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. 

Udayan Mane secures maiden title in rookie season with resolute one-shot win in Jaipur

Jaipur, October 2, 2015: Rookie Udayan Mane of the Eagleton Golf Resort, Bangalore, secured his maiden title in only his seventh professional event as he registered a memorable one-shot win at the PGTI Players Championship at Rambagh Golf Club in Jaipur. Mane shot a three-under-67 in round four to end the week with a total of 16-under-264. Kolkata’s Shankar Das, who carded a four-under-66 in the final round, finished runner-up at 15-under-265.

Udayan Mane (61-69-67-67) put together some solid performances at the pristine Rambagh Golf Club over the week to join the winners circle on the PGTI. The burly Bangalorean who stands well over six-feet in height, kept his composure in the face of stiff competition from the more experienced players such as Shankar Das, Sujjan Singh and Abhijit Singh Chadha, to come home the winner on Friday.

The 24-year-old Mane took home the winner’s cheque worth Rs. 4,50,000 and thus climbed from 26th place to ninth position in the Rolex Rankings. He also went up from third place to first position in the Emerging Player of the Year race.

Mane, who was overnight second, produced his second straight 67 in round four to seal the contest. Udayan, trailing by two shots after round three, couldn’t have asked for a better start on the final day as he followed up a good wedge shot with a 10-feet birdie conversion on the first. He then recovered well from the bunker on the eighth to gain another shot. A 15-feet birdie conversion on the 10th saw Mane emerge as a top contender for the title as he went two clear at the top.

Udayan had some anxious moments when he bogeyed the 15th after finding the hazard. However, the articulate golfer, who trains and practices along with the likes of Anirban Lahiri and Chikkarangappa at the Eagleton Golf Resort in Bangalore, came back well with a 12-feet birdie conversion on the 16th to all but wrap up the title.

Mane said, “I’m overjoyed with this victory considering the fact that I’ve achieved it in my rookie season. It’s special to win despite such a strong field and tough competition till the very end. I felt I focused well and kept up the intensity throughout. I was aware of the leaderboard but didn’t really let it bother me.

“I dedicate this win to my parents Mr. Satish Mane and Mrs. Sujata Mane as well as to my coach Mr. Vijay Divecha. I also dedicate the win to all the rookies on the PGTI, who I feel, will now believe they can win too.

“My target at the start of the season was to finish inside the top-15 of the Rolex Rankings. I will now have to reassess my goals and look to aim higher.”

Shankar Das (61-69-69-66) shot a bogey-free 66 on day four to finish second. He chipped-in for birdie on the third and thereafter made some good chip-putt birdies. However, he also missed out on some short putts. Had Shankar converted his 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole, he would’ve joined Udayan in a playoff. But he missed the pin by a whisker.

Om Prakash Chouhan of Mhow came in third at 14-under-266 thanks to a final round of 65, the day’s joint best score.

Bangalore’s C Muniyappa too posted a 65 in round four to claim tied fourth place at 13-under-267. He was joined by fellow Bangalorean Khalin Joshi (66) and Chandigarh’s Sujjan Singh (69) in tied fourth.

Sujjan was in contention for the title till the 16th before he dropped consecutive bogeys on the last two holes.

Chandigarh’s Abhijit Singh Chadha, the overnight leader by two strokes, slipped to tied eighth (11-under-269) on the final day after returning a four-over-74.

Delhi’s Shubham Narain, the only amateur to make the cut, bagged the trophy for the best performance by an amateur as he secured a creditable tied 25th position at five-under-275.

Jaipur’s Vishal Singh was tied 34th at two-under-278.

Photo caption: Udayan Mane receives the winning cheque from Mr. Giriraj Singh, Captain, Rambagh Golf Club (left) and Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, Secretary, Rambagh Golf Club (right)

PGTI releaae

Abhijit Singh Chadha maintains lead with a fighting 68, two clear at the top

Abhijit Singh Chadha

Jaipur, October 1, 2015: Chandigarh’s Abhijit Singh Chadha maintained his lead at the PGTI Players Championship at Rambagh Golf Club with a tenacious two-under-68 in round three to be two clear at the top at 15-under-195. Udayan Mane of Bangalore hung on to second place at 13-under-197 after firing a 67 on day three. Sujjan Singh, another Chandigarh golfer, fired a hole-in-one on the 11th during his round of 65 that propelled him to third place at 12-under-198.

Abhijit Singh Chadha (62-65-68), who led by three shots at the start of the day, put up a gritty performance in the penultimate round to enjoy a two-shot advantage going into the final day in Jaipur. Chadha, who won the 2012 PGTI Emerging Player of the Year title, had a quiet front-nine as he three-putted for bogey on the seventh before pulling it back with an up and down for birdie on the eighth.

Abhijit seemed to be losing ground when he failed to recover from the bunker on the 11th and conceded another bogey. But then he continued his sublime form on the par-5s, by making birdies on the 14th, 17th and 18th and thus salvaged the day.

“I didn’t feel I was at my best today. My ball-striking was not as good as the first two days. But like round two, I once again scored birdies on all the four par-5s. I made chip-putt birdies on the eighth, 17th and 18th and was two-on on the 14th. If I play to my potential tomorrow, everyone will find it hard to catch up with me,” said a confident Chadha, who won his only professional title during his rookie season on the PGTI in 2012.

He added, “I was runner-up in Noida last year and finished third at Panchkula earlier this year but victory has eluded me of late. It’s a great opportunity for me to finally get another title against my name.”

Rookie Udayan Mane (61-69-67), who was overnight joint second, mixed five birdies with two bogeys on day three to continue in second place. Mane landed it within a foot on both the third and 16th for his most impressive birdies of the day. However, unlike his playing partner and current leader Abhijit Singh Chadha, he couldn’t make the par-5s count.

Udayan, who is now in contention for his maiden title, said, “I didn’t capitalize on the par-5s today. I also struggled with my long-irons. I need to improve in these areas to create chances for myself in the final round.”

Sujjan Singh (66-67-65) produced a magical hole-in-one on the 11th en route his round of 65 to be one shot behind Mane in third place. He also secured birdies on the 14th, 17th and 18th with chip-putts on the first two and a tap-in after a missed eagle chance from 12 feet on the closing hole.

Sujjan, a multiple winner on the PGTI and a winner on the Asian Development Tour, moved up one place from his overnight tied fourth as a result of his brilliant third round effort.

Kolkata’s Shankar Das, lying overnight tied second, slipped to joint fourth at 11-under-199 after a round of 69 on Thursday. Delhi’s Shamim Khan posted a 64 in round three to share fourth place with Shankar.

Bangalore golfer Khalin Joshi and Om Prakash Chouhan of Mhow were a further two shots back in tied sixth.

The Delhi duo of Siddharth Semwal and Vinod Kumar along with Faridabad’s Abhinav Lohan, shot the day’s joint best score of seven-under-63.

Semwal’s 63 pushed him up from overnight tied 31st to tied eighth at eight-under-202. He made eight birdies and a bogey. Siddharth’s birdies included two chip-ins and a 30-feet putt. He closed his round in style with a spectacular approach from 140 yards on the ninth that landed two feet from the pin. Semwal made four straight birdies from the sixth through the ninth.

Vinod Kumar and Abhinav Lohan, both of whom were overnight tied 46th after making the cut by one shot, ended round three in tied 15th at six-under-204 thanks to their third round scores of 63. While Vinod carded a bogey-free round, Abhinav made eight birdies against a lone bogey.

Delhi-based amateur Shubham Narain exceeded expectations by closing the day in tied 12th at seven-under-203. His superb 64 featured an eagle, five birdies and a bogey.

Jaipur’s Vishal Singh ended the day in tied 33rd place at one-under-209 after a round of even-par-70.

PGTI Press release