-65 in round two. The Gurgaon-based Indian golfing legend thus established a commanding four-stroke lead at 11-under-133 at the Rs. 1.5 crore season-ending event of the PGTI being played at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC).

The Bengaluru duo of Khalin Joshi and Chikkarangappa S were next best on the leaderboard at seven-under-137.

Jyoti Randhawa (68-65) soared to the top thanks to the tournament’s best round so far which featured an impressive two eagles, four birdies and a bogey. The 43-year-old Randhawa, the joint overnight leader along with four others, came out all guns blazing on Friday as he made two chip-ins in quick succession on the second and fourth, the first for a birdie and the second for eagle.

Jyoti, a winner of nine international titles, made his only error on a windy day on the 10th where he overshot the green with his approach and as a result dropped a bogey. He then collected his second eagle of the day on the 15th and three more birdies on the last seven holes to end up with a seven-under. He landed his second shot within six feet for eagle on the par-5 15th before signing off with a 12-feet birdie conversion on the 18th.

Randhawa, who won his last title in March 2012, said, “I sorted out some errors in my hitting today and was swinging it well. I capitalized on both the par-5s with eagles. I felt I played the stretch from the 15th to 18th really well. It was a very satisfying round.

“The wind worked to my advantage as I’m used to playing in such conditions, having played in Europe for seven years. My experience helped me negotiate the weather conditions. I’m now looking at repeating this effort over the last two days. I’ll look to keep the intensity going,” added Jyoti, who has had two top-10s on the Asian Tour this year.

Khalin Joshi (70-67), a winner on the PGTI this year, sought to put behind the disappointment of recently missing out on his Asian Tour exemption by two spots, with a solid 67 that included seven birdies and two bogeys.

“I haven’t been striking it well but my putter was hot today. I made three long birdie putts from 15 to 20 feet. I still feel I need to hit it closer to stay in the hunt this week. The back-nine offers more scoring opportunities and I made it count today. Jyoti will be the man to catch since he’s playing really well,” said Joshi, who climbed four places form his overnight tied sixth.

Chikkarangappa (68-69), the overnight joint leader, mixed five birdies with two bogeys for his 69 to drop to joint second. Chikka, placed second in the Rolex Ranking, however, is still on course for the Rolex Player of the Year title as the leader Mukesh Kumar (73) of Mhow lies a distant tied 20th at one-under-143.

Kolkata’s Rahil Gangjee, who was part of the five-way lead in round one, slipped to tied fourth at six-under-138 after his second round of 70. Om Prakash Chouhan (68) of Mhow shared fourth place with Gangjee.

Defending champion Shankar Das of Kolkata was bunched together with the Noida duo of Gaurav Pratap Singh and Amardip Sinh Malik in tied sixth at five-under-139.

The Kolkata duo of former champion SSP Chawrasia (72) and Divyanshu Bajaj (70) were in joint 14th along with four others at two-under-142.

PGTI release

Chikka off to promising start in pursuit of Rolex Ranking crown

 Chikkarangappa S

Rahil Gangjee

Kolkata, December 24, 2015: On a high scoring opening day at the McLeod Russel Tour Championship 2015, the top honours were shared by Bengaluru’s Chikkarangappa S, local lad Rahil Gangjee, Gurgaon-based Jyoti Randhawa, Australian Kunal Bhasin and Sri Lankan N Thangaraja, all of whom shot scores of four-under-68. The leading quintet was two shots clear of the rest at the Rs. 1.5 crore event on an overcast day at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC).

Chikkarangappa, currently second in the Rolex Ranking, about eight and a half lakh rupees behind leader Mukesh Kumar of Mhow, began his campaign for his first Rolex Player of the Year title on a promising note with an eagle and four birdies against two bogeys.

Chikka produced a massive drive on the 15th followed by an eight feet conversion to help himself to an eagle. He also had two early birdies on 2 and 3 where he rolled in a 12-footer and a mammoth 70-footer respectively. He seemed to be heading for the sole lead with a 15-feet birdie conversion on the 16th but found the trees on the last hole to drop a shot.

“I didn’t drive that well today but was sharp with my short game as I managed to make a number of long putts. My tee shots need to improve if I have to be in contention this week. I’ve won junior and amateur events at RCGC so I quite enjoy playing here. Winning the Rolex Ranking crown is a big motivation since I’ve been finishing second in the merit list for the last two years,” said Chikka.

Kolkata’s Rahil Gangjee too negotiated the tough scoring conditions well with five birdies and a bogey. His round featured four birdie conversions from 10 to 15 feet and a couple of brilliant par-saves.

“The course is quite challenging this year and playing longer due to some of the tees being moved back as well as the rough and the colder weather conditions. I did really well to save par from difficult situations on the 6th and 7th, perhaps two of the toughest holes on the course,” said Gangjee.

Jyoti Randhawa, one of India’s all-time greats, also ended the day on top of the pack thanks to six birdies and two bogeys. He was one-under through 11 before picking up three more shots on the last seven holes.

Randhawa said, “I hit it good today and got my timing back which was lacking for some time. I holed a lot of putts from a range of eight to 10 feet. I feel the front-nine here is tougher than the back-nine which has more potential for birdies. The greens are also not easy to read. But the golf course is in great shape.”

N Thangaraja, also a joint leader on day one, set up three tap-in birdies for himself on the front-nine courtesy some accurate iron-play. He narrowly missed a hole-in-one on the second. However, Thanga also missed half a dozen short putts that stopped him from going lower.

Kunal Bhasin made it a five-way lead at the top as he sank some long putts on the back-nine en route his 68.

The chasing pack of 10 golfers in tied sixth place at two-under-70 included former champions Shankar Das and SSP Chawrasia, both from Kolkata, Rolex Ranking leader Mukesh Kumar and Chandigarh’s Abhijit Singh Chadha, who is currently third in the Rolex Ranking.

Rookie Udayan Mane of Bengaluru, at the moment coasting towards the Emerging Player of the Year title, got off to a solid start with a one-under-71 to be tied 16th.

Three of the pre-tournament favourites Chiragh Kumar (72), Gaganjeet Bhullar (74) and Himmat Singh Rai (80) were placed tied 25th, tied 44th and 68th respectively.

PGTI Press release

   

Form favours Chiragh Kumar, Himmat Singh Rai at McLeod Russel Tour Championship 2015

Kolkata, December 23, 2015: Delhi-based professionals Chiragh Kumar and Himmat Singh Rai start the McLeod Russel Tour Championship as serious title contenders thanks to their recent exploits at the international stage.

While Chiragh is riding high on his maiden Asian Tour success, achieved at his home course, the Delhi Golf Club, last month, Himmat is in hot form at the moment, having recently posted two top-3 finishes in Asia. The two golfers ended the Asian Tour season in 14th and 31st place in the money list respectively.   

The 32-year-old Chiragh, the 2011 Rolex Ranking champion, hadn’t had good results on the Asian Tour till the Macao Open in October where he finished a creditable joint second. He then enjoyed a blockbuster week in Delhi to lift the Panasonic Open India trophy which was his first international triumph.

   

“It was a fantastic week in Delhi as I finally broke the victory barrier in Asia after coming close on a few occasions before. I’ve played a lot in the last three months so I’m a bit drained. However, playing the McLeod Russel is always special and gets the best out of me. So I’m looking to end the year with another top performance this week,” said Chiragh, a four-time winner on the PGTI.

He added, “The RCGC course is playing a lot longer than it did when I last played here. There are a few new tees, so those holes play differently now. It will not be a very low scoring week as the rough is up and hitting the fairways is important. One needs to create a lot of chances here since RCGC is not a place where you can make too many birdies or get lot of chances.”

The 28-year-old Himmat, like Chiragh was struggling to keep his card in Asia, for the major part of the season. However, the turnaround for Rai came with his joint runner-up finish at the Ho Tram Open in Vietnam where he lost to Spanish star Sergio Garcia in a playoff. The pro from the DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon, followed that up with an equally impressive tied third finish at the season-ending Philippine Open thanks to a sensational nine-under-63 in the final round.

  

Himmat said, “I kept grinding despite not being anywhere close to my best in the first part of the season. However, my game started coming together during the Asian Development Tour event in Eagleton (near Bengaluru) as I was once again striking it well and shooting low scores.  Then out of nowhere I missed four cuts back to back on the Asian Tour. But the outstanding week in Vietnam changed everything even though I lost in a close playoff. The performance in Philippines further added to my confidence. I really got it going on the last day with some long putts.

“I love playing golf in Kolkata as I won my first professional title here at Tollygunge Club in 2009. I also won two amateur titles at the RCGC back in 2005 and 2006.

“The RCGC track requires percentage golf. This week it’s going to be about knowing what clubs to hit off the tee and knowing where to place the ball on the greens,” said Rai, a winner on the Asian Tour.

The other leading contenders this week include the top-3 in the Rolex Ranking - veteran Mukesh Kumar of Mhow and youngsters Chikkarangappa of Bengaluru and Chandigarh’s Abhijit Singh Chadha. The three will be gunning for glory to bag the Rolex Player of the Year title.

The winner’s prize of Rs. 22,50,000 will ensure that leader Mukesh is kept on his toes despite his season’s earnings of Rs. 34,91,710, as Chikka (Rs. 26,37,440) and Chadha will still have a shot (Rs. 25,41,203) at number one.

Rookie Udayan Mane of Bengaluru, fourth in the merit list with earnings in excess of Rs. 20 lakh, is the outright favourite to bag the Emerging Player of the Year title. Mane, a winner of two titles this year, will also be a name to reckon with this week.

Seasoned Indian professionals and multiple winners on the Asian Tour Jyoti Randhawa, Gaganjeet Bhullar and Rashid Khan are some of the biggest names competing this week and cannot be taken lightly when playing in India.

The top foreign names in the field consist of Bangladeshi Md Siddikur Rahman and Sri Lankan Mithun Perera. While Siddikur is a two-time winner on the Asian Tour, Perera is a multiple winner on the PGTI and an Asian Tour regular.

PGTI Press release

Mithun Perera and team win second Pro-Am event of McLeod Russel Tour

Kolkata, December 23, 2015: Sri Lankan Mithun Perera, one of the top foreign names in the field, led his team to victory at the second Pro-Am event of the McLeod Russel Tour Championship 2015 at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) on Wednesday.

The Pro-Am event was played in the Strokeplay (nett) format with all amateurs receiving 3/4th of their original handicap as their allowance. Maximum strokes permitted were 18. Two best nett scores per hole were counted towards the team total. The team score comprised the aggregate of the two best nett scores on each hole over 18 holes.

Mithun Perera led his team, comprising of amateurs Mr. Gaurav Ghosh, Mr. G S Atwal and Mr. Palden Dorjee, to victory with a team total of 129 (-15).

The runner-up team was led by Panchkula-based professional Angad Cheema. Cheema’s team consisted of amateurs Mr. N S Thapa, Mr. Ravi Rungta and Mr. Arun Chakraborti. Their team total was 133 (-11).  

Press release

Chawrasia, Das, Gangjee lead local challenge at season finale McLeod Russel Tour Championship

Kolkata, December 22. 2015: The trio of SSP Chawrasia, Shankar Das and Rahil Gangjee will spearhead a strong local challenge at their home course, the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC), during PGTI’s season-ending McLeod Russel Tour Championship 2015, a Rs. 1.5 crore event, which begins on Thursday.

While Chawrasia and Das are both former champions, Gangjee is hard to write off on his home turf.

SSP Chawrasia, the champion at the inaugural edition in 2012, has enjoyed a fruitful season on the Asian Tour, having finished fourth in the merit list. However, the last few weeks have been nothing short of a roller-coaster ride for him.

First, he narrowly missed qualifying for his first-ever Major, the 2016 British Open, as he missed the mark by one position at the Thailand Golf Championship. This was followed by the happy news of his inclusion in Team Asia for the big-ticket EurAsia Cup next year.

  

“The year’s been a good one for me as I came close to matching my best-ever ranking of number three in Asia. However, the last few weeks have been of mixed emotions. I was first disappointed to miss out on the British Open after coming so close. But then making Team Asia for the EurAsia Cup helped me get over the setback quickly.

“I now want to end the year with a flourish on my home turf since I’m focused and playing well. I changed my driver one month back and that has helped my game. I see Chikkarangappa, Mukesh and Khalin as some of the top contenders this week. Chikka is a very aggressive player and could do well here,” said Chawrasia, a winner of three international titles.

Defending champion Shankar Das sent out a strong signal to the rest of the field with his team’s triumph at the Pro-Am event on Tuesday. Shankar, fresh from his win in Assam last month, will be looking to make gains in the Rolex Ranking, as he is once again expected to perform well in his backyard.

He lies 10th in the money list with earnings of Rs. 15,48,828 and trails the leader Mukesh Kumar by over Rs. 19 lakh. Since the winner is set to take home a handsome cheque of Rs. 22,50,000, Shankar still has an outside chance in the Rolex Player of the Year race depending on how the leaders perform.

Shankar said, “It wasn’t a great year for me till I won in Digboi last month. I regained my putting form and confidence with the victory. At the moment I’m striking it well with the driver and the irons. The one area I need to improve on is my wedge-play.

“There’s a premium on hitting the fairways here since it’s not easy to come back if you find the rough. I’ll look to draw inspiration from my win last year.”

Rahil Gangjee, who safely retained his Asian Tour card with a 44th place on the Order of Merit, is also eager to make a mark in front of his home crowd.

“The first half of the year was an average one for me but I managed to capitalize on some of the big tournaments at the back end of the season. I’ve won here at RCGC at both the professional and amateur level. I would love to win this week not only because of the prize purse but also to have the satisfaction of winning in front of my friends and family.

“My putting has been decent but I need to drive better this week. One has to get it in play here and once you do that the golf course becomes easier. If you put it in the rough and trees it’s going to be a very difficult week. The weather would also be a factor. If it stays overcast and cold like today, it would make the course play longer,” said Gangjee, a winner on the Asian Tour.

Besides Chawrasia, Das and Gangjee, the other three Kolkata-based professionals in the field, Feroz Ali Mollah, Mohammad Sanju and Divyanshu Bajaj, would also look to take advantage of their local knowledge to make an impact at PGTI’s blue-riband event.

PGTI Press release

McLeod Russel Tour Championship from December 24

Kolkata, December 12, 2015: McLeod Russel, the world’s largest tea producer, and the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), today announced the McLeod Russel Tour Championship 2015, the PGTI’s year-ending Championship. The tournament will be staged at the prestigious Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) from December 24 – 27, 2015. The tournament carries a handsome prize purse of Rs. 1.5 crore, the highest for a domestic event in India.

The event will see the top 60 players from the Rolex Ranking 2015 compete for top honours. This year the field will also feature sponsor invites including the 2013 champion SSP Chawrasia, Jyoti Randhawa, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Rahil Gangjee, Chiragh Kumar and Himmat Singh Rai along with foreign players Md Siddikur Rahman (Bangladesh), Mithun Perera (Sri Lanka), Koh Deng Shan (Singapore) and Sean Navin Shrestha Einhaus (Germany).

The tournament will be a 72-hole stroke-play championship and there will be no cut applied after 36 holes. All players will be guaranteed prize money. The Pro-Am event preceding the tournament will be played on December 22nd and 23rd.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kamal Baheti, Whole-time Director, McLeod Russel India Limited (McLeod Russel), said “After the big success of first edition from 2012 - 2014, we are happy to be hosting the first year of second edition (2015 - 2017) of McLeod Russel Tour Championship. We are very pleased with the response from top golfers and everyone else who supported this event wholeheartedly. This is our small gesture of giving golf a boost in the Eastern Region and hope that it will lead to the growth of the game eventually. We are also encouraged to see the level of play by local amateurs this season at various tournaments. McLeod Russel’s heritage is based on values, culture and commitment and a strong belief in supporting and backing the right talent, and keeping that in mind, we will continue to sponsor one professional and two amateur golfers from Kolkata for the 2016 season. We will continue to be on the lookout for budding golfers in the future as well, and have put in place a committee to evaluate and identify budding golfers. We take this opportunity to thank the PGTI and the Royal Calcutta Golf Club for the opportunity to host the Championship this year. We are committed to the McLeod Russel Tour Championship and in the development of golf.”

Announcing the event, Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, Director, PGTI, said, “The McLeod Russel Tour Championship 2015, like its previous editions, is set to provide yet another fascinating finale to the PGTI season, as the Rolex Player of the Year title is up for grabs with many contenders in the fray. The golf fans in Kolkata are in for a treat as the leading names in Indian golf go head-to-head at the historic Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC), for the biggest prize of the season. We thank McLeod Russel for their undying support to Indian professional golf and look forward to continuing our partnership with them in the years to come.”

Mr. Abhay Pasari, General Committee Member & Golf Convener, Royal Calcutta Golf Club, said, “It’s a privilege for the RCGC to host the 4th edition of the McLeod Russel Tour Championship. It’s an exciting event with a two day Pro Am for the members and invitees.  I am told that this year a few foreign invitees will also be participating with the best from India.  I take this opportunity to wish all of them all the very best.”

Picture Caption:

From left to right: Mr. Brandon de Souza from Tiger Sports Marketing, Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, Director, PGTI, Mr. Lakshman Singh representing McLeod Russel, Mr. Abhay Pasari, General Committee Member & Golf Convener, RCGC, Mr. M M Singh, CEO, RCGC, Col. Devrishi Singhal, GM, RCGC

Shankar Das wins McLeod Russel Tour Championship, earns Rolex Player of the Year title

Kolkata, December 28, 2014: Kolkata’s Shankar Das won the Rs 1.5 crore McLeod Russel Tour Championship after his final round of three-under-69 at his home course, the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC). Shankar as a result of his win also topped the Rolex Rankings and bagged the Rolex Player of the Year title for 2014. 

Das totaled 16-under-272 for the week to register the biggest win of his career.Kapurthala’s Gaganjeet Bhullar and Abhinav Lohan of the DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon, were joint runners-up at 13-under-275 as they fired matching scores of 68 in round four.

Shankar Das (68-70-65-69), who started the final round with a two-shot lead, came out a determined man on Sunday. Shankar’s burning desire to win in front of his home crowd for the first time was reflected in his solid start as he birdied the first hole from 20 feet. Das, who was also in search of the Rolex Rankings crown, carried on the good work with another birdie on the fourth hole.

The three-putt bogey on the 11th didn’t dampen Shankar’s spirits as he hit an outstanding tee shot on the par-3 13th and thereafter sank a 12-footer for birdie. The ever-smiling Shankar once again seemed unfazed after the dropped shot on the 14th as he came back stronger with birdies on the 15th and 16ththanks to some excellent wedge shots. The 31-year-old made pars on the last two holes to seal a comfortable three-shot win and take home his fifth tournament trophy. Das thus earned a handsome pay cheque of Rs 23,77, 500, the highest ever for a domestic tournament in India.  

Shankar, who was ranked third in the money list at the start of the week, finished with total earnings of Rs. 54,32,067 for the 2014 season and therefore overhauled Bangalore’s Chikkarangappa S in the race for the Rolex Player of the Year. Chikkarangappa, who finished fourth at this week’s event, ended the year with total earnings of Rs 47,15,336 to claim second place in the Rolex Rankings for the second year running.

  

“This is definitely the biggest win of my career. It’s helped me become number one on the PGTI for the first time. It’s also great to win on my home turf for the first time. The overwhelming support from the RCGC members, my family and friends through this week played a huge role in my performance. It’s been a tough time for my family this year. I missed about four tournaments midway through the season due to my mother’s poor health. However, I came back stronger on the tour with some good performances and top-5 finishes. It’s great to end the year with a win, my first in over 15 months. I will now aim to use my country spot to good effect on the Asian Tour next year,” said a beaming Shankar.

He added, “I didn’t bother too much about the leader board today and focused on playing a good round. I was lucky to get off to a good start with a birdie on the first. The birdie on the fourth really set up the round for me as my confidence was soaring by then. The best shot of the day was the tee shot on the 13thwhere I successfully negotiated a tough pin position.”

Gaganjeet Bhullar came into his own on the final day with a 68 that featured five birdies and a bogey. Bhullar did mount a challenge with a hat-trick of birdies on the back-nine but Shankar’s late charge on the 15th and 16th put paid to Gaganjeet’s title hopes.

Abhinav Lohan also mixed five birdies with a lone bogey on Sunday to end up in joint second along with Bhullar. Lohan, as a result, climbed from 16th to seventh position in the final Rolex Rankings.

Bangalore’s Chikkarangappa, who required a runner-up finish to seal the Rolex Rankings title, claimed fourth position at 12-under-276 after his final round of 69 and thus ended up in second position in the money list.

Delhi’s Shamim Khan finished a further stroke behind Chikka in fifth place. Shamim made five consecutive birdies from the 13th to the 17th during his fourth round effort of 71.

Gurgaon-based Shubhankar Sharma, the leader in the first two rounds, fired an incredible albatross on the par-5 fourth during his final round of 70. He holed his four-iron second shot from 224 yards to achieve the rare feat. This was only the fourth albatross on the PGTI. Sharma secured sixth place in the tournament as he totaled eight-under-280 for the week.

“It was unbelievable. I didn’t see the ball go in but I only realized I had made an albatross when I was walking up to the green and my playing partner Anura Rohana informed me that my ball was in the hole,” said a delighted Shubhankar.

Kolkata’s SSP Chowrasia shared seventh spot with Sri Lankan K Prabagaran at seven-undeer-281.

Arjun Atwal, another local favourite, ended ninth at six-under-282 in his maiden event on the PGTI. He shot a final round of 72.

The 2013 Rolex Rankings champion Rashid Khan of Delhi, who equaled the course record of 63 earlier in the week, was tied 10th at four-under-284 along with Sri Lankans Anura Rohana and Mithun Perera and Delhi’s Vinod Kumar.

Kolkata golfer Rahil Gangjee was joint 20th at one-under-287.

Jamshedpur’s Karan Taunk, who finished tied 61st this week, won the 2014 PGTI Emerging Player of the Year title for recording the highest earnings among the rookies this season. Taunk’s earnings for 2014 stood at Rs 5,83,095. Sanjeev Kumar of Lucknow finished second in the Emerging Player list with season’s earnings of Rs 4,70,281.

  

Prize Presentation Picture - Caption:

Shankar Das (4th from left) receives the winner's cheque and trophy from (L to R) Mr. Padamjit Sandhu, Director, PGTI, Master Akhil Khaitan representing McLeod Russel, Mr. Rajeev Takru, Director, McLeod Russel, Mr. Aditya Bajoria, Captain, RCGC and Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, Director, PGTI.

PGTI Press release and photo

Shankar Das surges ahead with timely 65; throws hat in the ring for Rolex Player of the Year title

Shankar Das

Kolkata, December 27, 2014: Shankar Das of Kolkata fired a timely seven-under-65 to surge ahead in round three of the Rs. 1.5 crore McLeod Russel Tour Championship at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) on Saturday. Shankar's three-day total now stands at 13-under-203 and he enjoys a two-shot lead over his nearest rival Rashid Khan of Delhi who shot a 71 in the third round. Delhi's Shamim Khan lies third at 10-under-206.

Shankar's third round effort, the day’s joint best score, meant he too emerged as a strong contender in the Rolex Rankings race besides Rashid Khan and Chikkarangappa. Das is currently placed third in the Rolex Rankings.

Shankar Das (68-70-65), who was overnight tied sixth, shot his best score of the week on day three as he came up with an eagle and eight birdies against three bogeys. Das, playing at his home course, began his day on a bright note with an eight-foot birdie conversion on the first. He then stumbled with bogeys on the second and third due to some errors in judgment. The 31-year-old turned the tide in his favour with an eagle on the par-5 fourth where he found the green in two shots and sank a 10-footer.

Shankar, a winner of four titles, then went on a birdie-spree on the sixth, eighth, 10th and 12th after landing it within six feet on all four occasions. His approach from 150 yards stopped within a whisker of the hole on the eighth. The bogey on the 14th was a minor blip as Shankar produced a fine chip shot on the 15thand two 25-footers on the 16th and 18th to earn three more birdies.

“The bogeys early on were disappointing. On the second, I didn’t go by my gut feeling as far as club-selection is concerned and ended up with a poor tee shot. I then hit a half-hearted shot on the third. The eagle on the fourth was the turning point for me. I knew I could pick up the pace from there on. I then almost sank putts at will and fired a near-perfect approach on the eighth,” said Shankar, who has posted seven top-5s on the PGTI in 2014.

He added, “I know I’m in contention for the Rolex Player of the Year but I won’t let that distract me from my primary target of winning this event. Even though I’ve done well in most events this year, I haven’t won anything. There’s a burning desire to notch my first victory in over a year. That thought will motivate me in the final round.

“I love the support I’ve been receiving on the course this week. Both my kids have walked the course with me on all three days. Today they were joined by my nephews and nieces as well. The RCGC members and my friends are also constantly cheering me on. The tremendous crowd support did wonders for my confidence today. I’d love to win my first event at my home course in front of my family and friends,” said Shankar.

Rashid Khan (71-63-71), who matched the course record in round two with a superb 63, had a relatively quieter day on Saturday as he carded a 71. Rashid, however, hung on to his overnight second position at 11-under-205. He continues to be in the reckoning in the Rolex Rankings race.

Khan had a forgettable start as he bogeyed the first and then found the water hazard to drop another shot on the third. He did pick up five birdies thereafter but the double-bogey on the 16th, where he found the hazard, put paid to his efforts.

Rashid, still a contender in the Rolex Rankings, said, “I had a poor start just like round one. I did recover after that but the double-bogey did the damage. A good start will be the key to my chances in the final round as two shots is not a big lead.”

Shamim Khan returned a 69 to be placed third at 10-under-206.

Abhinav Lohan’s 65, the day’s joint best score along with Shankar’s round, catapulted him from overnight tied 14th to tied fourth at nine-under-207. The Faridabad-based professional had a run of five consecutive birdies from the 12th to the 16th.  

Bangalore’s Chikkarangappa S kept himself in the hunt for the Rolex Rankings title with a 72 that helped him join Lohan in tied fourth place.

Gaganjeet Bhullar of Kapurthala also took a share of fourth position after his round of 70.

Sri Lankan Mithun Perera (68) occupied seventh place at seven-under-209 while the Kolkata duo of SSP Chowrasia (68) and Arjun Atwal (72) were a further shot back in joint eighth along with overnight leader Shubhankar Sharma (77) of Gurgaon.

Rahil Gangjee (72), another local lad, is in 11th place at five-under-211.

Rolex Rankings: Shankar Das throws his hat in the ring

With Shankar Das taking the third round lead, it’s now clearly a three-way race for the Rolex Player of the Year title between Chikkarangappa, Shankar Das and Rashid Khan. The equation for the three golfers to guarantee themselves the Rolex Rankings crown is as follows: Second-ranked Chikkarangappa needs to finish at least runner-up at the McLeod Russel Tour Championship while both third-ranked Shankar Das and fourth-ranked Rashid Khan need to win the Rs. 1.5 crore event and at the same time hope Chikkarangappa doesn’t finish runner-up.

PGTI Press release

Rashid Khan matches course record with phenomenal 63 to move into second

Rashid Khan 

Kolkata, December 26, 2014: It turned out to be an eventful second day at the McLeod Russel Tour Championship as Delhi's Rashid Khan matched the course record at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) with a phenomenal nine-under-63 to climb from overnight tied 14th to second place at 10-under-134. Rashid, currently fourth in the Rolex Rankings, has now also emerged as a major contender for the Rolex Player of the Year title. Gurgaon's Shubhankar Sharma maintained his overnight lead after a round of three-under-69. Shubhankar is now one shot clear of Rashid at 11-under-133.

Chikkarangappa of Bangalore, who closed the day in third place at nine-under-135, continues to be another top contender for number one position in the 2014 Rolex Rankings.

Indian golfing great and local favourite Arjun Atwal came up with the day's second-best score of 66 to rise from overnight tied 22nd to tied sixth at six-under-138.

Rashid Khan (71-63), a two-time winner on the Asian Tour this year, followed up his sedate opening round of 71 with an incredible 63 on Friday to match the course record which was earlier jointly held by American Edward Fryatt and Arjun Atwal. While Fryatt achieved the feat during his 1997 Indian Open triumph, Atwal equalled the score en route a tournament victory in 2001.

The 23-year-old Rashid produced a hat-trick of birdies from the fourth to the sixth, landing it within six feet on two occasions. This was followed by three birdie conversions from a range of 15 to 20 feet on the ninth, 10th and 13th. The icing on the cake for Rashid was the eagle-birdie combination on the 15th and 16th. He hit an accurate three-iron second shot from long range on the par-5 15th to set up his eight-foot eagle putt.

“I had a feeling that I would shoot a six or seven under today since I made some subtle changes in my putting stroke after yesterday’s round. I made the changes as I needed to feel good with the putter. These changes seemed to have worked for me as I converted some long putts in round two. It’s great to equal the course record. I’ve always done well at RCGC, having won two amateur tournaments here. I also won last year’s Rolex Rankings after finishing sixth at RCGC during the 2013 edition of the McLeod Russel Tour Championship. I’ll therefore head into the last two rounds with loads of confidence,” said Rashid.

The prolific Khan added, “It’s been a terrific year for me so far with three wins under my belt, including two on the Asian Tour. The international exposure this year has helped me raise my game. I know I’m now also in contention to retain my Rolex Player of the Year title, but instead of focusing on that, I’d like to just play to my potential in the last two days of the season.”

Shubhankar Sharma (64-69) mixed five birdies with two bogeys to hold on to the lead on Friday. While the 18-year-old knocked in three long birdie putts, including a mammoth 35-footer on the eighth, he also dropped two bogeys as a result of errors in club-selection.

“My driving was probably better as compared to round one but my iron-hitting wasn’t that great. I also didn’t enjoy a good start today. I’ll look to improve on my iron-play in the next two rounds. I feel I just need to keep grinding it out and make the first six holes and the last four holes count as those holes present the most scoring opportunities,” said Shubhankar, currently ranked 11th in the Rolex Rankings.

He added, “I held my own in a high-pressure situation at the Panasonic Open last month by finishing fourth. So I know I can face the tough challenge this week as well.”

The 21-year-old Chikkarangappa kept himself in the hunt for the title this week as well as the Rolex Rankings crown after a round of 69 that placed him third, two strokes off the lead.

Gaganjeet Bhullar and Delhi’s Shamim Khan are joint fourth at seven-under-137.

The Kolkata duo of Arjun Atwal and Shankar Das occupies tied sixth place at six-under-138. Shankar (70), currently third in the Rolex Rankings, is also a contender for the Rolex Player of the Year title.

Atwal followed up his quiet opening round of 72 with an error-free 66 on day two that featured an eagle and four birdies to gain eight places from his overnight tied 14th position. Arjun landed his approach shots within three feet for birdie on the 14th and eagle on 15th and sank two long birdie putts on the seventh and ninth.

Atwal said, “I landed it closer today and my putting was a little better as compared to round one. I’ll look at shooting a score of around six-under in round three in order to stay in contention. I’m very proud that our young golfers such as Rashid, Chikkarangappa and Shubhankar are playing so well.”

Rahil Gangjee, another local lad, lies joint eighth along with Delhi’s Chiragh Kumar at five-under-139.

PGTI Press release

Shubhankar Sharma grabs round one lead with blistering eight-under-64

Shubhankar Sharma 

Kolkata, December 25, 2014: The Rs. 1.5 crore McLeod Russel Tour Championship, the year-ending event of the PGTI, got off to a cracking start at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) on Thursday as teenager Shubhankar Sharma of the DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon, posted a blistering eight-under-64 for the round one lead. Chikkarangappa of Bangalore ended the opening day of the richest-ever domestic event to be staged in India, in second place as he registered a score of 66.

Shubhankar Sharma, who at 17 years of age became the youngest winner on the PGTI at Kochi in April this year, was in sublime form on Thursday as he produced an incredible nine birdies against a lone bogey. The eighteen-year-old was off to a solid start with three birdies on the first five holes including a chip-in on the fifth. Shubhankar made the turn at five-under after two birdie conversions from 10 to 12 feet on the seventh and ninth.

Sharma’s only bogey of the day came as a result of a lip-out on the 10th but he came back stronger with four successive birdies from the 15th to the 18th. He sank a 20-footer on the 17th and landed it close to the flag on the 16th and 18th.   

“I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the week. I was striking it well and converting all opportunities on the greens. I’ve not been doing well in the opening rounds of late but today I managed to overcome that problem. But I know I can’t take anything for granted going into the next round as every day is a new day in golf,” said Shubhankar, currently ranked 11th in the Rolex Rankings.

He added, “I’ve got good memories of the RCGC as I won the All India Amateur Championship here in early 2013 just before turning professional. Those good memories could work for me this week.

“My success on the PGTI earlier this year and my consistent performances on the Asian Development Tour have helped me grow as a player. The fourth place finish in a strong international field at the Panasonic Open recently has also instilled a lot of self-belief in me.”

Chikkarangappa got a head-start in the race for the Rolex Player of the Year title after his opening round of six-under-66. Chikka, currently placed second in the Rolex Rankings, ended the day in second place, thus opening a huge gap between himself and Rolex Rankings leader Om Prakash Chouhan of Mhow who shot a one-over-73 to be tied 27th. There is a gap of just over Rs. 2 lakh between the two players at the moment. Chikkarangappa now has the edge in the race for the top spot as the winner at this week’s event is set to take home a prize purse of Rs. 23,77,500.

Chikka’s 66 featured an eagle, five birdies and a bogey. The 2014 Super Series champion almost holed out from 140 yards to set-up a tap-in birdie on the 11th. The 21-year-old also landed it within 10 feet from 220 yards for eagle on the 15th. He sank two 15-footers on the 14th and 18th.

Chikka said, “The rough is up this week so there is a premium on hitting the fairways. I missed just four fairways out of 16 today. I know I’m one of the top contenders for the Rolex Rankings title but I won’t let that dominate my thought process. I just want to play my best golf and enjoy myself on the course.”

Delhi’s Shamim Khan too enjoyed a good start to the tournament as he carded a bogey-free 67 to be placed third on day one. Shamim rolled in three birdie putts from a range of 15 to 25 feet.

Kapurthala lad and winner of six international titles Gaganjeet Bhullar mixed eight birdies with two bogeys and a double-bogey to close the day in tied fourth at four-under-68.

Kolkata’s Shankar Das, who is currently third in the Rolex Rankings, kept alive his hopes of topping the rankings as he too shot a 68 to join Bhullar and Bangalore’s M Dharma in tied fourth.

Delhi’s Chiragh Kumar occupied seventh place after returning a 69 while Kolkata’s Rahil Gangjee was a further stroke back in joint eighth.

Reigning Rolex Rankings champion Rashid Khan of Delhi was tied 14th after a round of 71.

The Kolkata duo of Arjun Atwal (72) and SSP Chowrasia (73), both of whom have enjoyed international success this year, were placed tied 22nd and tied 27th respectively.

PGTI Press release