Abu Dhabi, May 7 (PTI) India’s Om Prakash Chouhan, who hit the spotlight in March with a win on the European Challenge Tour, showed that he is the man to look out for with Sunday’s equal best card of 6-under 66 at the UAE Challenge here.
His round included a superb eagle on Par-4 14th. Chouhan’s 66 carried him from overnight tied 33rd place to tied ninth, his second Top-10 finish on the European Challenge Tour.
As the overnight leader Manuel Elvira crashed to an uncharacteristic 8-over 80 at the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, Germany’s Maximilian Rottcluff (70) rose from being overnight second to win the title and Ugo Coussaud, winner of the KGA Challenge, finished second with a final round of 5-under 67 and a total of 13-under.
Chouhan, who after winning the first Duncan Taylor Black Bull Challenge in Bengaluru missed the cut at the KGA Challenge, had a fine day as he and his playing partner Cole Madey, playing his first counting event of 2023, fed off each other. Both shott 66 and finished in a tie for ninth.
For Chouhan it was a return to Top-10 on the Road to Mallorca Rankings, and he is now ninth. The Top-20 on the rankings get a card to the DP World Tour for the next year.
Chouhan is also atop the Indian PGTI Order of Merit, and if he stays there that would also get him a DPWT card.
Chouhan, starting on the 10th birdied the 11th, eagled the Par-4 14th, and added further gains on 16th and 18th to turn in 5-under. He dropped a shot on third but birdied the fifth and ninth for a 66.
Rottluff held his nerve to secure a maiden European Challenge Tour victory at the UAE Challenge. The German, making his first start on the Challenge Tour this season, carded a round of 70 to reach 14 under par and finish one shot clear of Road to Mallorca number one Ugo Coussaud.
Source: PTI News
