Showing posts with label Golf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Golf. Show all posts

Friday 22 June 2018

Ashbeer Saini prevails by three shots to bag maiden win

Ashbeer Saini prevails by three shots to bag maiden win


Karnal, Haryana, June 22, 2018: Kapurthala lad Ashbeer Saini’s career got a new lease of life after he bagged his maiden professional title at the PGTI Feeder Tour event at the Madhuban Meadows Golf Club in Karnal, Haryana. The 24-year-old Saini, who returned a sedate one-over-71 in the final round, prevailed by three shots at nine-under-201 for a wire-to-wire victory.


Delhi’s Pawan Verma fired a three-under-67 to gain two spots and finish in second at six-under-204.


Ashbeer Saini (63-67-71), the overnight leader by five shots, had an ordinary front-nine on Friday making two birdies and two bogeys. His best effort on the outward nine was a chip-in for a terrific par-save on the fifth.


The luxury of a commanding overnight lead and the absence of any serious challenge on the final day ensured Ashbeer’s win despite his double bogey on the 13th. He finally sealed it with a superb drive that resulted in a birdie on the 15th.


Saini had joined the professional ranks in 2013 as a bright prospect after having had the distinction of being India’s leading junior and amateur golfer in the preceding years.


However, the golfer who has been inspired by his city-mate Gaganjeet Bhullar, could not achieve the desired results in his first five seasons as a professional and was also hampered by a wrist injury that he suffered in 2016.


Saini said, “This win is huge for me as it helps me finally break the victory barrier and put behind the disappointments of the past. I’ve fully recovered from my injury now and this win might just prove to be the turning point of my career.


“My game is improving with every passing event and I’ve been pretty consistent of late as is evident from my top-10 finishes in all three Feeder Tour events this season.


“My driving and putting were outstanding this week. I once again created opportunities today by landing my drives on or close to the green on almost three occasions. I feel I’m now well prepared to make an impact on the main tour,” added Ashbeer, who moved up four spots to third place on the Feeder Tour Order of Merit.


Pawan Verma (72-65-67) produced the third day’s joint best score, a 67, to bag his second runner-up finish of the season. Verma, a former winner on the Feeder Tour, thus climbed from fourth to second place on the Feeder Tour Order of Merit.


Gurugram’s Kushal Singh, who also carded the day’s joint best 67, finished tied third along with Lucknow’s Amardeep Rawat (69) at five-under-205.


Karnal’s Maniram finished tied 19th at eight-over-218.


Gurugram-based Dhruv Sheoran, winner of the first two events of the season, missed the cut at Karnal but continues to lead the money list by over Rs. 30,000 as his season’s earnings read Rs. 2,03,440.


   

Friday 26 January 2018

Siddikur Rahman shoots sizzling 66, opens up five-shot lead on day two of City Bank American Express Dhaka Open

Siddikur Rahman shoots sizzling 66, opens up five-shot lead on day two of City Bank American Express Dhaka Open

Dhaka, January 26, 2018: Md Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh struck a sizzling six-under-66 in round two of the inaugural City Bank American Express Dhaka Open, a US$ 60,000 event, to open up a five-shot lead at 10-under-134 at his home course, the Kurmitola Golf Club in Dhaka.

 The Indian duo of Shankar Das and Rahul Bajaj carded scores of 68 to occupy tied second place at five-under-139 at the event tri-sanctioned by the Asian Development Tour (ADT), Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) and Bangladesh Professional Golfers Association (BPGA).

The 33-year-old Siddikur Rahman (68-66), lying overnight second, one shot off the lead, lived up to the tag of being the pre-tournament favourite on Thursday as he sank seven birdies at the cost of just one bogey.

Rahman, a 10th tee starter in round two, raced to three-under through nine holes thanks to a couple of long birdie conversions on the 17th and 18th holes. Siddikur, a multiple winner on the Asian Tour, then added three more birdies to his card on the front-nine to end the round with an impressive 10-under total.

Siddikur said, “I’ve done really well over the first two days having kept the errors out of my game despite the course not playing easy. My putter was hot today as I made three long birdie conversions including one from just off the green on the 17th.

 “I also managed to capitalize on all the four par-5s today, making birdies on each one of them. I’ve now put myself in a good position to have a shot at the title. I’m really hungry to win in front of my home crowd once again. The key would be to keep my calm over the next two days,” added Rahman, who won a PGTI event in Bangladesh last year.

He further said, “The newly-launched City Bank American Express Dhaka Open will go a long way in unearthing more golfing talent from Bangladesh. I’m really looking forward to other Bangladesh players also performing well this week.”

 While Shankar Das posted a bogey-free 68, Rahul Bajaj made five birdies and a bogey during his round of 68. Both players moved up five places from their overnight tied seventh.

Round one leader Shakhawat Sohel of Bangladesh dropped to tied fourth place at four-under-140 after his second round of 73. Sohel’s compatriot Akbar Hossain (70) and Sweden’s Malcolm Kokocinski (70) were also in tied fourth.

 The halfway cut was declared at five-over-149. Fifty-eight golfers made the cut which included 30 Bangladeshis and 18 Indians.


Sunday 31 December 2017

Shiv Kapur closes 2017 on a high with third victory of season at Royal Cup

Shiv Kapur closes 2017 on a high with third victory of season at Royal Cup

Pattaya, Thailand, December 31, 2017: India’s Shiv Kapur closed the year on a high with his third victory of the 2017 Asian Tour season at the Royal Cup in Thailand.Kapur, the only golfer to win multiple Asian Tour titles in 2017, emerged triumphant in a fascinating duel against Thailand’s Prom Meesawat on the final day of the US$500,000 event.Shiv (67-68-68-67) posted a last round of four-under-67 to finish with a total of 14-under-270, one ahead of Meesawat.There were three Indians in the top-6 as Gaganjeet Bhullar (67-71-69-66) secured third place at 11-under-273 while Khalin Joshi (70-68-71-67) claimed sixth place at eight-under-276.

At the start of the final round, Prom was two shots ahead of Kapur, who was four shots ahead of the rest of the field.However, Prom lost his advantage as early as the second hole of the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club. After pulling to the left, Prom had to settle for a bogey at the par-three hole, while Kapur knocked in a birdie.Prom’s further bogeys on the fifth and ninth handed Kapur the lead. Although, the 33-year-old Thai managed to shake off his nerves after the turn and it was all square again following consecutive birdies on the 11th and 12th.


Kapur did himself no favours when he bogeyed the 13th and 14th and in the process, handed Prom a two-shot lead again.Kapur bounced back remarkably with two consecutive birdies of his own and it was back to a deadlock. With Prom bogeying the 17th, the door was left open for Shiv to win the Royal Cup, and he did.

Prom nearly forced a playoff as he narrowly missed a birdie putt at the last hole of the tournament.

 Shiv, who won the Yeangder Heritage and the Panasonic Open India earlier in the year, made 19 birdies at the cost of five bogeys during the Royal Cup week. It was his fourth win on the Asian Tour and the seventh international win by an Indian in 2017.

Kapur, who traded six birdies for two bogeys on Sunday, said, “It was a see-saw battle indeed. I had to come out fighting straight out of the blocks. I made two birdies in my first three holes and that reversed Prom’s advantage. It doesn’t always go to plan, but luckily, I started well and he made a bogey on the second hole and before I knew it, I was leading the tournament.

“On the ninth, I made a good par, which was pivotal. I had a great putt from off the green on 10th. At that stage, I thought I was in control. I hit a poor drive on the 11th and got away with par. He made good birdies on 11th and 12th and regained the lead.

“I felt that I made a bad swing on 13th and that carried over to the next hole. After the two bogeys, I was obviously disappointed as a two-shot lead turned into a two-shot deficit.

“Standing on the 15th tee, I told my caddie that we’re not going to go down without a fight. Let’s make a birdie here and see what happens or at least give myself a chance going into the last two holes.

“The birdie there (on the 15th) got me back into the tournament. I had a good up and down on the 17th and Prom kind of handed me the tournament as he three putted there. At the 18th, I thought he was a bit unluckily. Prom is a steely competitor and I’m lucky to come out on top.

“I think the tournament has a great format. It has a lot of history and I’m glad to join the illustrious list of winners.

“A lot of people were taking the week off. In hindsight, sometimes, good things happen. If I had made the EurAsia Cup team, I wouldn’t be here. It’s always great to win three times on Tour during the season. On top of that, it’s a special feeling to have my daughter here on the 18th green celebrating my win.

“If 2018 can come anywhere close, I’ll be happy. I’ll be building on my success. After three weeks of rest and relaxation, I’ll be back competing on the Asian Tour.”

Gaganjeet Bhullar held on to his third round position of third place after a 66 that featured an eagle, four birdies and a bogey.

Bhullar said, “I had a good tournament. I didn’t prepare much as I came straight from my wedding. Today was particularly good. I holed a lot of good putts and gave myself good opportunities. I played well but obviously these guys (Kapur and Prom) played better than me.

 “It is good playing this golf course again. I had good memories from last year and I’m glad I came back and played well this week.

“The year 2017 has been a memorable one. The Macao Open was special as it was a wire-to-wire victory and my second win there. It’ll be a tournament that is always close to my heart. This week was great, of course.”

Khalin Joshi fired a last round of 67 to gain three places from his overnight tied ninth and finally finish sixth.

Jyoti Randhawa ended the week in tied 41st at three-over-287.

Tuesday 12 December 2017

 Sharma ends fairytale week with an astounding 23-under total to win by three shots

Sharma ends fairytale week with an astounding 23-under total to win by three shots

South Africa: 12 December I  Twenty-one-year Indian sensation Shubhankar Sharma sent ripples across the golfing world by becoming the youngest Indian winner on the European Tour thanks to his career-defining victory at the Joburg Open on Monday.


Shubhankar (69-61-65-69), who had shot a record 10-under-61 on day two of the event, ended his fairytale week with a three-under-69 to amass an astounding 72-hole total of 23-under-264 which saw him prevail over South African Erik Van Rooyen by three shots at the Randpark Golf Club.


As a result of his sensational triumph, the Chandigarh lad also punched his ticket to the 2018 British Open which will be held at Carnoustie. The Joburg Open, co-sanctioned by the European Tour, Asian Tour and Sunshine Tour, was part of the Open Qualifying Series and thus offered berths to the top three finishers who were not already exempt.

 Sharma’s exploits at the R16.5 million (approximately US$1.2 million) event saw him pick up a winning cheque of US$191,532 as well as 17 Official World Golf Ranking Points (OWGR) that helped him skyrocket from 462nd to 226th in the Official World Golf Rankings.


Sharma, an Asian Tour regular, had led by four shots after seven holes of the final round when play was suspended on Sunday due to rain. Shubhankar, undeterred by the overnight delay, came out on Monday and struck his third birdie of the round on the ninth to consolidate his lead.


The five-time winner on the PGTI was solid through the back-nine as he made pars all the way till the end to become the fifth Indian to win on the European Tour after Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal, SSP Chawrasia and Anirban Lahiri. Incidentally, Sharma also became the youngest Indian to win on the tour breaking Lahiri’s record as the latter had won the Maybank Malaysian Open in 2015 at the age of 27.


Shubhankar’s Joburg success, the first by an Indian professional in the African continent, lifted him to an impressive second place in the European Tour’s 2018 Race to Dubai. It also propelled him to sixth in the 2017 Asian Tour Order of Merit.

n ecstatic Sharma said, “It feels fantastic. I’m glad I made the decision to come here after thinking about not coming. It has been absolutely fantastic and the people are very welcoming. I don’t think I will ever forget this week. This is my first win on the Asian Tour and the European Tour so it means a lot to me.

“On the first day there were 240 players. I was just trying to play two good rounds to make the cut and the cut was really low. I was playing well and had a great start on the second day which got things going for me. As soon as I reached -13 after two days, I thought I had a chance to win.

“The only thing I was telling myself was to stay aggressive. I never wanted to be defensive. Even when I was leading I never thought of defending my lead. I actually set a target of 25-under and I only shot a 23-under (laughs).

“After yesterday’s rain delay I was walking back to the clubhouse and I saw Erik (van Rooyen) had just hit it to two feet so that was a birdie and it would narrow the gap to three shots. In golf, three shots is nothing. We’ve seen people drop shots. I just imagined that there was an invisible guy playing in my group and he was on 25-under. I was just trying to catch that invisible guy. I didn’t quite catch him but I’m happy that I won.

“I would love to play in the South African Open and meet Ernie Els. I met him in Macao two years back. He is such a wonderful guy, not only in South Africa but in world golf.”

The victory was even more special for the talented Indian as he won in the country of his golfing idol Ernie Els, who he met as an 11-year-old boy at the Delhi Golf Club in 2007.

Sharma caught the attention of Els at a golf clinic and after watching him hit a seven iron, the ‘Big Easy’ gave him an autographed business card and said, “Well when you grow up, I’ll be your agent.”

Reflecting on his first meeting with Els, Shubhankar, the son of an Army officer, said, “What happened to me in 2007 obviously changed everything for me. I was so happy and I framed the card. It just shows that small things from great players like him go a long way. I was only an 11-year-old boy back then.

“There were a lot of nerves. I got up like four times. I couldn’t sleep because it was raining so hard and I kept getting up. You have nothing to lose if you are chasing someone. It is very tough to maintain your lead. You just need to look at the bigger picture. If you played so well for three days, there’s no reason why you won’t play well in the final round. There were a few nervy moments but I’m glad I pulled through.

“Playing in The Open is everyone’s dream. Personally it is my favourite Major championship. I’ve watched it ever

Monday 23 October 2017

Bhullar romps home to eighth Asian Tour title at Macao Open

Bhullar romps home to eighth Asian Tour title at Macao Open

Macao,23  October : India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar romped home to a three-shot victory at the Macao Open to bag his eighth Asian Tour title. As a result Bhullar etched his name on the Macao Open trophy for the second time having previously won the event in 2012.

Gaganjeet (64-65-74-68) was unstoppable on the final day of the US$500,000 event as he brought in a card of three-under-68 to end up with a winning total of 13-under-271 at the Macau Golf and Country Club.

In more good news for India, Ajeetesh Sandhu (66-67-71-70), fresh from his twin triumphs in Taiwan and Japan over the last two weeks, delivered a last round of one-under-70 to grab a share of second place at 10-under-274 and make it two Indians in the top-3.

Ajeetesh shared the runner-up spot with Angelo Que (69) of the Philippines.

Gaganjeet Bhullar, the overnight leader by one shot, put behind the disappointment of an ordinary third round effort of three-over-74 as he bounced back in round four with seven birdies at the cost of two bogeys and a double-bogey.

Bhullar started the day with a bogey to concede his outright lead and slip into the joint lead along with compatriot Sandhu. But he then rallied with six birdies over the next 12 holes to build a healthy five-shot lead to all but run away with the title.

Thereafter, Gaganjeet’s subsequent bogey and double-bogey on the 14th and 16th couldn’t stop him from marching to his first Asian Tour title in about a year. He finally registered a three-stroke victory margin thanks to his birdie on the closing 18th.

The strapping 29-year-old from Kapurthala in Punjab has now equalled Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa’s record of most wins (8) by an Indian on the Asian Tour.

It was also Gaganjeet’s third wire-to-wire victory of his career following the Macao Open 2012 and the Indonesia Open 2013. Bhullar had last tasted international success just about a year back at the Asian Tour’s Bank BRI-JCB Indonesia Open 2016.

Bhullar now has nine international wins to his credit including one on the European Challenge Tour. Interestingly, it was the third time that an Indian won the Macao Open. Besides Gaganjeet having won it in 2012, Anirban Lahiri had also won it in 2014.

Ajeetesh Sandhu, who was overnight tied second, one off the lead, had an encouraging start to the day when he sank two birdies on the first four holes. Ajeetesh, the joint leader early in the day, soon slipped out of contention after a string of bogeys on the seventh, 10th and 14th. He however managed to finish joint second after a late flourish which saw him birdie the 16th and 18th.

Rashid Khan shot a stunning final round of seven-under-64, the day’s best, to climb 19 places to tied fifth at six-under-278. His presence in tied fifth made it three Indians in the top-6 this week.

Chiragh Kumar of India also finished inside the top-20. He was tied 19th at even-par-284.

Shubhankar Sharma was a further stroke back in tied 24th.

Among the other Indians, Chikkarangappa was 33rd at three-over-287, Himmat Rai was tied 58th at eight-over-292, Khalin Joshi was tied 66th at 10-over-294 and M Dharma was 70th at 18-over-302.

Tuesday 10 October 2017

Open Golf Championship field to be headlined by Indian legends Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa

Open Golf Championship field to be headlined by Indian legends Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa

Haryana Chandigarh, 10 October(National24news) The second edition of the TAKE Open Golf Championship, scheduled to be played at the prestigious Chandigarh Golf Club from October 12 – 15, 2017, will herald the return of professional golf to Chandigarh after a gap of four years.

The TAKE Open, the 13th event of the 2017 PGTI season, will be Chandigarh’s biggest event in terms of prize money as the prize purse on offer is a whopping Rs. 1 crore.
 The second edition of the TAKE Open reiterates TAKE’s commitment to growing the sport of golf across the country as the tournament which was staged at the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) course in Bengaluru last year, moves to a new city and venue this time around.

The stellar field at the event will be headlined by Indian legends Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa as well as other leading Indian players such as Rashid Khan, Mukesh Kumar, Shubhankar Sharma, Khalin Joshi and Chiragh Kumar (the last three sponsored by TAKE).

Besides Jeev Milkha Singh, the presence of other Chandigarh-based golfers such as Sujjan Singh, Harendra Gupta, Abhijit Singh Chadha, Shubhankar Sharma, Angad Cheema, Karandeep Kochhar, Harmeet Kahlon, Amritinder Singh and Gurbaaz Mann, to name a few, lends the field a strong local flavour.

Interestingly, Jeev Milkha Singh will be playing at his home course, the Chandigarh Golf Club, after a gap of over six years. He last played here during the PGTI Players Championship in March 2011 where he finished fifth.

The main event will be preceded by the Pro-Am event which will be played on October 11.

Mr. Srinivasan HR, Vice Chairman  & Managing Director, TAKE Solutions, said, “We are happy to continue our strong partnership with the PGTI to stage the second edition of this tournament in our endeavor to create greater playing opportunities for all professionals on the tour. With its vibrant golf scene and stellar facilities, the Chandigarh Golf Club is an ideal host venue for what is sure to be four days of high quality, competitive golfing. I look forward to watching India’s highest ranked golfers and players with a home course advantage go head to head.”

Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, said, “The TAKE Open is a result of the shared vision of the PGTI and Mr. Srinivasan H R (Vice Chairman & MD, TAKE Solutions) to provide a solid platform for Indian professionals that will finally facilitate their rise to the international level. Chandigarh is a befitting venue for this marquee event as the city has been a prominent nursing ground for Indian golf having produced many players of international stature such as Jeev Milkha Singh, Harmeet Kahlon, Sujjan Singh, Amritinder Singh, Amandeep Johl as well as rising stars such as Ajeetesh Sandhu, Abhijit Singh Chadha, Angad Cheema and Karandeep Kochhar, to name a few. With the event featuring a star-studded field, golf fans in Chandigarh are in for a visual treat.”


Mr. Rohit Singh Dagar, Captain, Chandigarh Golf Club, said, “The Chandigarh Golf Club welcomes the return of a PGTI event after four years. The hosting of the prestigious TAKE Open reaffirms Chandigarh Golf Club’s stature as one of the top championship venues in the country. We expect a captivating contest as some of India’s leading players such as Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa vie for top honours at the highest-ever prize money event to be held in Chandigarh. We wish the players all the best. The Chandigarh Golf Club is committed to a junior program providing a range, equipment, coaches and financial assistance for junior golfers.”


The venue for the tournament, the Chandigarh Golf Club was laid out in 1962 and is located just south of Sukhna Lake and adjacent to the residence of the Punjab Governor in Sector 6. Chandigarh. India.7,202-yard, 18 holes, par-72 course is known for its tight fairways, which are lined by thick mango, jamun, eucalyptus and kikar orchards trees and thick roughs. There are quite a few dogleg holes here, but none gives the players a chance to take the shortcut as tall trees almost always guard the corners. The Club also possesses one of the longest par-5s in India, the seventh hole, which measures 613 yards.


About TAKE Solutions

 TAKE Solutions, is a globally recognized knowledge intensive technology player, delivering comprehensive and niche solutions for enterprises across diverse sectors for over 15 years, with key expertise in Life Sciences (LS) and Supply Chain Management (SCM). In the LS domain, TAKE offers IP-based software and extensive knowledge-based solutions to enable efficient clinical, regulatory, safety and content management. In SCM, TAKE’s product suite includes distinct technology with embedded IP

Friday 8 September 2017

Shankar Das moves into pole position in penultimate round with day’s best 66

Shankar Das moves into pole position in penultimate round with day’s best 66

Ahmedabad:8 September(National24news)Kolkata’s Shankar Das produced a timely six-under-66 to grab the third round lead at the Kensville Open 2017 presented by PGTI. Das went one ahead as his three-day total moved to 12-under-204 at the Kensville Golf & Country Club in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

Noida’s Amardip Sinh Malik, the overnight leader, closed the penultimate round in second place at 11-under-205 having posted a score of 69.

Delhi’s Himmat Singh Rai (69) was placed third at nine-under-207 while Chandigarh’s Ajeetesh Sandhu (67) occupied fourth place at eight-under-208.

Shankar Das (68-70-66), trailing by two shots and placed tied third at the halfway stage, shot the day’s best score of 66, to emerge as the leader and top contender for the title. The experienced 33-year-old, a winner of six titles on the PGTI, birdied the opening hole to set the ball rolling on Thursday.

His only blemish of the day was the bogey on the fourth after which he went on to claim six birdies including two on the last two holes.

Das said, “My driving wasn’t great, but my approach shots and short game were quite good today. The birdie on the first was a sign for me that I might play well today as I had bogeyed my opening holes on the first two days and didn’t end up playing that well. Most of my birdies were from a range of six to seven feet.

“I closed the round really well with birdies on the last two holes. The highlight of my round was the 20-feet birdie conversion on the 18th. It gave me the lead and the momentum going into the final round. I’m quite excited about the prospect of playing in the final day’s leader group after a long time.

“It’s more important to find the fairway here rather than hit it long. Once you’re on the fairway you double your chances of scoring. I feel all departments of my game are in much better shape at the moment and that’s the reason I’m in contention once again. I’ll look to play steady tomorrow and get myself in a good position to go for the title,” added Shankar, who will be looking to end a two-year victory drought on Friday.

Amardip Sinh Malik (69-67-69), who registered his only win on the PGTI almost three years back, conceded his lead on Thursday but continued to be in the title race. The 32-year-old Malik led the field for a major part of round three as he was four-under for the day through 12 holes. But the bogey on the 13th put the brakes on his round. He then made pars on the last five holes to remain in contention.

Malik said, “If someone gave me a three-under at the start of the round today, I would’ve happily taken it. So I’m quite pleased with today’s effort. I had a slow start having bogeyed the third but came back well with three straight birdies thereafter. That got my round going. Regardless of the bogey on the 13th I closed it out well with some solid pars on the final stretch.

“I’ll play to my plan on the final day by trying to create maximum scoring opportunities. I’ll see if I have to reassess my approach on the back-nine but that depends on the situation.

“I’m happy with all aspects of my game. I thought my current score of 11-under would have won the tournament, but now that 12-under is leading after three days, the number in my mind is 15-under which could give me a good chance of winning.”

Himmat Singh Rai kept himself in the hunt with a strong back-nine where he scored three birdies on the last five holes. He trails the leader by three shots heading into round four.

Ajeetesh Sandhu, the runner-up last week, produced a creditable 67 to be placed fourth, one shot behind Rai.

Allahabad’s Samarth Dwivedi, the round one leader, was in fifth place at seven-under-209 while Noida’s Gaurav Pratap Singh, who shot a 66 in round two, was a further stroke behind in sixth place on Thursday.

The two local amateurs, Varun Parikh (four-over-220) and Anshul Patel (11-over-227), were placed tied 37th and 61st respectively.

Wednesday 6 September 2017

Amardip Sinh Malik surges ahead in round two of Kensville Open 2017

Amardip Sinh Malik surges ahead in round two of Kensville Open 2017

Ahmedabad :7 September (National24news)Amardip Sinh Malik of Noida surged ahead in round two of the Kensville Open 2017 presented by PGTI. Malik took a one-shot lead thanks to an error-free round of five-under-67 at the Kensville Golf & Country Club in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. His two-day total read eight-under-136 at the Rs. 40 lakh event.

Allahabad’s Samarth Dwivedi, the overnight leader, dropped to second place at seven-under-137 on day two after a fighting two-under-70.

Delhi’s Himmat Singh Rai (67) and Kolkata’s Shankar Das (70) occupied tied third place at six-under-138.

Noida’s Gaurav Pratap Singh produced the day’s best score of six-under-66 which propelled him to tied fifth at five-under-139. Chandigarh’s Sujjan Singh (69) also took a share of fifth.

The cut fell at five-over-149. Sixty-one professionals and both the local amateurs, Anshul Patel and Varun Parikh, made the cut.

Amardip Sinh Malik (69-67), who was overnight tied fifth, two off the lead, rose into contention on day two with a flawless 67. Malik, a winner on the PGTI, started well by hitting it close on the first few holes. He birdied the 12th, 13th and 14th to get on a roll.

Amardip created three more birdie opportunities on the front-nine of which he converted two, on the second and sixth, to emerge as one of the frontrunners for the title.

Malik, who won his last title on the PGTI, three years back, said, “After a good start I was three-under at the turn and told myself that if I can just give myself a couple of more birdie opportunities I could go low. I did that as I managed the holes really well. Even though I missed from three feet on the fourth hole, I didn’t let that bother me because I knew this is going to happen a lot this week.

“The highlight of my round was that I managed the course really well. All my birdies were within five to six feet. I also made some tough two-putts today. I’m eight-under on a golf course which is not playing easy, I’m quite pleased about that.

“I’m feeling good at the moment as my hitting and putting is quite sharp and I’m also injury-free. I had injured the little finger on my right hand at the end of last year. I struggled with the pain and played with it for quite a few months. I even had to withdraw from the Asian Tour Qualifying School in January this year due to the injury. I finally recovered in May and have been working hard on my game since then.

“If I can just manage to do what I’ve done over the last two days, I’m sure I’ll win. At the beginning of the week I thought nine-under will be the winning score, now I feel if I’m nine or 10-under for four days, I’ll have a good shot at the title,” added the 32-year-old Malik, one of the most consistent performers on the PGTI over the last decade.

Samarth Dwivedi (67-70) endured a poor start as he bogeyed the 10th and 12th after making three-putts on both occasions. He then made a valiant comeback with an eagle conversion from 20 feet on the 14th and two more birdies on the 18th and first. He made pars on the last eight holes to stay in touch with the lead.

Himmat Singh Rai and Gaurav Pratap Singh were the big gainers on day two. While Himmat moved up from overnight tied 12th to tied third as a result of his 67, Gaurav zoomed from overnight tied 29th to tied fifth courtesy his day’s best score of 66.

The two Ahmedabad-based players in the field, amateurs Anshul Patel and Varun Parikh, closed the day in tied 42nd place at four-over-148.

Saturday 5 August 2017

Bengaluru boys Joshi, Chikka, stay in the hunt, hot on leader Poom’s heels

Bengaluru boys Joshi, Chikka, stay in the hunt, hot on leader Poom’s heels

Bengaluru:5 August (National24news)Overnight leader Poom Saksansin’s lead was reduced from four shots to two on the penultimate day of the TAKE Solutions Masters 2017 as the Indian duo of Khalin Joshi and Chikkarangappa, both Bengaluru lads, gave the Thai a run for his money at the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) course.

While Saksansin (70) led the field at 12-under-201, Khalin Joshi’s hard-earned three-under-68 kept him in second at a total of 10-under-203 at the US$300,000 event co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and PGTI. Chikka’s two-under-69 meant he closed the day in third place at eight-under-205.

Khalin Joshi (68-67-68), trailing leader Poom by four at the start of the day, seemed up for the fight on the first five holes as he struck it well to pick up two birdies. But a poor tee shot on the sixth just broke his rhythm as he dropped his first shot of the day. Joshi, still looking for his maiden Asian Tour title, conceded another bogey and a double-bogey over the next three holes.

Khalin, who was seven off the lead after 10 holes, then rallied with an incredible five birdies on the back-nine to close the gap to two shots. The 24-year-old, playing at his home course, landed it within six feet on four occasions on the back-nine.
  
Joshi said, “I have mixed feelings about the round as I didn’t play that well. The front-nine was poor but I had a good comeback on the back-nine.

“I felt I was just hurrying it a little towards the end of the front-nine and that affected my momentum. Importantly, I didn’t give up and hung in there despite those dropped shots on the front-nine.

“Thereafter the birdie on the 11th helped me calm down. The birdie on the 14th despite a poor tee shot also lifted my spirits. I enjoyed a great stretch from there on including a quality par-save on the 17th.

“I’ll carry some confidence from the latter stages of the round. I’ve not played my best today, but I hope I can bring out my ‘A’ game tomorrow and finish the week in style.

“I’ll be working on my swing today and will look to make an early run in the final round with some birdies at the start. The focus will be to play error-free golf.”

Chikkarangappa (68-68-69), like his friend Khalin, also had a much better back-nine on day three. He was one-over at the turn but then sank some long putts from a range of 10 to 20 feet for his four birdies in the second half that helped him end the day with a 69.

Chikka, who won his last tournament here, a PGTI event, back in October 2016, pulled out a new three-wood on Saturday in order to fix the issue he had with his tee shots on day two.

Chikka, a two time winner on the Asian Development Tour, said, “I didn’t use the driver today and only teed off with the three-wood and that helped. The birdie on 18 was very special. I really wanted to be in the leader group so I told my caddy that I’ll either gain or lose a shot so I attacked the green. I then two-putted from 50-feet for birdie.
  
“The final round is going to be good fun playing with my good friends Khalin (Joshi) and Poom (Saksansin). We played a lot of junior golf together and we will really battle it out tomorrow.
  
“It makes a lot of difference for me (to be in the last group) because I know what the guys are doing. I have a higher chance to be aggressive and go for shots which I have to.
  
“It is absolutely like when I won my first ADT event (in 2014). I was six shots behind and I won. I’m still looking for one solid round so hopefully it comes on the final day.
  
“There’s a lot of advantage of being a local boy. There will be a huge crowd supporting Khalin and me on Sunday.”

Abhinav Lohan of the DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon, matched the tournament’s best score of 64 to rise from overnight tied 32nd to tied fourth at seven-under-206.
  
Lohan said, “I feel good. I made a few mistakes yesterday. I made a nine on a par-five so it was nice to shoot a low round today. I hit it close and rolled my putts in. I kept it fairly simple.
  
“I’m wearing Shubhankar Sharma’s pants so maybe that’s why it brought me luck. We are staying with Khalin (Joshi) this week and Shubhankar had three of the same pants and we use the same size. He gave one to me and I said I’ll wear it tomorrow! So I guess this is his lucky pants.”
  
Kolkata’s Divyanshu Bajaj, who posted a third round of 69, shared the fourth spot with Lohan to make it four Indians in the top-five.
  
Ajeetesh Sandhu and Syed Saqib Ahmed, placed tied eighth at five-under-208, were the other Indians in the top-10.

 The Indian quartet of Jyoti Randhawa, Rahil Gangjee, Viraj Madappa and Sujjan Singh were bunched together in tied 13th at four-under-209.

M Dharma, another Bengaluru golfer, made an exceptional albatross on the par-five fifth when he holed his three-wood approach from a distance of 270 yards. He carded

Tuesday 1 August 2017

Jeev Milkha Singh looks for that spark at inaugural TAKE Solutions Masters

Jeev Milkha Singh looks for that spark at inaugural TAKE Solutions Masters

Bengaluru:1August(National24news) Indian golfing legend Jeev Milkha Singh is excited about playing competitive golf in the city of Bengaluru after a long gap of five years as he prepares to tee it up at the inaugural TAKE Solutions Masters, an event co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and PGTI, scheduled to begin at the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) course this Thursday.

The two-time Asian Tour Order of Merit champion’s last appearance at a professional tournament in the Garden City was at a team event in 2012, the LP Cup.

“It’s always a pleasure to come back to Bengaluru. At this time of the year, the city has the best weather in the country. Last time I played here, the crowds came out in big numbers. I’m expecting the same this time around. The KGA is a fantastic venue and provides a great atmosphere for a tournament with the members coming out in full support.

“The conditions at the KGA course will offer a stern test to the professionals. The rough is up, the greens have a good speed and are holding and it also gets quite windy here, in fact it stops and swirls at times. So good course management and distance control is required to perform well at the KGA,” said Jeev.

The 45-year-old, who won his last international title in Scotland in 2012, hasn’t had much to celebrate in recent times barring a tied second finish at last year’s Indonesia Open. He’s now seeking a change of fortunes on Indian soil.

“It’s been a slow start to the season. I’ve had just one outstanding round this year, the eight-under-63 in Thailand. I also came close to winning in Indonesia last year where I finished joint runner-up. So the results are not coming the way I would like them to come.
  
“But I have the experience to know that I just have to hang in there. The trust and belief system is very important in golf. If you keep following it, even while under pressure, you will eventually succeed.

“Golf is such that one’s game can turn around in one week. So I’m now looking for that spark. When it does come together, one needs to take advantage of it and get back to the winning circle,” added Jeev, who confessed that his next goal was to win before turning 50.

The seasoned pro, who is still the only Indian to have broken into the world’s top-30, a feat he achieved when he climbed to world no. 28 in early 2009, is hopeful that the addition of the TAKE Solutions Masters on the Asian Tour schedule will go a long way in growing golf in Asia in general and India in particular.
   
He said, “I would like to thank Mr. Srinivasan for his initiative in setting up this event. He’s been instrumental in promoting golf in India. We need more people like him to make this game grow in our country. Hopefully, the success of this event will encourage more golf-loving people to come out in support of the sport.”

Jeev regards Bengaluru as the next big contributor of golfing talent with the city already having produced the likes of Anirban Lahiri, Chikkarangappa, Khalin Joshi, Udayan Mane and India’s leading lady golfer Aditi Ashok.

Jeev said, “Bengaluru is now a major golfing hub like Chandigarh has been for many years. The city boasts of world-class facilities, good weather all year round and good coaches. A good system is in place here and thus the city is truly deserving of an international event. If this continues, I can see a lot more players coming through from Bengaluru.”

Friday 21 April 2017

Shamim Khan, Angad Cheema are halfway leaders

Shamim Khan, Angad Cheema are halfway leaders

Pune:21April(National24News.com) 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 Course on 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.

Tuesday 18 April 2017

The Professional Golf Tour of India at the Poona Club Golf Course Open

The Professional Golf Tour of India at the Poona Club Golf Course Open


Pune 18 April (National24News.com) The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), the official sanctioning body of professional golf in India, will be staging the second edition of the Pune Open at the prestigious Poona Club Golf Course from April 20 – 23, 2017. The Pune Open, the seventh event of the PGTI’s 2017 season, carries a prize purse of Rs. 30 lakh. The Pro-Am event is scheduled for April 19. The Associate Partners for the event are 24K by Kolte Patil, LIC, Pirelli, Bank of Maharashtra and Websym. Hotel Crowne Plaza Pune City Centre is the Official Hotel Partner.
 The tournament will see some of India’s leading professionals in action such as defending champion Harendra Gupta, Shankar Das, Mukesh Kumar, Honey Baisoya, Udayan Mane, Shamim Khan, Ajeetesh Sandhu and Khalin Joshi, to name a few. The foreign challenge will be led by the Sri Lankan trio of Anura Rohana, N Thangaraja and K Prabagaran, Australia’s Kunal Bhasin and South African Damian Naicker.


The host city of Pune will be represented by Gurki Shergill (winner of 8th TATA Open 2009), Pravin Pathare, Sameer M Shaikh, Rajiv Datar and Sagar Raghuvanshi. This is a 72-hole stroke-play tournament featuring a field of 125 professionals. The cut will be applied after the first 36 holes. The top 50 players and ties will make the halfway cut and continue to play for another 36 holes.


Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, said, “The city of Pune has produced some promising golfing talent over the years. The second edition of the Pune Open will help generate greater interest for professional golf in the city and act as a catalyst for players from the region to realize their full potential. We thank the Poona Club Golf Course for partnering with us in staging the Pune Open and look forward to a successful tournament.”


Mr. Navin Thakur, AVP-Marketing, Kolte-Patil Developers Ltd, said, “We are happy to associate with PGTI for Pune Open Golf Championship. We look at this tie up more than a sponsorship, for us this is a collaboration to boost golf as a sport. 24K, a luxury brand from Kolte-Patil that develops high end projects, has introduced the 9 hole golf putting green in 24K Opula which is under construction basis the learning from the customer interests from earlier delivered project. With the profile of people who choose 24K as a abode, we have to set high standards, these are reflected in our 24K properties through the quality of construction, our value added services and just about every aspect. With this collaboration we aim to boost golf as an emerging sport in India.”


The Poona Club Golf Course, the venue for the event, is spread over 100 acres and dotted with majestic banyan trees and other flowering trees. The course, which is one of the top championship venues in the country, is well appreciated for its water bodies and fast and true greens. The course has staged many National level professional, amateur and junior events over the years.


About PGTI:
Formed in 2006, Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) is the recognised official body of professional golf in India. PGTI's objective is to promote professional golf in the country, as well as to give players an opportunity to be involved in the decision making on all aspects of the game. Headed by Mr. Gautam Thapar (President), PGTI's governing body comprises leading Indian golf professionals. PGTI currently has over 300 members.




Friday 14 April 2017

Anura Rohana’s 67 catapults him to joint first, Harendra Gupta hangs in for a share of the lead

Anura Rohana’s 67 catapults him to joint first, Harendra Gupta hangs in for a share of the lead

Kochi, :14 APRIL (National24News.com)  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 23rd place at one-over-217.

Thursday 13 April 2017

Harendra Gupta rises to the top with sublime 65

Harendra Gupta rises to the top with sublime 65

Kochi:13April (National24News.com)  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.
     
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.

Tuesday 11 April 2017

  PGTI Cochin Masters presented by CIAL Golf Club tees off

PGTI Cochin Masters presented by CIAL Golf Club tees off

         Prize purse of Rs. 40 lakh

   Mukesh Kumar, Feroz Ali Mollah, Shamim Khan, Rahil Gangjee, Himmat Singh Rai,                 Ajeetesh Sandhu, Khalin Joshi, Honey Baisoya, top names in the field

Kochi,11 April (National24News.com) 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.

Saturday 1 April 2017

Siddikur Rahman wins inaugural City Bank American Express Chittagong Open with mammoth six-shot margin

Siddikur Rahman wins inaugural City Bank American Express Chittagong Open with mammoth six-shot margin

                                 Sanjeev Kumar records career-best second place finish


Chittagong, Bangladesh, April 1, 2017: Bangladeshi golfing icon Md Siddikur Rahman lived up to the expectations of the home crowd that turned up to cheer him at the Bhatiary Golf & Country Club (BGCC) in Chittagong as he registered an imposing six-shot victory at the inaugural City Bank American Express Chittagong Open on Saturday. Siddikur shot a clinical two-under-70 in the final round to keep the trophy in the host nation of Bangladesh. He ended the Rs. 40 lakh event with a remarkable 16-under-272 total.

India’s Sanjeev Kumar finished runner-up at 10-under-278 after his impressive final round of four-under-68. It turned out to be the Lucknow golfer’s career-best finish.

Siddikur (69-66-67-70), the overnight leader by seven strokes, drove home the advantage on the final day with considerable ease as none of the other golfers posed any threat to his lead. As a result Siddikur bagged his sixth title on the PGTI. It was also his first win on the tour since his triumph in Dhaka exactly one year back.

The 32-year-old Rahman was three-under through 11 holes on Saturday after chipping-in for birdie on the fifth and also setting up tap-in birdies on the 10th and 11th with a couple of top-class chip shots. The two-time Asian Tour winner made another chip-in on the 16th, his second of the round and fifth of the week, to cruise home despite the bogeys on the 12th and 17th.“My chipping was the best aspect of my game this week. I made five chip-ins through the tournament. I didn’t leave myself too many long putts, especially on the last day. I felt I kept up the intensity through the final round and was therefore in total control.

“I was really excited and pumped up due to the massive crowd that came out to cheer for me today. It feels really nice to win another tournament in my home country Bangladesh. This will give me loads of confidence for the rest of the Asian Tour season,” said Siddikur, who is a leading celebrity in his country.

He added, “I would like to thank all the sponsors, the BPGA, the PGTI and the Bhatiary Golf & Country Club, for making this event happen. More such events in Bangladesh will help raise the level of the sport in the country.”

Sanjeev Kumar (70-71-69-68) climbed from his overnight tied third to second place courtesy his 68 in round four. Sanjeev, who struck six birdies and two bogeys on Saturday, thus finished the event as the highest-placed Indian golfer.

The 25-year-old Sanjeev’s career-best finish and second top-10 of the season also propelled him from 12th to sixth position in the PGTI Order of Merit. Sanjeev said, “I’m delighted with this result. I’ve been playing really well since last year and the results are gradually getting better for me.”

Delhi’s Shamim Khan (70) finished third at eight-under-280. He continues to lead the PGTI Order of Merit. Md Zamal Hossain Mollah (even-par-288) and Md Jakiruzzaman Jakir (one-over-289) were the other two Bangladeshis in the top-10 as they finished ninth and tied 10th respectively.
Siddikur Rahman continues domination in round three, leads by seven

Siddikur Rahman continues domination in round three, leads by seven

Chittagong, April 1, 2017: Md Siddikur Rahman, Bangladesh’s leading golfer, continued his domination at the City Bank American Express Chittagong Open thanks to a fiery five-under-67 in round three on Friday. Siddikur thus increased his lead from six to seven shots at the Bhatiary Golf & Country Club as his total stood at 14-under-202.Sri Lankan Anura Rohana (68) occupied second place at seven-under-209 while the Indian trio of Khalin Joshi (69), Sanjeev Kumar (69) and Shamim Khan (69) were in joint third place at six-under-210.Local favourite Siddikur (69-66-67), leading by six at the halfway stage, capitalized on the advantage with a sizzling 67 in the third round. The 32-year-old began the day with a bogey on the first but soon came roaring back with a terrific tee shot on the par-3 second where he landed it within a foot for a tap-in birdie.

The two-time Asian Tour winner added three more birdies on the front-nine thanks to some exquisite chipping. He chipped-in on the sixth and made up and down from the bunker on the fifth and eighth for his three birdies.
Siddikur went on to make his second birdie chip-in of the day on the 10th before adding three more birdies on the next eight holes at the expense of two bogeys. 

Siddikur said, “I was really pleased with my ball-striking and chipping today. I’ve made three chip-in birdies so far this week including two in the third round. I also made some top-class chip-putts today. However, the highlight of my round was the tee shot on the second that stopped just a foot from the pin.

“The BGCC course is playing tough due to the windy conditions and I don’t feel that I have the advantage of local knowledge here since I’m playing at this magnificent venue after almost 16 years. The aim in the final round will be to play according to the situation by not getting too ahead of myself. I’ll follow my usual routine and not think too much about the scores,” added Rahman, who had produced the tournament’s lowest score of 66 during the second round.
Anura Rohana, who was overnight tied second, made an eagle, three birdies and a bogey en route his second round of 68, to end the day in sole second position at seven-under-209.
Khalin Joshi, Sanjeev Kumar and Shamim Khan, all of whom were also tied second at the halfway stage, slipped to tied third on Friday with matching scores of 69. Their total moved to six-under-210.
Md Zamal Hossain Mollah (77-71-69) was the second Bangladeshi player in the top-10. He was placed tied 10th at one-over-217 at the end of the penultimate round.