Mukesh Kumar’s class act helps him bag his second title; Patna's Aman Raj finished tied 10th

Kochi, April 15, 2017: Indian golfing giant Mukesh Kumar of Mhow produced a class act, a bogey-free five-under-67, in the final round of the PGTI Cochin Masters presented by CIAL Golf Club, to come home the victor by one shot at 12-under-276.

Mukesh thus gave his preparations for next week’s Panasonic Open in Japan a major boost. It was a record 19th PGTI win for Mukesh and his second in Kochi after 2015.

Sri Lankan Anura Rohana claimed the runner-up spot at 11-under-277 after his final round of two-under-70 at the Rs. 40 lakh event.

Mukesh Kumar (70-68-71-67), lying overnight tied third and two off the lead, made a determined start with two birdies on the first six holes followed by an astonishing par-save on the seventh where he recovered from the water hazard and sank a 20-footer.

Mukesh began closing the gap with leader Rohana on the back-nine. He landed his approach shots within two feet on both the 10th and 13th to make birdies and thus take a share of the lead. Kumar went ahead when Anura dropped a bogey on the 14th.

The winner of over 120 titles finally sealed it with a birdie on the 16th followed by an excellent par-save from over the green on the par-3 17th. Mukesh’s 67 also happened to be the day’s best score.

Mukesh, also a winner on the Asian Tour, said, “I was quite confident from the start of the round. I knew I play better when I’m not in the leader group as the pressure is less and one doesn’t think too much about the leaderboard.

“When I landed it in the water hazard on the seventh but still managed to save par from 20 feet, I knew it could be my day. After making birdie on the 13th I realized that I was tied for the lead with Anura. That spurred me on as I attacked the pins and went on to make another birdie on the 16th.

“I’ve really enjoyed playing here at the CIAL Golf Club. I was quite upset at missing the cut last year after winning in 2015. I was therefore eager to win this year. This win will now encourage me to raise my game further at next week’s Panasonic Open in Japan which is an Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour co-sanctioned event,” said Mukesh, who won his last title at the Asian Tour’s Panasonic Open India in Delhi in December.

Mukesh, who took home the winner’s cheque worth Rs. 6 lakh, has now climbed from 11th to fourth position in the PGTI Order of Merit. Mukesh, who is currently 51 years and eight months of age, also broke his own record of being the oldest player to win on the PGTI. He set the record with his last win on the PGTI in October 2016 when he was 51 years and two months old.  

Anura Rohana (70-70-67-70), the overnight joint leader, slipped to second place on Saturday after shooting a 70 that featured four birdies and two bogeys. Rohana was looking good at three-under after the first eight holes but then dropped bogeys on the ninth and 14th to concede the lead to Mukesh.

The turning point of the day was probably when Anura’s bunker shot just stopped at the lip of the hole on the 16th and thus denied him a crucial eagle for a share of the lead. He couldn’t catch up with Mukesh thereafter.

Chandigarh’s Harendra Gupta, the other overnight joint leader, ended the week in third place at nine-under-279 after his final round of 72.

Om Prakash Chouhan (68) of Mhow clinched fourth place at seven-under-281.

Last year’s champion Feroz Ali Mollah (73) of Kolkata finished tied 23rd at two-over-290.

Patna's Aman Raj carded one over 73 on the fourth day aggregating 2 under 286 to finish tied 10th on the leader board along with 3 others.

Prize Presentation picture caption:

Mukesh Kumar receives the trophy and cheque from Mr. V J Kurian, IAS, MD, CIAL. Also seen in the picture are (left to right) Mr. Michael Lestourgeon, Associate Director of Sales, Courtyard by Marriott, Kochi Airport, Mr. Joseph Peter, DGM - Commercial, CIAL, Mr. Sunil Chacko, CFO, CIAL, Mr. A M Shabeer, Executive Director, CIAL, Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, Mr. Sabu Thomas, Administrative Officer, CIAL Golf Club, Maj. Gen K J Koshi, AVSM, Advisor - CIAL Golf Club 

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

Anura Rohana of Sri Lanka

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Harendra Gupta continues to lead

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

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

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

  

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

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

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

   

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

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

  

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

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

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

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

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

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

      

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

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

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

PGTI release

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

Ajeetesh Sandhu

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

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

   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PGTI Cochin Masters tees off on April 12

Kochi, April 11, 2017: The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), ‘the official sanctioning body of professional golf in India’, is all set to hold the fourth edition of the PGTI Cochin Masters presented by CIAL Golf Club. The sixth tournament of the season carries a prize purse of Rs. 40 lakh and will be staged from April 12 – 15, 2017, at the CIAL Golf Club in Kochi. The Pro-Am event will be played on April 16, 2017.

The tournament field will feature some of the top Indian professionals such as former champions Mukesh Kumar and Feroz Ali Mollah, Shamim Khan, Rahil Gangjee, Himmat Singh Rai, Ajeetesh Sandhu, Khalin Joshi and Honey Baisoya, to name a few.

  

The field will also feature foreign professionals such as N Thangaraja (Sri Lanka), Anura Rohana (Sri Lanka), K Prabagaran (Sri Lanka), Kunal Bhasin (Australia) and Arthur Horne (Swaziland).

  

The three local professionals in the field are Madesh K, M Anand and Vivek V S.

Mr. A M Shabeer, Executive Director, CIAL, said, “We are excited to host the fourth edition of PGTI-Cochin Masters series here at CIAL golf club (CGC). This is the first time that the tournament happens at peak summer season. Well designed water bodies and over 5000 trees offer formidable challenge for the players. Besides the lush green fairways already the course boasts, we have planted 5,000 saplings last year which are grown now. The player line-up is also thrilling and I hope a severe competition ahead.”

  

Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, said, “We’re delighted to be back in Kochi for the fourth edition of the PGTI Cochin Masters presented by CIAL Golf Club. The tournament has emerged as one of the biggest professional events in the southern region of the country over the last four years. The strong field and immaculate course conditions this year promise a fascinating week of golf. We wish the players all the best.”

 The CIAL Golf Club (CGC) has been developed on 130 acres of rolling greens. CGC is designed to play to a length of over 7400 yards and is the only 18-hole golf course in Kerala. CGC is an eco-friendly all weather golf course that is comparable to the best. It is the first course in the country to offer an island green on the 18th hole for a very exciting and challenging round of golf.

PGTI release

Seasoned pro Feroz Ali Mollah ends four-year title drought at CIAL Cochin Masters

Feroz Ali Mollah 

Kochi, February 13, 2016: Veteran and former Indian Open champion Feroz Ali Mollah of Kolkata heaved a sigh of relief at the CIAL Golf Club on Saturday as he ended his four-year victory drought with a one-shot triumph at the CIAL Cochin Masters presented by PGTI. The 46-year-old shot scores of 70, 68, 73 and 69 to end up with a winning tournament total of eight-under-280 in the opening event of PGTI’s landmark 10th season.

Bengaluru’s M Dharma and Delhi’s Vikrant Chopra were joint runners-up at seven-under-281 at the Rs. 60 lakh event.

Feroz Ali Mollah’s top-notch performance this week saw him turn the clock back to the 90s, a decade when he was one of the dominant figures in Indian professional golf. Feroz, who has over 50 titles in his kitty, once again produced the magic of old in Kochi to add more silverware to his already overflowing trophy cabinet.

It was a day of fluctuating fortunes as the lead kept changing hands between Feroz, overnight leader M Dharma (72-66-71-72) and Vikrant Chopra (72-72-69-68), who was tied fifth after round three.

Feroz himself had a roller-coaster front-nine as he alternated between birdies and bogeys from the second through the seventh. The highlight of his outward nine was the chip for eagle on the sixth that missed the hole by a whisker.

Mollah, who last won a title in late 2011, turned the tide on the back-nine thanks to his much-improved putting and a couple of long range conversions. The man known for his colourful attire on the course came up with four birdies against a lone bogey on his inward nine to close the week with a three-under-69.

“I dedicate this win to my wife and two kids. I was really hungry for a win since a long time. I thought I’ll give my family a gift this year by winning an event since they hadn’t seen me win in ages,” said Feroz.

He added, “I putted better on the back-nine today. I didn’t think too much about the other contenders but played my own game. I’ve switched to a new set of irons and that too helped my cause.

“The competition is getting tougher with each passing year with younger and fitter players arriving on the scene. However, it is my experience that has helped me in competing with the next generation. I play a lot of tournaments round the year, not only in India but also on local tours in South East Asia. I believe in match practice more than practicing at the range. This approach has kept me going. A brilliant start to the new season here would do wonders to my confidence,” said Mollah, who took home the winning cheque worth Rs. 9 lakh to lead the Rolex Ranking.

For M Dharma it was another near miss after his playoff loss in Mumbai late last year. He had a forgettable start to the day having lost his ball on the first and subsequently dropping a double-bogey. The 29-year-old rallied with birdies on the second and fourth but could not convert his opportunities on the back-nine.

Dharma finally had a 15-feet birdie conversion opportunity on the 18th to take the match into a playoff with Feroz. However, the putt circled the hole in dramatic fashion before stopping at the lip to deny him a shot at the title.

   

Dharma said, “After the initial setback on the first, I knew I’ll be back in the game soon. However, there were lots of opportunities missed in the second half. I thought I had nailed the final putt but was shattered to see it lip out. Nonetheless, these losses have only made me mentally stronger for the future.”

 Vikrant Chopra, who was four-under through the first-nine, too was in contention till the very end until he bogeyed the 17th with a three-putt and then missed the green on the 18th to make par.

Noida’s Gaurav Pratap Singh produced the day’s best of 66 to claim a share of fourth place at six-under-282 along with Meerut’s Sudhir Sharma.

The two rookies to make the cut, Mumbai’s Shivam Ashok Tibrewal (seven-over-295) and Delhi-based Gunvir Rana (nine-over-297), posted respectable finishes of tied 34th and tied 40threspectively in their maiden professional event.

Prize Presentation Picture Caption:

Feroz Ali Mollah (extreme left) receives the winner's cheque and trophy from Mr. Gopal Krishna, GM, CIAL (4th from left). Also seen in the picture are Mr. Lakshman, GM, Courtyard by Marriott, Kochi Airport (2nd from left), Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, Director, PGTI (3rd from left), Maj. Gen. K J Koshi, AVSM, Advisor, CIAL Golf Club (5th from left) and Mr. Joseph Peter, AGM, CIAL (extreme right).

PGTI Press release

M Dharma enjoys two-shot cushion ahead of final round

Kochi, February 12, 2016: Bengaluru’s M Dharma posted a steady one-under-71 at the CIAL Golf Club on Friday to move into a two-shot lead in round three of the CIAL Cochin Masters presented by PGTI. Dharma’s total stood at seven-under-209 on the penultimate day of the Rs. 60 lakh event. Sanjay Kumar of Lucknow, who shot the day’s best of four-under-68, occupied tied second place along with Kolkata’s Feroz Ali Mollah at five-under-211.

M Dharma (72-66-71), the overnight joint leader, emerged as the sole leader on day three after a sedate but solid round of 71. Dharma had a slow start to the third round. He made pars on the first four holes before making a brilliant recovery from the rough to add another par on the fifth. However, he wasn’t as lucky on the sixth where he found the hazard and as a result dropped a shot.

A 12-feet birdie conversion on the seventh brought the 29-year-old back to level par for the day. But an ordinary wedge shot on the ninth saw Dharma slip back to one-over. The former winner on the PGTI had a far better back-nine. He sank a 15-feet birdie on the 11th before finding the green in two on the par-5 16th where he picked up another shot.

Dharma said, “I stuck to my routine today. I didn’t try anything spectacular since the conditions were tough. The course was soft due to yesterday’s rain and the wind also came into play. The par-3s required four-iron and five-iron shots today.

“I decided to just hang in there after my first bogey on the sixth. I was delighted to have hit all greens on the back-nine despite the wind picking up on that stretch. The birdie on the 16th was crucial as it gave me a decent lead.

“I just need to keep my calm and repeat my swing in the final round in order to stay in contention. As scoring has not been easy this week, I think hitting an under-par round on the final day could set me up for a win,” said Dharma, who lost in a playoff in Mumbai last December after leading in round three.

Sanjay Kumar (73-70-68) earned the reward for shooting the day’s best score of 68 as he climbed up from overnight tied ninth to tied second place. Sanjay made six birdies against two bogeys on Friday. His birdies included three long putts from a range of 15 to 20 feet.

Feroz Ali Mollah (70-68-73), the overnight joint leader, slipped to tied second after his third round of 73.

Om Prakash Chouhan of Mhow was fourth at four-under-212 while the fifth spot was shared between Delhi’s Vikrant Chopra, Sudhir Sharma of Meerut and Jaipur’s Vishal Singh at three-under-213.

PGTI Press release

M Dharma, Feroz Ali Mollah surge three shots ahead in round two

 M Dharma 

Kochi, February 11, 2016: M Dharma of Bengaluru and Kolkata’s Feroz Ali Mollah surged ahead on day two of the CIAL Cochin Masters presented by PGTI being played at the CIAL Golf Club in Kochi. Dharma and Feroz shot scores of six-under-66 and four-under-68 respectively to hold the joint lead at six-under-138 at the Rs. 60 lakh event. The trio of Jaipur’s Vishal Singh, Om Prakash Chouhan of Mhow and Noida’s Gaurav Pratap Singh were tied third at three-under-141.  

The cut was declared at five-over-149 on a day that saw early morning rain and the subsequent one-hour delay in start of play. A total of fifty-six professionals made the cut.

M Dharma (72-66), who was overnight tied 13th as a result of his first round 72, powered his way to the top of the leaderboard after a brilliant 66 on day two. Dharma had a solid start on Thursday as he produced a terrific approach on the 11th to tap-in for birdie. However, a poor second shot on the 13th led to a bogey and pushed him back to level-par.

Dharma, a winner on the PGTI in 2013, then stitched together four successive birdies from the 14th to 17th to get on a roll. He chipped-in after missing the green on the par-3 14th and thereafter made chip-putts from the edge on the next two holes. The 29-year-old made it four birdies in a row on the 17th when he drained a 20-footer. Dharma gained two more strokes on the first and sixth where he landed his wedges within three feet.

Dharma, who finished 12th in the Rolex Ranking last year, said, “I played the par-5s well today and also came up with a few good wedge shots. The four consecutive birdies on the back-nine set me up today. I also made my longest puttin two days, the 20-footer on the 17th.

“The conditions weren’t easy as the course was playing longer due to the early morning rain. I’ve brought the confidence from my top-3 finish at the Sri Lankan Open last week into this event. I did well on the PGTI towards to the end of last year and now want to take my game a notch higher.”

Former Indian Open champion Feroz Ali Mollah (70-68) mixed six birdies and two bogeys in his second round of 68 to move up from overnight tied fifth to joint first. Mollah, placed 28th in the Rolex Ranking 2015, landed his wedges within five feet on four occasions for birdies. He also sank a 20-feet birdie putt on the eighth.

Feroz, who last won an event in 2011, said, “I recently changed my irons and I feel that has had a positive effect on my hitting. My impact during hitting is better. I believe I can win a tournament this year. I’ll be looking to improve on my putting from here on.”

Vishal Singh shot the tournament’s best score so far, a seven-under-65, to move into joint third at three-under-141. Vishal landed it within five to seven feet on all seven occasions where he picked up birdies.

Round one joint leader Om Prakash Chouhan slipped to tied third after his second round of 73. Gaurav Pratap Singh fired a 68 to also grab a share of third place.

The Delhi trio of overnight joint leader Shivendra Singh Sisodia, Shamim Khan and Gunvir Rana were tied sixth at two-under-142.

Defending champion Mukesh Kumar (73-78) missed the cut as he totaled seven-over-151 for two days to be tied 59th.

PGTI Press release

Om Prakash Chouhan and Shivendra Singh Sisodia share the honours in round one

Om Prakash Chouhan

Kochi, February 10, 2016: Om Prakash Chouhan of Mhow and Delhi’s Shivendra Singh Sisodia shared the spoils in round one of the PGTI’s season opener, the CIAL Cochin Masters presented by PGTI. Chouhan and Sisodia fired scores of four-under-68 at the Rs. 60 lakh event being played at the CIAL Golf Club in Kochi. The duo was one stroke ahead of Bengaluru’s C Muniyappa and Chandigarh’s Ajeetesh Sandhu.

Om Prakash Chouhan, a winner of four titles, was off to a splendid start as he landed his approach within three feet on his opening hole, the 10th, for a relatively easy birdie. Chouhan then failed to recover from the bunker on the 14th and dropped a stroke. The Madhya Pradesh lad produced a couple of good chip shots on the 16th and 18th, the latter for a chip-in, to make the turn at two-under.

Om Prakash, ranked ninth in the Rolex Ranking in 2015, faltered with a bogey on the second after finding the rough but came roaring back with birdie conversions from a distance of five to 10 feet on the fourth, sixth and ninth.

“I’m glad to have started the season on a positive note. I enjoyed a good 2015 season as I was very consistent and finished inside the top-10 of the Rolex Ranking. I worked very hard in the one month break between the two seasons to tune up my game further. Hopefully, all that hard work will be reflected in my scores in the coming months,” said the 29-year-old Chouhan.

He added, “The course is playing tougher and longer this year and the professionals will have their work cut out. The rough and trees on either side of the fairways have grown and that will have an impact on the scores.

“I did really well with the wedges today and the chip-in on the 18th was the highlight of the day.”

Shivendra Singh Sisodia, who earned his full card after finishing 29th in the PGTI Qualifying School last month, shared the honours on day one with Chouhan. Sisodia made seven birdies against three bogeys.

Shivendra, a 10th tee starter, landed his wedges within five feet for birdies on the 11th, 15th and 16th. He drained a 15-footer for birdie on the 18th. His lone bogey on the back-nine came on the 14th where he found the hazard.

Sisodia had a tougher time on the front-nine where he made three birdies and two bogeys. He sank a second consecutive 15-feet birdie putt on the first and made tap-in birdies on the second and eighth. The 26-year-old, who secured his PGTI card for the second year in succession, also missed two chip-putts for bogeys on the seventh and ninth.

Sisodia said, “My bunker shots and putting were outstanding today. I played much better in the first half on the back-nine. However, the swirling wind affected my performance on the front-nine.”

He added, “My good performance at the Q School this year has given me the much needed confidence for the 2016 season.”

Former Indian Open champion C Muniyappa made three tap-in birdies during his bogey-free round of three-under-69 to be tied third. Ajeetesh Sandhu also took a share of the third spot as his round featured five birdies and two bogeys.

Gurgaon-based Digvijay Singh, Feroz Ali Mollah of Kolkata, Meerut’s Sudhir Sharma and Delhi’s Kapil Kumar were joint fifth at two-under-70.

Defending champion Mukesh Kumar of Mhow occupied tied 20th place at one-over-73.  

PGTI Press release

Mukesh Kumar reserves best for the last to win PGTI Cochin Masters

Kochi, March 7, 2015: The seasoned Mukesh Kumar of Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, brought all his experience to the fore to bag the PGTI Cochin Masters presented by CIAL Golf & Country Club 2015. Mukesh fired a sizzling six-under-66 in round four to finish with a winning total of 14-under-274, two shots ahead of Kolkata’s Rahil Gangjee and last year’s champion Shubhankar Sharma of the DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon. Mukesh’s win at the Rs. 55 lakh event has now helped him climb from third place to first position in the Rolex Rankings. 

Mukesh Kumar (71-71-66-66) posted a second straight 66 on Saturday to win his first title in two years. The 49-year-old Mukesh, who was the overnight joint leader, was quick off the blocks in round four as he set up two tap-in birdies on the first two holes thanks to a couple of accurate approach shots. Mukesh, a winner of over 100 titles in India, followed up his good start with a 25-feet birdie conversion on the fifth. His only bogey of the day came on the eighth where he found the hazard with his tee shot.

The veteran gathered momentum with two short-range birdie putts on the 10th and 13th. Mukesh then made a crucial chip-in for birdie on the 16th to stay neck and neck with closest competitor Rahil Gangjee. There was a two-shot swing in favour of Mukesh on the 17th when he landed his tee shot just two feet from the pin for another birdie. Rahil dropped a stroke on the same hole. Mukesh finally marched towards his 16th title on the PGTI with a 12-feet conversion for par on the 18th after recovering well from the bushes.

Mukesh took home the winner’s cheque of Rs. 8,25,000 which pushed him up from third to first in the Rolex Rankings. He has a record 16 wins on the PGTI, the most by any player on the tour.

Mukesh said, “I’m delighted to finally win an event after two years. I last won at Chandigarh in February 2013. I came close on several occasions since then but could not finish it. In fact, I finished runner-up in the first two events of 2015 and then missed the cut in Hyderabad last week. This is my biggest win in terms of prize money. It’s also a highly satisfying victory because the field was very strong with the likes of Gaganjeet Bhullar, Rahil Gangjee and Chikkarangappa participating. I needed this win to prove to myself that I can still compete with the best in India and give the youngsters a run for their money.

He added, “Rahil was hitting the ball better than me but my experience helped me come through today. The 16th and 17th was the turning point today. The chip-in on the 16th kept me in the game and then I hit that fabulous tee shot on the 17th to go ahead. I hit some really good wedge shots today to set up a few birdies. This win is a huge morale-booster and I’ll look to build on it in the rest of the season.”

   

Rahil Gangjee (72-71-65-68), who was in the joint lead along with Mukesh after round three, made birdies on the first three holes for the second day running courtesy some long putts. He added three more birdies and a bogey to his card over the next 13 holes to stay in contention. But a three-putt from 30 feet on the 17th turned out to be decisive as it led to a bogey for Rahil and handed Mukesh a two-shot lead.

Shubhankar Sharma (69-68-73-66), who was overnight fifth, also mounted a challenge with a bogey-free 66 on the final day. However, he fell just short at the end and claimed tied second position along with Gangjee.

Khalin Joshi of Bangalore and Sri Lankan Anura Rohana secured tied fourth place at nine-under-279 while Chikkarangappa, another Bangalorean, was a further two shots behind in sixth place.

Gaganjeet Bhullar shot a final round of eight-over-80 to be tied 19th at one-over-289.

PGTI Press release

    

Rahil Gangjee and Mukesh Kumar enjoy one-shot lead on day three

 Rahil Gangjee 

Kochi, March 6, 2015: Kolkata’s Rahil Gangjee and Mukesh Kumar of Mhow hold a one-shot lead going into the final round of the PGTI Cochin Masters presented by CIAL Golf & Country Club. Gangjee and Mukesh shot scores of 65 and 66 in round three to be joint leaders at eight-under-208. Sri Lankan Anura Rohana returned the tournament’s best score of eight-under-64 to be tied third along with Kapurthala’s Gaganjeet Bhullar at seven-under-209.

Rahil Gangjee (72-71-65) made his way up to the top of the pack from overnight tied sixth position after a brilliant seven-under-65. Gangjee, a former winner on the Asian Tour, made an early charge with birdies on the first three holes. The 36-year-old almost holed out his tee shot on the par-3 third where the ball stopped inches from the pin. Rahil added three more birdies to his card before the eagle on the 16th where he hit an immaculate approach shot around the bushes to land it within 10 feet. He closed with a bogey on the last hole.

  

“I made maximum use of the par-5s today as I was five-under on the four par-5s with three birdies and an eagle. I hit some good approach shots and landed it within 10 feet on a lot of occasions and also converted those putts. The conditions were relatively easier on day three as the wind wasn’t a factor. My best shot of the day was probably the cut shot around a small bush on the 16ththat set up the 10 feet eagle putt. I’ve missed three cuts in a row but I’m looking forward to a top finish this week,” said Gangjee.

Mukesh Kumar (71-71-66) put together a bogey-free 66 to rise from overnight tied fourth to joint first. Mukesh had a quiet front-nine with birdies on the sixth and ninth but then pushed ahead with four birdies on the back-nine, including three in a row on the 15th, 16th and 17th. The 49-year-old seasoned golfer converted two long putts on the 12th and 17th and set up tap-in birdies on the ninth and 15th.

Mukesh said, “My hitting and putting were the best today as compared to the last two rounds. However, I could’ve gone lower as I missed five birdie putts from close range. Nonetheless, this round puts me back on track and I just need to keep making those putts in the final round in order to be in contention.”

Anura Rohana shot the best score of the week, an eight-under-64, to move up from overnight tied 14th to tied third. Rohana’s third round effort featured an eagle on the 16th and six birdies. He sank two 15-footers including one for eagle and landed it within five feet of the flag on three occasions.

“I was scrambling through the first two rounds but today I hit most fairways and greens. This is a good comeback,” said Rohana.

Gaganjeet Bhullar, who was tied second at the halfway stage, dropped to tied third after his round of 69 on Friday.

Defending champion Shubhankar Sharma, who led by three shots after round two, slipped to fifth position at six-under-210 post his third round of 73.

PGTI Press release

Shubhankar Sharma gains ground on day two with a 68, builds three-shot lead

Kochi, March 5, 2015: Defending champion Shubhankar Sharma of the DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon, fired a four-under-68 in round two of the PGTI Cochin Masters presented by CIAL Golf & Country Club to build a three-shot lead at seven-under-137. Bangalore’s Khalin Joshi shot the day’s best score of five-under-67 to be tied second along with Gaganjeet Bhullar of Kapurthala at four-under-140.

The cut was declared at five-over-149. Fifty-one professionals made the cut.

Shubhankar Sharma (69-68), the overnight joint leader, carried the momentum into the second round as he had a birdie-birdie start on the first two holes having set up short birdie putts. He dropped a stroke on the fourth but came back strongly with two more conversions from within four feet on the sixth and ninth. Shubhankar, who turned in at three-under, sank a 12-footer for birdie on the 11th before missing a few putts for bogeys on the 12thand 13th. Sharma pulled two strokes back by capitalizing on the 15th and 16th, both par-5s.

“My hitting was decent today put putting was much better than round one. Every putt I hit today had a peek at the hole. It was difficult to judge the direction of the wind today and that caused some problems. The head wind on the back-nine meant the holes played longer. I’m feeling good about my game at the moment,” said Shubhankar, who won his maiden title at the PGTI Cochin Masters last year.

  

Pre-tournament favourite Gaganjeet Bhullar (69-71), the overnight joint leader, carded a one-under-71 to slip to tied second place. Bhullar had a contrasting front-nine and back-nine. He sank two 20-footers for birdies on the fourth and fifth and then collected two more birdies by landing it within a foot on the sixth and ninth. Gaganjeet, however, had a forgettable back-nine, as he missed a few fairways and greens to drop shots on the 10th, 13th and 15th.

Gaganjeet said, “I had a good start today but somehow couldn’t capitalize on it. It was a totally different story on the back-nine as compared to the first half of my round. Nonetheless, I feel I’m still very much in the hunt with two rounds to go.”

Khalin Joshi’s 67 was the day’s best card and pushed him up from overnight tied 24th to tied second. Joshi, who was one-under through the first-nine, picked up four birdies on the back-nine to emerge a strong contender for the week.

Shamim Khan of Delhi and Mukesh Kumar of Mhow shared fourth place at two-under-142 while Kolkata’s Rahil Gangjee, Sujjan Singh of Chandigarh and Sri Lankan N Thangaraja were a further shot back in tied sixth.

PGTI Press release

Bhullar, Shubhankar lead the pack on day one

 Gaganjeet Bhullar

Shubhankar Sharma 

Kochi, March 4, 2015: Kapurthala’s Gaganjeet Bhullar and defending champion Shubhankar Sharma of the DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon, shot scores of three-under-69 to be joint leaders in round one of the PGTI Cochin Masters presented by CIAL Golf & Country Club. N Thangaraja of Sri Lanka and Udayan Mane of Bangalore were placed tied third at two-under-70.

Gaganjeet Bhullar, playing at the CIAL Golf & Country Club for the first time, got off to a solid start with long birdie putts from 12 feet and 25 feet on the 12th and 14th respectively. Bhullar picked up another birdie on the 16th to make the turn at three-under. Gaganjeet, however, lost some momentum, as he missed the greens on the fourth and eighth to drop two shots. On the front-nine he could only manage birdies on the sixth and ninth. The five-time Asian Tour winner closed the round on a high with a 15-feet birdie conversion on the ninth.

Bhullar said, “I enjoyed my first competitive round at the CIAL Golf & Country Club. The layout reminded me of some of the courses in Europe. The course makes you think and take some tough decisions. The conditions were tough today as it was windy and therefore one didn’t see too many low scores. I putted well today and importantly closed the round well with a long birdie conversion on the ninth. It’s a good start to the week.”

He added, “It’s great to see the sport being taken to new centres such as Kochi. The initiative taken by PGTI and CIAL to hold a professional event here will help popularize the sport in Kerala. I believe the talent pool on the PGTI has grown tremendously since I last played on the tour in 2011. We have so many new winners. There are now at least 15 to 20 players who can win any given event.”

Defending champion Shubhankar Sharma looked comfortable at his happy hunting ground as he drained birdied putts from 10 to 12 feet on the 13th and 16th and then found the green in two on the par-5 second hole to pick up another stroke. A lip-out on the third resulted in Shubhankar’s only bogey of the day. However, he fought back with an excellent chip on the closing ninth that set up a tap-in birdie.

Shubhankar said, “I’m delighted to be back at the CIAL Golf & Country Club where I won my first event. I’ve had a good start to the week. One needs to be straight off the tee at this course and half the work is done. I’ve been playing well over the last one month. The top-20 finish at the Indian Open gave me a lot of satisfaction. I now just need to put together four good rounds.”

N Thangaraja and rookie Udayan Mane were one shot off the lead in joint third.

Pratap Atwal of Delhi made a hole-in-one on the 17th during his round of even-par-72. He was placed tied 12th.

PGTI Press release