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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Honey Baisoya

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Press release

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

Aman Raj of Patna

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PGTI release

Shamim Khan snatches victory with a sublime 63 on thrilling final day; Patna's Aman Raj finishes T7

Jaipur, September 16, 2017: It was indeed a ‘Royal’ finish in the land of kings, Rajasthan, as the final round of the inaugural Jaipur Open 2017 presented by Rajasthan Tourism saw five players rise into contention before the seasoned Shamim Khan snatched victory with a sublime seven-under-63.

Delhi-based Shamim came from behind to dash the title hopes of a bunch of players including overnight leader Vikrant Chopra of Noida. Khan totaled 20-under-260 for the week to bag his second title of the season and extend his lead in the PGTI Order of Merit.

Honey Baisoya, another Delhi golfer, delivered an error-free final round of 65 to finish runner-up at 19-under-261 at the Rs. 30 lakh.

Vikrant Chopra, the leader for the first three rounds, who entered the final round with a two-shot advantage, missed out on his maiden title after a last round of 69 that saw him drop to tied third at 18-under-262.

Kolkata’s Viraj Madappa, who recorded the tournament’s best round of nine-under-61, and Lucknow’s Sanjeev Kumar (67), also took a share of third place.

Shamim Khan (65-65-67-63), lying overnight fourth and four off the lead, made an early charge with three birdies on the first 10 holes that brought him within striking distance of the lead. The 39-year-old’s bogey on the 11^th was his only blemish of the day which was quickly neutralized by consecutive birdies on the 13^th and 14^th, both tap-ins from three feet.

After a 20-feet birdie conversion on the 16^th, the pro from the Delhi Golf Club, turned the contest on its head by draining it from 10 feet for eagle on the next which gave him a decisive two-shot lead. Honey Baisoya, Vikrant Chopra and Sanjeev Kumar couldn’t catch up with Khan thereafter. Shamim thus took home the winner’s cheque worth Rs. 4,50,000 and as a result pulled ahead by almost Rs. 5 lakh in the PGTI Order of Merit.

Shamim, who won his 14^th professional title on Saturday, said, “I had a great start with couple of birdies on the first three holes. I then knew that a score of seven to eight under was possible and I did have a chance of climbing into contention.

“The back-to-back birdies on the 13^th and 14^th also helped me grow in confidence. The turning point for me was the birdie-eagle stretch on the 16^th and 17^th which resulted in a three-shot swing in my favour that suddenly put me two ahead and within reach of the title.

“Not playing in the leader group worked for me as it got my mind off the leaderboard and helped me focus on my game. I only ended up seeing the scores on the 17^th tee and realized that I was within one shot of the lead.

“My iron-play was exceptional this week. I also played some extraordinary shots in each round. This win is a huge boost for my hopes to bag my second PGTI Order of Merit title,” added the consistent Khan, who won his first Order of Merit crown in 2012.

Honey Baisoya (67-64-65-65), overnight third and three off the lead, almost took the match into a playoff as his brilliant bunker shot for eagle on the 18^th stopped an inch from the hole.

“I knew with two par-5s at the end I had an opportunity to take the match into a playoff but unfortunately I couldn’t grab a birdie on the 17^th. I was then extremely focused during the bunker shot on the 18^th and was trying to visualize all my successful bunker shots from the past. It was a great shot but missed the hole by a whisker,” said Baisoya, a winner of three titles on the PGTI.

Viraj Madappa also rose into contention for a brief spell on the final day thanks to his sizzling round of 61 that featured an eagle and seven birdies. He made six conversions from a range of 15 to 25 feet. Rookie Madappa, currently leading the PGTI Emerging Player of the Year race by a mile, was unlucky to miss out on eagle opportunities from 15 feet on both the 17^th and 18^th holes.

Vikrant Chopra looked comfortable till the 12^th having knocked in three birdies to stay ahead by two shots. But a three-putt bogey on the 13^th followed by another dropped shot on the 15^th saw him slip out of the lead. Chopra did mount a challenge with a birdie on the 17^th but his hopes faded away when his approach found the water on the 18^th resulting in another bogey.

Sanjeev Kumar slipped from overnight second to tied third after shooting a final round of 67.

Aman Raj of Patna

Bihar's Aman Raj played brilliantly throughout the tournament to finish tied seventh along with Abhijeet Singh Chadha and Manu Gundas with 15 under 265. He played superb today and carded 8 under 62. His final score was 67, 69, 67, 62.

Prize Presentation picture caption:

Shamim Khan receives the winning trophy and cheque from (l - r) Mr. Shirish Sacheti, Secretary, Rambagh GC, Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI and Mr. Giriraj Singh, Captain, Rambagh GC.

Vikrant's rock-solid 68 keeps him 2 ahead going into final round of Jaipur Open 2017; Patna's Aman at T21

Jaipur, September 15, 2017: Noida’s Vikrant Chopra continued in the lead on the third day of the Jaipur Open 2017 as a result of his rock-solid two-under-68 that kept him two ahead at 17-under-193.

Lucknow’s Sanjeev Kumar reduced Chopra’s lead to two strokes after his standout performance of 65 took his total to 15-under-195 at the picturesque Rambagh Golf Club.

Delhi’s Honey Baisoya also produced the day’s best of 65 to rise to third place at 14-under-196.

PGTI Order of Merit leader Shamim Khan (67) of Delhi was another stroke back in fourth.

Vikrant Chopra (62-63-68), the overnight leader by five shots, had a relatively quieter day as compared to round one and two but managed to hang on to his advantage. The 37-year-old kept the errors out once again with his second bogey-free round of the week. He’s just dropped one bogey so far in three rounds.

Chopra sank a 10-footer for birdie on the fifth but then the putts stopped rolling in for him as he had a few narrow misses for birdies. However, he finally nailed a crucial six feet birdie putt on the 18^th that ensured him a two-shot cushion ahead of the final round.

Vikrant said, “Anytime you have a bogey-free round you should be happy since technically you’ve not made any mistakes. So I’m quite pleased with today’s effort even though the putts didn’t fall for me. The closing birdie was critical as it nicely sets up the final round for me.

“The key in the final round will be to keep the ball in play. I will play to my plan in round four. One does tend to look at the leaderboard in such situations, but it’s important to not let it affect your game too much. That’s what I’ll keep in mind.

“There are a few experienced golfers in the mix such as Shamim Khan, Vinod Kumar and Honey Baisoya as well as Sanjeev Kumar who is playing really well. I’m therefore expecting some intense competition on the final day,” added a confident Chopra, who is chasing his maiden individual title.

Sanjeev Kumar (67-63-65), who was overnight joint second, emerged as the prime challenger to the leader with the third round’s best score of 65. The 25-year-old Sanjeev, who turned pro in 2011, has played the best golf of his career in the last two seasons.

The Lucknow lad had posted a top-10 at the Asian Tour’s Panasonic Open India in 2016 and followed that up with a runner-up finish at the PGTI event in Chittagong earlier this year.

On Friday, Sanjeev was four-under through the front-nine largely thanks to a 15-feet eagle conversion on the eighth. He eagled the eighth for the second day in succession. Kumar then added two more birdies and a bogey to his card on the back-nine to end up with a five-under for the day.

Sanjeev said, “I’m playing in the leader group for the first time this week, so I felt the pressure on the first few holes today. But the eagle on the eighth lifted my confidence. I thought I was in a good position to take the lead today but there were a few missed opportunities towards the end.

“My putting needs to be sharper in the final round and I think a round of five to six under will give me a good chance of winning. I’m quite happy that I’ve dropped just two bogeys so far this week.

“My game has just taken off since last year due to various factors. I’m using new equipment, driving much better and making more conversions on the greens. I also feel less pressure while competing.”

Honey Baisoya matched the day’s best of 65 to gain one place and move up to third position.

Shamim Khan’s third round of 67 saw him drop from tied second to fourth place at 13-under-197.

Gurgaon-based Manu Gandas and Delhi’s Vinod Kumar returned scores of 66 to share fifth place at 12-under-198.

Patna’s Aman Raj was tied 21^st along with four other at the end of the third day’s play. He played 3 under 67 today to aggregate his score to 7 under 203.

             

Vikrant Chopra emerges front runner at Jaipur Open after phenomenal 63 in round two; Patna lad Aman at T25

Vikrant Chopra 

Jaipur, September 14, 2017: Noida’s Vikrant Chopra was in hot form for the second day running at the Jaipur Open 2017 being played at the Rambagh Golf Club. Chopra emerged the front runner after amassing a record 15-under-125 total at the halfway stage thanks to a phenomenal second round of seven-under-63. He now leads the field by five strokes.   

Lucknow’s Sanjeev Kumar matched Vikrant’s 63, the best round of the day, to move into joint second at 10-under-130 along with Delhi’s Shamim Khan, who fired a 65 on Thursday.

The cut was declared at one-under-139. Fifty-four professionals made the cut.

Vikrant Chopra (62-63), the joint overnight leader, followed up his sublime first round effort with another power-packed performance on day two to establish a commanding five-shot lead. His 15-under score, featuring 16 birdies and a lone bogey, set the record for the lowest two-day total on the PGTI.

Chopra, chasing his first individual title (he has won team events on the PGTI), continued the intensity in round two as he struck three birdies on the back nine to make the turn at three-under for the day. The front nine was even better for the 37-year-old with five more birdies coming his way at the expense of just one bogey.

The highlight of his round was the 40-feet birdie conversion on the second. He also landed it within two feet on four occasions to set up tap-in birdies.

  

Chopra said, “It’s been a dream run for me so far in this tournament. Generally 15-under is a winning score but I’ve managed to achieve it in two days. This week could really turn around my season which has been a quiet one so far.

“I made some good conversions on the greens early on but the 40-footer on the second hole got my round going as it took me to five-under just when I was looking at shooting a really low number. Importantly, I’ve kept the errors out dropping just one bogey in the first two rounds. Hopefully, I can carry the same form over next two days.

“I’ve always played well at the Rambagh Golf Club as it is a lot like my home course, the Noida Golf Club. I remember shooting a seven-under here few years back. The memories from my previous good performances here in Jaipur have also helped my confidence.”

Sanjeev Kumar (67-63) took a giant stride in round two as he moved up from overnight tied 13^th to joint second place courtesy a flawless 63. Sanjeev, currently 10^th on the merit list as a result of two top-5s in the season including a runner-up finish, made a chip-in for eagle on the eighth.

PGTI Order of Merit leader Shamim Khan (65-65) fired a second consecutive 65 to climb from overnight tied fourth to tied second. He too had a bogey-free round.

Delhi’s Honey Baisoya was in fourth at nine-under-131.

Seven golfers, including Delhi’s Gaurav Ghei, who also posted the day’s best score of 63, were bunched together in tied fifth at eight-under-132. Ghei gained 26 places as a result of his second round effort which included a birdie chip-in from the bunker on the ninth and a massive 35-feet birdie conversion on the closing 18^th.

Ashok Kumar of Delhi, the joint round one leader, carded a 71 on Thursday to slip to tied 12^th at seven-under-133.

Delhi’s Rashid Khan ended round two in tied 39^th position with a total of two-under-138.

All four Jaipur golfers missed the cut. Jaipur’s leading professional Vishal Singh missed it by three strokes as his two-day total read two-over-142. Among the other Jaipur-based players, Mahesh Yadav totaled nine-over-149, while Damodar Kumawat and Yogendra Kumawat had a tally of 17-over-157 and 25-over-165 respectively.

Patna's Aman Raj was placed joint 25th with 4 under 136 at the the end of Day Two . He struck 3 under 67 on the first day while carded one under 69 on the second day of the championships. 

Shiv Kapur triumphs at Yeangder Heritage, ends 11-year title drought in Asia

Shiv Kapur

Miaoli, Chinese Taipei, April 30: Shiv Kapur’s excruciatingly long wait for a second Asian Tour title finally ended at the inaugural Yeangder Heritage on Sunday.

Kapur (71-70-67-64), who had won his previous and only Asian Tour event in his rookie season back in 2005, came home the winner by two shots at the National Golf Country Club in Miaoli, Chinese Taipei, with a sensational bogey-free final round of eight-under-64 that saw him end up with a total of 16-under-272.

Malaysian Gavin Green and Korean Yikeun Chang finished joint runners-up at 14-under-274 at the US$300,000 event.

The 35-year-old Kapur, who began the day in tied third, two off the lead, put together eight birdies in round four, including five on the last seven holes, to register the tournament’s lowest single round score of 64 en route his victory.

Interestingly, Shiv birdied the par-five 13^th hole for four consecutive days. The 2002 Asian Games gold medallist also closed out the match in style, holing a tricky seven feet downhill birdie putt on the 18^th.

Kapur, who had won two European Challenge Tour events in 2013, now has four international titles to his credit. His winner’s cheque of US$54,000 from the Yeangder Heritage has pushed him up from 21^st to 13^th place in the 2017 Asian Tour Order of Merit.

Shiv said, “This win means a lot to me. Honestly it hasn’t sunk in yet because I’m still in a bit of a daze. It has been a frustrating last couple of years so it is nice to be back where I belong. There are so many good talents on the Asian Tour and it is getting harder and harder to win each year.

“There is a certain calmness on the golf course. It think that helped me and it also helped because I was not playing in the last group. That gave me an opportunity to just go and make birdies. I looked at the leaderboard on the 17^th hole and I was already 15-under and two ahead.

“I came close on 17 and hit a great drive and second shot on the 18^th hole. I had a downhill seven feet birdie putt on the last and made that. I can look back and say I did this right but you need some luck to win.”

In September last year, Kapur went for a liver surgery and returned in mid-December after resting for three months. Before the surgery, he lost his European Tour card.

Kapur added, “I really struggled last year. I came back from a liver surgery in September and was lying on a hospital bed. It was frustrating because you couldn’t play. Now I’ve come back after six months and to win the way I did is satisfying. When you are away from the game, it gives you doubts about yourself especially when things are not going your way. This win comes at the right time.”

Kapur, who was named the Asian Tour Rookie of the Year in 2005, soon after winning his first Asian Tour title in December that year, said, “It has been a long time since I won on the Asian Tour. It has been such a long wait but you tend to appreciate it more. You will have questions and doubts from yourself and other people but I answered those questions more to myself than anybody else with this win.

“After you haven’t won for so long, you might think that the best is behind you. When I first won, I was in my early 20s as well and the older guys were chasing me down. Now I’m the old guy! I played with Gavin Green in the third round and I can’t talk enough about what a great player he is. Today I played with two young Thai players so there is a lot of talent on the Asian Tour.

“It is becoming harder and harder to win. The young kids come into tournaments to win. They come through the ADT system and that’s such a great platform for them to learn how to win. When they come out on the Asian Tour, it is not a big surprise to them anymore.”

Congratulating Shiv on his well-deserved victory, Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, said, “We at the PGTI congratulate Shiv for his win at the Yeangder Heritage. The victory is a result of his dedication and perseverance.We look forward to seeing him win many more titles in the years to come.”

Sujjan Singh (67) and Himmat Rai (71) were the next best Indians as they claimed tied 22^nd at five-under-283.

Among the other Indians in the field, Chikkarangappa (68) finished tied 27^th at four-under-284, Khalin Joshi (70) bagged tied 39^th at two-under-286, Rahil Gangjee (70) was tied 52^nd at two-over-290 and Chiragh Kumar (77) ended tied 60^th at five-over-293.

Shiv Kapur - 4 International Wins

Asian Tour

·         Volvo Masters of Asia 2005

·         Yeangder Heritage 2017

European Challenge Tour

·         Gujarat Kensville Challenge 2013 (Kensville G & CC)

·         Dubai Festival City Challenge Tour Grand Final 2013

PGTI release 

Anura Rohana springs a surprise with a scorching 65, wins first title in over two years; Patna's Aman finishes T19

Pune, April 23, 2017: Sri Lankan Anura Rohana sprung a surprise on the final day of the Pune Open 2017 by setting the Poona Club Golf Course on fire with a scorching six-under-65. The fabulous effort by the seasoned campaigner fetched him his first title in two and a half years as he closed the tournament with a total of 10-under-274.

  

The second place was shared between Bengaluru’s Khalin Joshi (66) and Panchkula’s Angad Cheema (69) at eight-under-276 at the Rs. 30 lakh event.

Anura Rohana (71-68-70-65), lying tied seventh and three off the lead after the penultimate round, had a vision at the start of the final round that he would shoot a 65. As it turned out, his vision came true earning him his fourth title on the PGTI.

The 43-year-old Colombo resident’s day didn’t begin as per plan as he dropped a shot on the opening hole. What followed was a brilliant display of Anura’s all-round skills as he accumulated four birdies on the front-nine including two from 10 to 15 feet.

Rohana, who hails from the Royal Colombo Golf Club, started turning the tables on the others with a brilliant tap-in birdie on the 11th where he made an astounding recovery with his approach after a poor tee shot. Anura, the runner-up last week in Kochi, then chipped-in from 60 yards for eagle on the 15th to take the sole lead.

A bogey on the 16th didn’t deter Rohana as he notched a final birdie on the 18th to come home the winner by two strokes. Anura thus bagged the winning cheque worth Rs. 4,50,000 and moved up from eighth to fourth in the PGTI Order of Merit.

Rohana said, “I’m delighted to win after a long gap of two and a half years as my last win came in October 2014. I had been playing well of late with top-5 finishes in my last two events on the PGTI. I had my chance in Kochi last week but was unfortunate to finish second. The new putter that I started using from the Indian Open onwards last month has had a huge impact on my game. My putting is much better than last season. I’m also playing with less pressure now as I finally have a sponsor.

“This morning, I somehow thought of the number 65 as the combination for locking my suitcase. At that moment, I told myself that this might just be the number I end up shooting today. That’s exactly what happened.

“I started believing I could win, when after a duff tee shot on the 11th, I landed my approach within three feet and made birdie there. That was the turning point for me. Then of course the eagle on the 15th set up the finish for me.

“Incidentally, I qualified for the Indian tour for the first time in 2002 after playing the Qualifying School at the Poona Club Golf Course. So it’s special to win an event here.”

Khalin Joshi (68-70-72-66) produced an impressive 66, punctuated by six birdies and a bogey, on the final day, to rise from overnight tied 12th to joint second. His tied second finish ended up lifting him from third to second position in the PGTI Order of Merit.

Angad Cheema (69-68-70-69) hung on to his overnight joint second place as a result of his fourth round of 69. Cheema, playing in the leader group, was the only challenger to Rohana in the closing stages as he trailed him by just one shot at one point. However, playing at two-under through 12 holes, he could only manage pars on the last six holes that put paid to his chances.

Bengaluru’s Udayan Mane (65) shot the day’s joint best score along with champion Anura to end up in tied fourth at seven-under-277 along with rookies Viraj Madappa (68) of Kolkata and Damian Naicker (70) of South Africa.

Madappa now leads the Emerging Player of the Year race with earnings of Rs. 1,92,085.

Delhi’s Shamim Khan continued to lead the Order of Merit after posting a tied eighth finish with a total of four-under-280. As the season breaks for the summer after seven events, Shamim leads the money list with earnings of Rs. 16,01,850. Khalin Joshi is second with earnings Rs. 12,79,331.

Round three leader Mukesh Kumar of Mhow had a forgettable final round of 75 in Pune that saw him drop to tied 11th at three-under-281 at the end of the week.

Last year’s champion Harendra Gupta (71) of Chandigarh also took a share of 11thplace.

Pune-based professionals Saurabh Bhaduri and Sameer M Shaikh finished tied 42nd at eight-over-292.

Mumbai’s Anil Bajrang Mane finished tied 52nd at 12-over-296.

Patna's Aman Raj tied 19th along with three others with an aggregate score of 1 over 285. His four day cards were 72, 66, 72, 75. On the last day Aman carded 4 over 75.

Prize Presentation picture caption:

Anura Rohana receives the winning cheque and trophy from Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI (left) and Mr. Navin Thakur, AVP - Kolte Patil Developers (right)

Mukesh Kumar storms into the lead; Bihar's Aman at T12

Mukesh Kumar

Pune, April 22, 2017: Indian golfing legend Mukesh Kumar will be staring at his second title in two weeks on the PGTI when he tees it up in the final round of the Pune Open 2017 at the Poona Club Golf Course on Sunday.

The man from Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, who won PGTI’s event in Kochi last week, stormed into the third round lead in Pune thanks to a dazzling six-under-65, the tournament’s best score so far, that moved his total to seven-under-206.  

The chasing pack consisted of South African Damian Naicker and Panchkula’s Angad Cheema, who were one shot adrift of the lead in tied second at six-under-207. While rookie Naicker posted a 67 on Saturday, Cheema came up with a round of 70.

Mukesh Kumar (72-69-65) has set himself up nicely for a come-from-behind win for the second week running. The man, who broke his own record by becoming the oldest winner on the PGTI at age 51 years and eight months in Kochi last week, produced a breathtaking 65 in Pune on Saturday to move up 13 places from overnight tied 14th.

Mukesh, trailing the leaders by four shots at the start of the day, stumbled with an early bogey on the third before turning it around with four successive birdies from the sixth to the ninth as he kept landing his approach shots within five feet of the pin.

The winner of one Asian Tour title and more than 100 domestic titles raced to the lead with three more birdies on the back-nine.

“It was one of those days when I got up feeling that I would shoot a seven-under today. I shared the thought with my caddie and he further encouraged me. I then made an unbelievable par-save from a tough spot on the first and that really got me going. The string of birdies thereafter added to my confidence.

“Importantly, it was my brother Dinesh Raghuvanshi’s advice that did wonders for me. He is from Pune and thus familiar with this course. He told me to be a little conservative off the tee and not think about hitting it long and then attack the pins with my second shot. I followed his advice and reaped the rewards,” said a confident Mukesh, who won the last PGTI event staged at the Poona Club Golf Course in November 2012.

He added, “It’s a tight course and a three to four under in round four would give me a really good shot at the title. On Sunday, I will look to play safe on the first four holes. If all goes well, I will certainly play an aggressive game thereafter. It will be a contest against the course and not any player in particular.”

Damian Naicker (69-71-67) took a huge leap from overnight tied 10th to tied second as a result of his 67 in round three. His best round of the season featured two eagles besides four birdies and four bogeys. The pro from Johannesburg sank a 12-footer for eagle on the seventh and then drove the green on the par-4 10thbefore nailing a 20-footer for his second eagle of the day.

Naicker said, “I struck it really well today after the initial bogeys and that created numerous scoring opportunities for me. Playing my first season in India has been a learning experience so far. I got to learn a lot playing alongside the seasoned Mukesh Kumar today. It was a valued lesson on how to negotiate the tough conditions here at the Poona Club Golf Course.”

Angad Cheema (69-68-70), the overnight joint leader, also kept himself in the hunt with a steady 70 despite dropping one spot. Angad eagled the seventh from 20 feet to make the turn at one-under. However, he lost his way somewhat with a double-bogey on the 11th where he found the water and made a three-putt.

Cheema finally recovered ground with two more birdies including one on the closing 18th from 25 feet.

Cheema said, “The double-bogey on the 11th took away the momentum from me. I was not at my best today and struggled a little with the ball-striking as compared to round two. But I’m glad that I’m still very much in contention.”

Delhi’s Shamim Khan (71), the joint overnight leader, shared fourth position with Greater Noida’s Sudhir Sharma (69) and Allahabad’s Samarth Dwivedi (68) at five-under-208.

Last year’s champion Harendra Gupta (68) of Chandigarh was in tied 12th place at three-under-210.

Pune’s Saurabh Bhaduri was in tied 25th at one-over-214 while the other Pune-based professional Sameer M Shaikh occupied tied 43rd place at five-over-218.

Mumbai’s Anil Bajrang Mane was also placed tied 43rd.

Patna's Aman Raj carded one over 72 to finish the day at tied 12 along with two others. Aman's score in the last three days was 3 under 210 (72, 66, 72).

Shamim Khan, Angad Cheema are halfway leaders; Patna's Aman Raj jumps to joint third spot at Pune Open

Angad Cheema

Pune, April 21, 2017: PGTI Order of Merit leader Shamim Khan of Delhi and Panchkula’s Angad Cheema emerged halfway leaders at the Pune Open 2017 after both shot second round scores of three-under-68 at the Poona Club Golf Courseon Friday. The duo led the field by one stroke at five-under-137.

The cut was set at two-over-73 with 54 professionals making it to the money rounds.

Angad Cheema (69-68) gained four places from his overnight tied fifth place as a result of his 68 in round two. Angad, a former winner on the PGTI, didn’t have the best of starts as he dropped two strokes on the first three holes. The 27-year-old rallied with five birdies thereafter.

After a couple of good chip-putt birdies on the seventh and ninth, Cheema, drove the green on the par-4 10th to set up his third birdie of the day. Two birdie conversions from seven to 10 feet on the 13th and 14th elevated Angad to joint first. The Panchkula lad, however, missed out on taking the sole lead when he three-putted for par on the closing 18th.

  

“I’ve played really well on the first two days but on both days there’s been one stretch that has troubled me and that’s the first three holes. I bogeyed those three holes yesterday and today again I bogeyed the second and third. I really need to improve on that stretch and play it smarter there,” said the lanky Cheema.

He added, “I’ve been working on figuring out a few things with my coach. I’ve worked on my swing and my consistency. I’ve shot one good score and then not been able to repeat that effort in the following rounds in recent events. I’m now more confident when swinging a club.

“I’ve hit 14 to 15 greens in regulation on each of the first two days. I would like to continue doing the same in the next two rounds. However, I need to watch out on the first three holes.”

Shamim Khan (69-68), like Cheema, also followed up his first round 69 with a 68 on day two to move up four places to joint first. Shamim, who won the last PGTI event staged at the Poona Club Golf Course in 2012, made steady progress through the day.

He picked up two birdies on his back-nine, the second of which was from 20 feet, before adding two more on the first and seventh. The approach on the first was the highlight of his round as he landed it within a foot from a distance of 175 yards. Khan’s only blemish was the three-putt for bogey on the eighth.

Shamim, who won in Kolkata last month, said, “I’ve won here before so that will be a big psychological advantage for me going into the last two rounds. I struggled a bit yesterday since chipping was tougher in the afternoon with the greens being faster. But it was a better round today.

“I quite enjoy playing at this course as the layout and the shape of the holes suit my game. I played some terrific approach shots today that set up many scoring opportunities. It’s been a very consistent season for me so far and I would like to keep it going,” added Shamim, who has a win and four other top-5s to his credit from the six starts this season.

Patna’s Aman Raj shot the day’s joint best score of five-under-66 to share third place with Bengaluru’s Khalin Joshi (70) at four-under-138.

Viraj Madappa of Kolkata, one shot behind in tied fifth, was the other player who fired a 66 on Friday. He shared fifth place with round one leader Sudhir Sharma (72) of Greater Noida and three others at three-under-139.

The Chandigarh duo of defending champion Harendra Gupta (74) and KPS Sekhon (74) slipped from overnight tied second to tied 18th at even-par-142. Bengaluru’s Udayan Mane was also in tied 18th place.

The two Pune-based professionals who made the cut, were Saurabh Bhaduri, who was placed tied 25th at one-over-143, and Sameer M Shaikh, who was a further shot back in tied 31st. Mumbai’s Anil Bajrang Mane occupied tied 39th place at three-over-145.