Udayan Mane cruises to eight-stroke victory at Western India Oxford Masters for second title in four weeks

Oxford Golf Resort, Pune, October 23, 2015: Rookie Udayan Mane has had a dream start to his professional career. On Friday, the 24-year-old from Bengaluru secured his second title in only his ninth professional event when he cruised to a comfortable eight-stroke victory at the inaugural Western India Oxford Masters at the Oxford Golf Resort in Pune. Mane shot a clinical four-under-68 in round four to take his tournament total to 19-under-269 and as a result claim his second title in a span of four weeks.

Faridabad’s Abhinav Lohan finished a distant second at 11-under-277 at the Rs. 30 lakh PGTI event.

Udayan Mane (65-69-67-68), who enjoyed a mammoth six-shot lead ahead of the final round, didn’t look in trouble at any stage on Friday. He was ahead by six shots or more through the day. Udayan, who won his maiden title in Jaipur three weeks back, was quick off the blocks in round four as he birdied the second after landing it within three feet and sank an eagle on the fourth thanks to a 20-feet conversion. The bogey on the ninth was a minor hiccup for Mane where his tee shot went off the mark.

Mane got his back-nine going with two good pars on the 10th and 11th and a 10-feet birdie putt on the 12th. He finally sealed his wire-to-wire win in style by knocking in a 45-footer for birdie on the 17th. It is only the first time that a player has won two titles in his rookie season on the PGTI.

Udayan said, “I knew I had a very good chance of winning today as a result of the substantial lead. However, I took nothing for granted and wanted to get off to a good start which I did manage to do. I was striking it well so I was confident of hitting the fairways and greens and taking my chances on the greens.

“The birdie on the 12th got my back-nine going after I dropped a bogey on the ninth. Thereafter I knew I didn’t have to do anything extraordinary.

“I don’t just want to score well but in fact want to achieve a certain quality in my game. Once I have that quality, the scores will follow. The two wins mean that I’ll now have to reassess my goals for the season and aim much higher than before,” said Mane, who led in all four rounds of the tournament.

Mane took home the winner’s cheque worth Rs. 4,50,000 which pushed him up from seventh place to third position in the Rolex Rankings. His season’s earnings now read Rs. 14,72,792. Abhijit Singh Chadha of Chandigarh continues to lead the money rankings with season’s earnings of Rs. 17,91,165. Udayan has now also consolidated his position on top of the 2015 PGTI Emerging Player of the Year table. He has emerged as the firm favourite to win the title with nearest rival Pratap Atwal a distant second with earnings of Rs. 4,29,606.

Abhinav Lohan (72-65-70-70), who was overnight tied second, finished as sole runner-up after his final round of two-under-70. Lohan fired five birdies against two bogeys.

Shubhankar Sharma of Gurgaon shot the day’s joint best score of six-under-66 to end the week in tied third place along with Sri Lankan Anura Rohana (71) at 10-under-278.

Noida’s Rahul Bajaj claimed fifth place at seven-under-281.

Abhishek Jha of Bengaluru also shot a 66, the day’s joint best score, to secure tied 16th place at two-under-286.

Nagpur’s Moinuddin Malak, who also resides and plays a lot of golf in Pune, finished as the highest-placed professional from Western India and Maharashtra. Malak was tied 27th at one-over-289.

Fourteen-year-old Kshitij claims creditable tied 16th; Bags ‘Raj Kumar Pitamber Trophy’ for best amateur

Delhi’s Kshitij Naveed Kaul, the lone amateur to make the cut this week, claimed a creditable tied 16th finish with a total score of two-under-286. The 14-year-old Kaul, playing in a professional event for the first time, made an eagle, three birdies, three bogeys and a double-bogey, en route his even-par-72 in the final round. The teenage talent, currently one of India’s top junior golfers, didn’t shoot a single over-par score this week as he posted rounds of 70, 72, 72 and 72. Kaul became the first recipient of the “Raj Kumar Pitamber Trophy” on Friday as the best performing amateur.

The trophy honours the memory of Raj Kumar Pitamber, perhaps Western India’s most prominent golfer for many decades.

PGTI Press release

Udayan Mane takes commanding six-shot lead in round three of Western India Oxford Masters

Oxford Golf Resort, Pune, October 22, 2015: Bengaluru-based rookie golfer Udayan Mane built a commanding six-shot lead in the penultimate round of the inaugural Western India Oxford Masters after he produced a brilliant five-under-67 at the Oxford Golf Resort on Thursday. Mane’s three-day total of 15-under-201 gave him the lead for the third successive day at the Rs. 30 lakh PGTI event. Sri Lankan Anura Rohana and Faridabad’s Abhinav Lohan were in tied second at nine-under-207.

Udayan Mane (65-69-67), the overnight leader by three shots, gained an upper hand early on in round three as he nailed three consecutive birdies on the third, fourth and fifth. Mane landed his tee shot within three feet on the par-3 third before finding the green in two on the par-5 fourth. He converted a seven-footer on the fifth to make it a hat-trick of birdies.

Udayan consolidated his lead on the final stretch of the day with birdies on 16 and 17. He drained a 12-feet putt on the 16th after recovering well from the bunker while the 17th saw him sink his longest putt of the day, a 15-footer.

Mane, staring at his second title in four weeks, said, “I stuck to my process and my game-plan really well. I grabbed all my chances on the greens. I was off to a good start with those early birdies. From then on I kept hitting the greens. I struggled a little bit with my approaches and the pitching wedge on the back-nine but I continued to focus on creating chances.

“I drove well today and hit more fairways and greens in regulation than the previous round. The wind wasn’t blowing hard but just enough to make me recalculate. I will just try to follow my processes and do my thing in the final round than think about the result,” added Mane, whose 67 was the joint best score of day three.

Anura Rohana (69-68-70) mixed five birdies with a bogey and a double-bogey in his third round of 70 to continue in his overnight tied second position, six behind the leader Mane.

Abhinav Lohan (72-65-70) also shot a 70 to hold on to his overnight tied second place. His round featured four birdies and two bogeys.

Delhi’s Vinod Kumar was in fourth place at six-under-210.

Shamim Khan, another Delhi golfer, who shot the day’s joint best score of 67, occupied tied fifth along with Kolkata’s Mohammad Sanju, Noida golfers Rahul Bajaj and Vikrant Chopra and Gurgaon’s Deepinder Singh Kullar at five-under-211.

Honouring an Indian golfing legend

In order to honour the memory of perhaps Western India’s most prominent golfer for many decades, the amateur trophy of the tournament has been named the “Raj Kumar Pitamber Trophy”. “Pit” as he was known was a regular member of the Indian national amateur squad during the 1960’s and 70’s when India won the 1973 Asia Pacific Amateur Team championship. He captained India between 1964 and 1975 at a time when the game was largely amateur-driven in India. Pitamber was the All India Amateur champion in 1966 and 1973 and was decorated with the Arjuna Award in 1967. He passed away in 2005 at the age of 74.

Kshitij Naveed Kaul, the lone amateur to make the cut this week, was placed tied 18th at two-under-214. As the best performing amateur in the field, 14-year-old Kaul is set to be the first recipient of the “Raj Kumar Pitamber Trophy” on Friday after the final round.

Juniors Golf Clinic

In line with their objective of promoting golf at the grassroots in Western India, the tournament organizers and PGTI jointly held a Juniors Golf Clinic which was attended by junior golfers and school and college students at the Oxford Golf Resort’s Driving Range. The clinic was conducted by Australian professional and PGTI member Kunal Bhasin, a winner of three titles.

PGTI Press release

Udayan Mane continues domination at Western India Oxford Masters, leads by three at halfway stage

Udayan Mane

Pune, October 21, 2015: Bengaluru’s Udayan Mane continued his domination at the inaugural Western India Oxford Masters as he shot a determined three-under-69 in round two of the Rs. 30 lakh event at the Oxford Golf Resort in Pune to hold a three-shot lead at the halfway stage. Mane’s two-day total reads an impressive 10-under-134. Abhinav Lohan of Faridabad and Sri Lankan Anura Rohana are placed tied second at seven-under-137.

Udayan Mane (65-69), the overnight leader by two shots, was off to a solid start on Wednesday as he collected a birdie from eight feet on the second before picking up another stroke on the par-5 fourth where he found the green in two. Udayan looked set to get another low number when he sank an eagle on the par-5 ninth for the second day in succession. His immaculate four-iron approach landed within four feet of the pin on the ninth.

After making the turn at four-under, Mane had a contrasting back-nine. His erratic tee shots on the 10th and 13th resulted in a bogey and double-bogey respectively. Udayan, in fact, suffered a lost ball after hitting it out of bounds on the 13th. The saving grace for him on the back-nine were the two chip-putt birdies on the 11th and 13th, both par-5s. He thus ended up with a score of 5-under on the four par-5s in round two.

Mane said, “I played well today even though a couple of bad swings cost me dearly. These things do happen during a round but importantly I came back well from these situations, especially after the double-bogey on the 13th.

“It was a round where I set up myself to match my first round score or probably even improve upon it. However, the back-nine didn’t go as per plan. The ninth is obviously my favourite hole now since I’ve made two consecutive eagles there. It was quite satisfying to score on all the four par-5s today.

“I’ve given myself a good platform to have a shot at the title over the last two days.”

Abhinav Lohan (72-65) took a huge leap from overnight tied 27th to tied second after his round of seven-under-65 which was the day’s best score. Lohan registered eight birdies against a lone bogey on Wednesday. He closed his round with a magnificent 25-footer for birdie on the 18th.

Lohan said, “I’ve been playing well recently. I had shot a seven-under in Jaipur earlier this month. I was going well in round one here until I lost a ball on the front-nine that in turn slowed me down. Even though I missed a few short putts today, the birdie on the last hole really lifted my confidence.”

Anura Rohana (69-68), who was overnight tied fourth, joined Lohan in joint second on day two after his round of 68 that featured five birdies and a bogey.

Bengaluru’s R Murthy made his way up from overnight tied 10th to tied fourth after shooting a 68 on Wednesday that included an eagle, three birdies and a bogey.

Noida’s Vikrant Chopra, Delhi’s Honey Baisoya and Deepinder Singh Kullar of Gurgaon were in tied fifth at five-under-139.

Among the golfers from Maharashtra, Mumbai’s Anil Bajrang Mane was tied 19th at one-under-143 while Pune’s Moinuddin Malak was tied 34th at two-over-146.

The cut was declared at four-over-148. Fifty-six professionals and one amateur made the cut. The lone amateur to make the cut was Kshitij Naveed Kaul. Kaul occupied tied 13th place at two-under-142.  

PGTI Press release

Udayan Mane enjoys early advantage at Western India Oxford Masters courtesy a super 65

Pune, October 20, 2015: Rookie golfer Udayan Mane of Bengaluru, fresh from his maiden title in Jaipur three weeks back, continued his rich vein of form in the opening round of the inaugural Western India Oxford Masters with a superb seven-under-65 to take a two-shot lead. Delhi’s Vinod Kumar was second at five-under-67 on day one of the Rs. 30 lakh event at the Oxford Golf Resort.

Udayan Mane, a 10th tee starter on Tuesday, nailed a couple of crucial long-range birdie putts on the 14th and 17th, both par-3s, to get his round going. The 24-year-old Mane set up two more birdies on the first and fourth courtesy some accurate drives and approach shots.

Udayan recovered well from the rough before sinking a 20-footer for birdie on the fifth to move to five-under for the day. The burly golfer, measuring 6 feet 4 inches in height, closed his round with a flourish as he claimed an eagle on the par-5 ninth from a distance of 10 feet to end up with a bogey-free 65.

Mane said, “I was spot-on with my course management today. My club-selection was perfect and I picked the right lines on the greens. I recovered well after a couple of errant tee shots on two occasions. Besides those two holes I really didn’t land myself in any tough situation.

“On the opening 10th hole, I hit my tee shot left but came back well to make par. That settled me down and let me focus. I also had a lucky break on the seventh where my tee shot rebounded off a tree and landed back on the fairway. That was a big moment in the round as I consider the seventh the toughest driving hole.

“It was heartening to make two 20-feet birdie putts today. I’m not looking at any numbers this week but instead just want to play to my potential. The opening round has given me a solid foundation to build on over the next three days,” added Mane.

Vinod Kumar mixed seven birdies with two bogeys for a brilliant 67 to be two off the lead. Vinod was in tremendous chipping form as he chipped-in for birdie on the fifth and landed it within inches on the 16th. He also set up tap-in birdies thanks to his strong iron-play on the ninth and 12th. The multiple winner on the PGTI almost holed out his approach from 170 yards on the 12th.

“I was stroking my putts well. However, some of them didn’t roll in. My driving and iron shots were top-class and I’m extremely satisfied with the first round effort. I’ve had a low opening round after a long time. This sets me up for the week,” said an excited Vinod.

Gurgaon-based Shubhankar Sharma shot a flawless four-under-68 to lie third.

There was a six-way tie for fourth place between Sri Lankans Anura Rohana and K Prabagaran, Noida golfers Vikrant Chopra and Gaurav Pratap Singh, Delhi’s Honey Baisoya and Australian Kunal Bhasin, at three-under-69.

Pune-based professionals Aditya Bhandarkar (70) and Moinuddin Malak (71) shot under-par scores to be tied 10th and tied 21st respectively.

Delhi’s Chiragh Kumar, who secured his Asian Tour card with a creditable tied second at the Venetian Macau Open last week, posted a 75 to be tied 56th.

Chiragh said, “It was a big moment for me last week as securing the Asian Tour card was a huge relief and a confidence-booster at the same time. It was a tough tournament with a strong field and I’m delighted to have put up a good performance there.

“It was great to play the final round in Macau with my former India team-mate Anirban Lahiri who has been in the form of his life. We kept encouraging each other during the round,” added Chiragh.

“I reached Pune late last evening so didn’t have the opportunity to play a practice round. My putting let me down today as I missed a few short putts. Nonetheless, I hope I can come back in the second round as I’ve been playing well recently,” said Chiragh.

Lahiri eclipses Shamim in playoff to win title

Anirban Lahiri (C) receives the winning cheque from Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, Director, PGTI (L) and Mr. Campbell Elliot, GM, Oxford G & CC at Oxford Golf and Country Club in Pune on June 28, 2013

Pune, June 28, 2013: Anirban Lahiri of Bengaluru gave himself a great birthday present one day before his 26th birthday when he eclipsed Shamim Khan of Delhi in a playoff to win the PGTI Players Championship being played at the Oxford Golf & Country Club in Pune. The two players headed for a playoff after being tied at the top of the leaderboard with total scores of 10-under-278 at the end of the regulation 72 holes. Anirban finally won after making birdie on the playoff hole even as Shamim made par.

Anirban Lahiri (70-68-71-69), who was overnight fourth and three strokes off the lead, fired five birdies against two bogeys in his final round of 69. He began the day on a positive note by driving the green on the par-4 second hole and subsequently earning a birdie there. The three-time winner on the Asian Tour then found the green in two shots on the par-5 fourth hole to pick up another birdie. Lahiri went through a rough patch on the fifth and sixth where a couple of erratic approach shots by him resulted in bogeys.

Anirban got back into his groove with a birdie on the ninth. He had a poor tee shot on the 13th but recovered well with a great second shot and a 15-feet birdie putt to gain further momentum. Lahiri drew level with Shamim for the lead after he chipped it within a foot to set up a birdie on the 15th.

Lahiri finally prevailed on the first playoff hole (ninth hole) as Shamim struggled to recover after landing his tee shot in the rough. Anirban found the fairway with his tee shot and then landed his third shot within a foot of the pin to bag a birdie on the par-5 hole. The Bengaluru-based golfer thus lifted his 11th professional title which also happened to be his eighth on the PGTI.

“I’m delighted to win on the PGTI after a long gap of over two years. I enjoy playing at the Oxford Golf & Country Club as I have now won two titles here. The course layout suits my style of play. The birdie after getting out of trouble on the 13th gave me some momentum. My putting was very poor today and I missed a lot of birdie putts especially on the last three holes. I got a little lucky today as I would’ve needed at least two or three more birdies to win on any other day. I knew I was in with a terrific chance after Shamim found the rough with his tee shot during the playoff,” said Lahiri, who finished runner-up at an Asian Tour event last week.

Shamim Khan (71-67-68-72), the overnight leader, made four birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey in his final round of 72. Shamim’s second shot on the fifth found thick grass and led to a double-bogey. He was unlucky on the seventh where he drove it well but the ball got stuck in a stone resulting in a bogey. The bright spot in his round was a 25-feet birdie conversion on the 14th.

Sri Lanka’s Mithun Perera and Rahil Gangjee of Kolkata shared third place with matching totals of eight-under-280.

Faridabad’s Abhinav Lohan and Himmat Singh Rai of the DLF Golf & Country Club were in tied fifth place at seven-under-281.

Moinuddin Malak with a total score of seven-over-295, was the highest-placed Pune golfer in tied 37th place.

Press release

Shamim Khan shines in round three to emerge leader

 Shamim Khan

Pune, June 27, 2013: Shamim Khan of Delhi carded a resolute four-under-68 to emerge leader in round three of the PGTI Players Championship being played at the Oxford Golf & Country Club in Pune. Shamim’s total moved to 10-under-206 after his superb third round effort. Rahil Gangjee of Kolkata returned the day’s best score of five-under-67 to be placed second. Gangjee is now breathing down Shamim’s neck with a nine-under-207 total.

Shamim Khan (71-67-68), who was overnight tied third and one stroke off the lead, earned successive birdies on the fifth and sixth holes to make a move up the leaderboard. The 35-year-old reigning Rolex Rankings champion sank a 40-feet birdie putt on the fifth. A poor chip resulted in a bogey for Shamim on the seventh but he picked up a birdie on the ninth to make the turn at two-under.

Shamim’s back-nine featured a chip-in for birdie on the 13th, two birdie conversions from a range of 12 to 15 feet on the 14th and 17th as well as a birdie on the closing 18th. The professional from the Delhi Golf Club also dropped bogeys on the 11th and 15th as a result of a couple of three-putts. He thus ended up with seven birdies and three bogeys.

“I had a steady first round but my game picked up from round two onwards. I’ve been putting much better and have also hit my irons closer over the last two days as compared to round one. I rate the sixth as a very tough hole since one can’t sight the fairway from the tee and the green is also very tight. I was therefore delighted to make a birdie on the sixth today. I’ve not been finishing my rounds well in the last few events. But I feel I’ve managed to improve that aspect of my game this week,” said Shamim, a winner of nine professional titles.

Rahil Gangjee (72-68-67), climbed from overnight tied eighth to second place after shooting the day’s best score of 67. Gangjee’s eventful round included seven birdies against two bogeys. Rahil, a former winner on the Asian Tour, rolled in birdie putts from 40 and 20 feet on the seventh and 17th respectively. The 34-year-old landed his approach shots within five feet to set up birdies on the first and 18th and also produced two excellent chip-putts for birdies on the fourth and 11th. His two bogeys on the sixth and eighth were a result of three-putts on both occasions.

Gangjee said, “I’ve gotten to know this course more with each passing round and have accordingly adjusted my game. I now have a better understanding of the green speed and the distance the ball carries in the air. This in turn has helped me play better. My putting stroke was also a lot smoother than the previous two rounds.”

Kolkata’s Shankar Das (67-70-71), the overnight joint leader, slipped to third place after returning a 71 on Thursday. His total stands at eight-under-208.

Anirban Lahiri (70-68-71) of Bengaluru is in fourth place at seven-under-209. Sri Lankan Mithun Perera (70-70-70) is a further stroke back in fifth position.

Delhi’s Rashid Khan, the overnight joint leader, slipped to tied sixth at five-under-211 after firing a 74 in round three. He shares sixth place along with fellow Delhi golfers Chiragh Kumar, Himmat Singh Rai and Vinod Kumar.

Moinuddin Malak (77-69-72), with a total score of two-over-218, is currently the highest-placed Pune golfer. He is placed tied 32nd.

Rashid, Shankar on top at halfway stage

 Rashid Khan

Shankar Das

Pune, June 26, 2013: Delhi’s Rashid Khan and Kolkata’s Shankar Das share the lead after round two of the PGTI Players Championship being played at the Oxford Golf and Country Club in Pune. Rashid shot a five-under-67, the day’s joint best score, to join Shankar Das at the top of the leaderboard at seven-under-137. Shankar fired a two-under-70 on Wednesday.

Bengaluru’s Anirban Lahiri is one stroke off the lead in tied third along with the Delhi duo of Shamim Khan and Vinod Kumar.

The cut was declared at three-over-147. Fifty professionals made the cut.

Shankar Das (67-70), the overnight leader, made a solid start in round two with seven straight pars. Das rolled in a 10-footer for his first birdie of the day on the eighth. A brilliant chip set up a birdie for Shankar on the ninth and took his score to two-under for the round. Two poor shots on the 13th led to a bogey for the soft-spoken golfer. Das closed the day on a high after securing a birdie on the 18th. He hit an astonishing approach shot from 115 yards out on the 18ththat hit the edge of the hole and lipped out.

Shankar said, “I was solid through the day. My focus was on shooting an under-par score in order to stay on track for the last two days. The sand-wedge approach shot on the 18th was my best shot of the tournament so far and helped lift my confidence a great deal. However, the chipping was disappointing in round two. I need to chip better in order to stay in contention.”   

Rashid Khan (70-67), who was overnight tied third, began the day with a bogey on the 10th but then rallied with four successive birdies from the 13th through the 16th. He knocked in a 10-feet putt on the 13th and followed that up with a 15-feet conversion on the 14th. Rashid, who finished second in the 2012 Rolex Rankings, kept up the good work with clinical chip-putts for birdies on the 15thand 16th. He picked up two more birdies on the fifth and ninth to end the day with a laudable 67.

Rashid said, “I hit 15 greens in regulation on both days but I grabbed more chances on the greens in the second round. The weather conditions were much better today as it just drizzled for a brief spell in the morning. I felt more comfortable on the course today and thus shot a lower number.”

Anirban Lahiri (70-68), Shamim Khan (71-67) and Vinod Kumar (70-68) are placed tied third at six-under-138. Lahiri’s bogey-free 68 featured a chip-in from 15 feet for birdie on the 14th. Shamim Khan’s 67 was the joint best score of the day along with Rashid Khan’s round.

Himmat Singh Rai of the DLF Golf & Country Club and Md Zamal Hossain Mollah of Bangladesh share sixth place at five-under-139.

Saurabh Bhaduri (71-72), with a total score of one-under-143, is currently the highest-placed Pune golfer in tied 24th.

Defending champion Om Prakash Chouhan (77-78) of Mhow missed the cut as he totaled 11-over-155 after the first two rounds.

Shankar Das posts a gallant 67 for the first round lead

 Clouds descend on the Sahyadri Hills surrounding the Oxford Golf  and Country Club near Pune on 

June 25, 2013

Shankar Das of Klokata

Pune, June 25, 2013: Shankar Das of Kolkata posted a gallant five-under-67 in difficult weather conditions to grab the first round lead at the PGTI Players Championship being played at the Oxford Golf & Country Club in Pune. Md Zamal Hossain Mollah of Bangladesh is two strokes off the lead in second place.

The scoring conditions were tough as the day witnessed light rain accompanied by a gentle breeze. As a result it turned out to be a high-scoring day.

Shankar Das produced six birdies against a lone bogey in his opening round of 67. The three-time winner on the PGTI started his tournament with a birdie on the 10th, his first hole of the day. He fired his approach shot from 145 yards within a foot of the hole on the 10th. The 30-year-old Shankar then sank a seven-footer for birdie on the 16th. His lone bogey came on the 17th where he three-putted.

Das knocked down four birdies on his second nine when the playing conditions were the toughest. He converted an eight feet putt for birdie on the third and followed that up with a brilliant chip from the edge to set up a birdie on the fourth. Shankar went on to pick up two more birdies on the fifth and ninth after landing his approach shots within six feet on both occasions.

“My iron-play was excellent today. I hit a splendid second shot with the nine-iron on the 10th and also produced an accurate five-iron shot on the fifth. The driving was good, particularly on the fourth which I consider one of the tougher holes on this course due to its layout. One has to find the centre of the fairway with the tee shot on the fourth in order to avoid the fairway bunker and the rough on the right. I managed to find the middle of the fairway by hitting the right line,” said Shankar, who had three birdies on the trot from the third through the fifth.

He added, “The chipping set up some opportunities for me which I converted by making the putts. I adapted well to the wet conditions by keeping my hands dry and hitting low shots. I know I can perform well this week as I have already posted two top-20s on the Asian Tour this year.”

Md Zamal Hossain Mollah’s round of 69 was characterized by some remarkable wedge shots. His first birdie of the day came on the second where he landed his lob wedge shot from 60 yards out to within 10 feet of the flag and subsequently holed the putt. The light-eyed Dhaka lad picked up his second birdie on the fourth hole as his chip stopped within three feet of the pin. The 28-year-old Zamal made the turn at three under after firing a birdie on the ninth thanks to a near-perfect chip from the edge that missed the hole by a couple of inches.

Mollah’s three-putt from six feet on the 13th led to his only bogey of the day. The double-winner on the PGTI bagged his last birdie of the round on the 15th after converting a 10-footer.

Zamal said, “I chipped really well today and followed that up with some consistent putting. I had 26 putts in all. I capitalized on the first two par-5 holes, the fourth and ninth, with some accurate hitting that helped me find the edge of the green in two shots on both occasions.

“I’m quite confident of performing well this week since I’ve had a good season so far with three top-10s. I’ve also shot some good scores at this venue in the past,” added Zamal, who currently lies 13th in the Rolex Rankings.

Bangalore’s Anirban Lahiri, one of the pre-tournament favourites, shot a two-under-70, to be tied third along with fellow Bangalore golfer Chikkarangappa S, Delhi golfers Rashid Khan, Vinod Kumar, Himmat Singh Rai, Honey Baisoya, Siddharth Semwal, as well as Sri Lankans Mithun Perera and N Thangaraja.

Saurabh Bhaduri is the highest-placed Pune golfer in tied 12th at one-under-71 along with five others including Shamim Khan and Digvijay Singh.

Defending champion Om Prakash Chouhan is placed tied 78th after a round of five-over-77.

Sujjan Singh of Chandigarh, who won the 2011 edition of the PGTI Players Championship at Oxford Golf & Country Club, withdrew due to a wrist injury.

Straight out of a picture book

The setting at the Oxford Golf and Country Club on Tuesday seemed to be straight out of a picture book as clouds descended upon the hills surrounding the course on three sides. The clouds were literally within touching distance of the course even as the drizzle, wind and low visibility during the second half of the round made life difficult for the professionals. The hills surrounding the course are a part of the Sahyadri Range also known as the Western Ghats.

Press release

Leading professionals for PGTI Oxford Golf and Country Club Championships

Pune, June 24, 2013: The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) has announced the PGTI Players Championship which is scheduled to be held at the Oxford Golf and Country Club near Pune from June 25 to 28. The tournament carries a total prize purse of Rs 30 lakh.

The tournament will feature the likes of top Indian professionals such as Anirban Lahiri, Shamim Khan (Reigning Rolex Rankings champion), Himmat Singh Rai, Digvijay Singh, Chiragh Kumar, Mukesh Kumar, defending champion Om Prakash Chouhan, Sujjan Singh, Rahil Gangjee, Harendra Gupta, Shankar Das, Manav Jaini, Rashid Khan, Abhijit Singh Chadha, Ajeetesh Sandhu and Vinod Kumar, to name a few.

 The top foreigners in the field include Mithun Perera (Sri Lanka), Kunal Bhasin (Australia) and Md Zamal Hossain Mollah (Bangladesh). The leading golfers from Pune participating in the event include Rajiv Datar, Jaideep Patwardhan, Moniuddin Malak, Saurabh Bhaduri, Sameer Shaikh, Pravin Pathare and Aditya Bhandarkar.

Mr. Campbell Elliot, General Manager Oxford Golf & Country Club, said, “Oxford is proud to be associated with India’s golf professionals and it is with great delight that we welcome all participants back to the Oxford Golf and Country Club for the Players Championship.  We wish all competitors the best of luck and hope that everyone enjoys the course, hospitality and Pune’s wonderful weather.”

Mr. Padamjit Sandhu, Director, PGTI, said, “We begin the second half of our 2013 season with a strong player field at the picturesque Oxford Golf  and Country Club. The city of Pune is fast emerging as a major golfing centre in India and this tournament gives local professionals an opportunity to take on the best in the country in favourable home conditions. We look forward to an exciting week of golf and thank the Oxford Golf and Country Club for their strong support to professional golf.”

The picturesque Oxford Golf Course, designed by Phil Ryan, is built on 136 acres of horse-shoe shaped land surrounded by the Sahyadri Hills on three sides. There is a height difference of 88 metres within the golf course. The large greens and sparkling white sand bunkers also give the course a distinct identity. The overall landscaping is designed to blend seamlessly with the surrounding hills.

Press release