La Quinta (USA), Jan 19 (Golf News) A rejuvenated Anirban Lahiri will hope to find early form when he finally begins his 2022 campaign at the American Express this week after a long lay-off since the Fall season.

A refreshing trip home, some work with his coach and spending time with friends and family has put the Indian ace in a good frame of mind.

The third event of the calendar year, the American Express is played on the Pro-Am format and on three courses.

"I was in India for a while. I spent almost a month and a half and I actually extended the trip because I wanted to do some more work on the game," Lahiri said.

"It was a really good trip after a pretty average and disappointing fall. I wanted to come back and get some good work in and go back with a little more confidence and a little more energy. So I'm looking forward." Lahiri, who initially planned to kick off with Sony Open, but will now start with American Express, said he worked on his consistency during the break.

"The game feels much better. I was working on my scoring to make it more consistent. I had some good ones then I had some average ones just working on my ball tracking overall and my approach and attitude on the golf course and just having a little more fun," he said.

"I don't think I had enough fun on the golf course. I wasn't enjoying myself. It had started feeling a little bit more like work so one of the reasons I stayed back and stayed home a little longer was to have some downtime and play some golf with my friends.

"It has been good to spend some time with Chikka (Chikkarangappa) and also some time with Shubhankar and spend time with (coach) Vijay Divecha. as well. So, it was a fantastic trip and I'm looking forward to 2022 now." Lahiri will like to reverse the not-so-good record at the event over the last two years but he did have two decent results in 2016 (T-25) and in 2017 (T-28) when the event was called CareerBuilder Challenge.

Lahiri, who hopes to stake a claim for selection into the International Team for the Presidents Cup later in the year, will compete alongside the likes of International teammates Cameron Smith and Hideki Matsuyama, who enjoyed memorable victories on the PGA TOUR over the past fortnight in Hawaii.

Another International member looking to make a mark is Taiwan’s CT Pan, who played the 2019 Presidents Cup.

The highlight for Pan in 2021 was the Olympic bronze, for which he prevailed in a seven-man playoff which included Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa and Matsuyama. Pan, who played the latter part of the season with a back injury just managed to keep his card finishing 121st on the FedExCup points list.

Other big stars this week include reigning FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay, World No. 1 Jon Rahm and title holder Si Woo Kim.

The 2022 American Express Pro-Am format consists of two golf tournaments going on at the same time for the 156 professionals in the field.

The 156 pros are each paired with an amateur player, forming 156 two-player pairings. Each golfer will play one round on the host, PGA West's Pete Dye Stadium Course, La Quinta Country Club and the Nicklaus Tournament Course.

The final round will once again be at the Stadium Course. There will be 52 golfers on each course each day. The cut comes in after three rounds, that is 54 holes. 

Also Read : Chikka, Joshi in top-5, stay in contention at Singapore International

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Singapore, Jan 15 (Golf News) Indian golfer S Chikkarangappa, shot a two-under 70 in difficult conditions in the third round to move to sole third and within three shots of the leader Rattanon Wannasrichan (73) at the Singapore International, here on Saturday.

While the 28-year-old Chikka, looking for his maiden Asian Tour successes moved up, fellow Indian Khalin Joshi, the first round leader (75), slipped to fourth and was four behind the leader.

Thailand's Rattanon maintained his lead at Tanah Merah Country Club and put himself in position for his second title on the Asian Tour.

Korean youngster, Joohyung Kim (69) played solid on another day of strong winds and was sole second.

Rattanon was 4-under, while Kim Joohyung was second at 2-under and Chikka was 1-under for third. They were the only players under par after 54 holes.

Chikkarangappa, two-time winner on the Asian Development Tour, has been knocking on the doors of a maiden title win for a while, won twice on the Indian domestic Tour in 2021.

He also accompanied Anirban Lahiri as his caddie for the Tokyo Olympics "I learnt a lot from watching the top stars from all over the world. I have been feeling very confident since then. As a for a win, it is not in my control, I can only try and play my best," he said.

"So, when I go out for the final round, that’s what I will do – give my best. It will be exciting to go out in the final group with Rattanon and Kim and I have seen both play." Chikka started the third round with a birdie and was 2-under for front nine but dropped a shot on Par-5 10th for the second day in a row. He made up for it with a birdie on 18th, also for the second day in a row.

Joshi, who shot 67 on the first day, has struggled with the putter for the last two days and hopes to reverse that trend on Sunday.

Rashid Khan, two-time winner on Asian Tour, but who last won in 2014, had a round of 70 and rose to T-14, while Viraj Madappa was T-36 after dropping with a card of 78.

Shubhankar Sharma (77) and Ajeetesh Sandhu (80) had a rough outing and dropped to T-45, while Shiv Kapur (75) and Abhijit Chadha (75) were T-55.

Rattanon, 27, winner of the 2017 Thailand Open, returned a third round one-over-par 73 on the Tampines Course for a two-shot advantage over Kim, who returned a 69.

Thailand’s 14-year-old amateur star Ratchanon Chantananuwat, who was two behind the leader at the start of the day, slipped back with a 76 and is five off the pace. 

Also Read : Joshi's putter slips but stays second as Chika, Sandhu occupy 7th place

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Singapore, Jan 14 (Golf News) India's Khalin Joshi struggled with his putter and slipped to 2-over 74 on the second day but stayed two shots off the lead at the halfway stage of the Singapore International here on Friday.

Thailand's Rattanon Wannasrichan sensationally eagled the 626-yard par-five 18th to take the lead after the second round. With 73-66, he was five-under 139, two shots clear of Joshi and Ratchanon Chantananuwat (75-66), Thailand's 14-year-old amateur golf sensation.

The USD 1million tournament is the second from last event on the Asian Tour's 2020-21 season.

On another difficult day in strong winds on an exacting Tampines Course, eight of the 15 Indian who teed off at the event, made the 36-hole cut, which fell at 7-over.

Other Indians making the cut were S Chikkarangappa (75-70) and Ajeetesh Sandhu (70-75) at T-7; Shubhankar Sharma (73-75) and Viraj Madappa (77-71) at T-20; Shiv Kapur (79-72), Rashid Khan (75-76) and Abhijit Chadha (72-79) at T-54.

Indians missing the cut were M Dharma (81-73); Karandeep Kochhar (77-78), Veer Ahlawat (78-77); Sunit Chowrasia (77-79); Udayan Mane (74-83), Jeev Milkha Singh (78-80) and Jyoti Randhawa (79-79).

Joshi said: "It wasn't a good day on the greens for me. I struggled with the putter but overall, I am happy with the way I'm playing.

"Obviously, it was tough out there. It's not going to be easy. The winds were up. I felt like I should have capitalised more earlier in the day because it wasn't as windy as now. But overall, I'm in a good position and just looking forward to the next two days." S Chikkarangappa and Ajeetesh Sandhu battled to 70 and 75 and were in Top-10 of the leader board.

Shubhankar Sharma suffered a double bogey and two other bogeys against a lone birdie on 18th, while Viraj Madappa, who like Joshi and Sandhu is searching for his second Asian Tour win, had four birdies on the front nine and three bogeys on the back nine of the Tana Merah Course.

Rattanon took away the focus from Ratchanon with his brilliant finish.

"The 18th was playing downwind. My second shot was with a three wood, it was a low cut. I was just hoping for a good shot, and it finished 10 feet away. It was a little but lucky," said Rattanon, whose sole Asian Tour victory came in the 2018 Thailand Open.

Ratchanon, who is playing in his first professional event overseas, shot 75 yesterday and complained of feeling unwell but was thrilled to get himself back in contention today with a round that saw him hit all 14 fairways despite the wind.

Filipino Angelo Que and Paul Peterson from the United States returned rounds of 71 and 73 respectively to sit at one under for the tournament.

Thailand's Jazz Janewattananond, the reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, finished in solo possession of sixth place on level par after a 73. 

Also Read :  Khalin Joshi leads Singapore International, Sandhu lies third.

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Singapore, Jan 13 (Golf News) Khalin Joshi, the last Indian golfer to win on the Asian Tour, made a strong bid for a second title as he overcame strong winds to claim the first-round lead with a five-under-par 67 at the Singapore International here on Thursday.

Joshi, who won the 2018 Panasonic Open for his maiden Asian Tour success, leads Englishman William Harrold (69) by two shots in the USD 1 million event at the Tan Merah course.

It could have been a one-two for India as Ajeetesh Sandhu was 4-under through 13 holes but dropped shots on 14th and 16th before picking a birdie on 18th.

He was 2-under 70 and placed tied-third alongside American Paul Peterson, while Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond and Pavit Tangkamoprasert, Chan Shih-chang from Chinese-Taipei and South African Mathiam Keyser returned 71.

Another Indian in Top-10 was Abhijit Chadha (72) at T-9, while Shubhankar Sharma shot 73 and was T-20.

Olympian Udayan Mane (74) was T-31, while Rashid Khan and S Chikkarangappa with 75 each were T-45.

Sunit Chowrasia, Karandeep Kochhar and Viraj Madappa carded 77 each.

With scores of 78 each, youngster Veer Ahlawat and veteran Jeev Singh, a winner in Singapore back in 2006, were T-79, while Jyoti Randhawa and Shiv Kapur with 79 were T-86.

Joshi, who started on the tenth, had seven birdies on a demanding golf course where wind speeds reached as much as 35km per hour.

He was five-under through 10 holes with birdies on 12th, 15th, 17th and 18th. He added one more on first but dropped shots on second and fourth before picking two more birdies on fifth and eighth.

“It was obviously a very challenging golf course to start off with; it’s long, it’s windy and the flags were all tough, so it wasn’t very easy, greens are firm,” Joshi said.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been leading on the Asian Tour. It’s obviously feeling very good. But it’s a four-day tournament, so you know, there's still a long way to go. Obviously, it’s a challenging golf course, everybody is going to make mistakes. "The key is to stay patient and whenever you have chances to make birdies, just capitalise. Just enjoy it, because it’s going to be a long week for sure.” Australian Wade Ormsby, the current leader of the Asian Tour Order of Merit, was in a large group of players who fired 72.

Journeyman tour pro Harrold ̶ who played on the EuroPro Tour last year ̶ made an eagle, four birdies and three bogeys to take the clubhouse lead in the morning session.

Reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Jazz, coming off a five-week break, was content with his round after birdieing his final two holes. 

Also Read : TATA Steel PGTI Qualifying School 2022 begins on January 7

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Ahmedabad, Jan 6 (Golf News) A total of 338 golfers, including 259 professionals and 79 amateurs, will fight it out at the TATA Steel PGTI Qualifying School scheduled to be held at the Kalhaar Blues & Greens Golf Club here from January 7 to 20.

The Qualifying School, which kick-starts each PGTI season, is one of the most important events on the PGTI calendar as it is the only route for players to qualify to play on the PGTI in a particular season.

The tournament determines the criteria for players for the whole season.

The Qualifying School event runs for the longest duration among all PGTI events as it is staged over a period of two weeks. It is the biggest gathering of golfers in the country.

Besides Indian golfers, this year's Qualifying School will also feature as many as 20 golfers from foreign nations.

This list includes eight players from Bangladesh, four from Canada, two from Australia, two from Sri Lanka, one from USA, one from Great Britain, one from UAE and one from Nepal.

This time around the PGTI is staging its Qualifying School after a gap of one year due to the pandemic. The last PGTI Qualifying School was staged in January 2020.

The First Stage of the Qualifying School will comprise of three 36-hole events – Pre Qualifying I, Pre Qualifying II and Pre Qualifying III.

While Pre Qualifying I will be staged on January 7–8, Pre Qualifying II will be held on January 10–11 and Pre Qualifying III takes place on January 13–14.

A specified number of players will make it to the Final Stage from the field of 101 at Pre Qualifying I, 90 at Pre Qualifying II and 99 at Pre Qualifying III.

The qualifiers from the 'First Stage' will join the 48 exempt players in the Final Stage which is scheduled to be held from January 17–20.

The 72-hole 'Final Stage' event will feature a field of 120 players.

The top 80 and ties will make the halfway cut after two rounds of the Final Stage.

At the end of the 'Final Stage', the top 40 players will earn their full cards for the 2022 PGTI season. The Final Stage offers a total prize purse of Rs. 5 lakh.

Gujarat Tourism is the Presenting Partner for this year's Qualifying School. 

Also Read : Asian Tour to return to India after more than 2 years with inaugural DGC Open in March

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New Delhi, Dec 28 (Golf News) The prestigious Asian Tour is set to return to India after nearly two-and-a-half-years with the inaugural DGC Open to be held at the Delhi Golf Club here from March 24 to 27 next year.

To be staged on the newly renovated Lodhi Course and boasting off a lucrative purse of USD 500,000, the exciting new event will be one of the standout tournaments in the early part of the season on the 2022 Asian Tour calender.

"The DGC Open is a new tournament, on a newly renovated Gary Player Design course and in many respects represents a new start for everyone involved," said Manjit Singh, President of the Delhi Golf Club.

"It is an exciting opportunity for the Delhi Golf Club to play a key role in the return of international tournament golf to India. We feel it is extremely important that we set the wheels in motion to restore tournament golf in India and help the game we are all so passionate about. To commemorate this occasion Gary Player, himself, is scheduled to be present." In the last Asian Tour event in India, Korean teenager Joohyung Kim claimed the Panasonic Open India in November 2019, while the same tournament in October of 2018 was the most recent occasion the Delhi Golf Club hosted an Asian Tour event.

The DGC Open will be promoted by the Delhi Golf Club.

The famous club will strictly adhere to the government all COVID-19 protocols to ensure a safe environment for players and staff.

"The addition of The DGC Open to our 2022 schedule is a massive boost for the Asian Tour and something we have been working very hard on behind the scenes to facilitate," said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner and CEO of the Asian Tour.

"The Delhi Golf Club – the quintessential home of golf in India – has been a regular host venue on the Asian Tour for many years. And we are extremely grateful for their continued support, which is especially important to us in these unprecedented times." Having undergone a major overhaul in 2019, the highly-rated Lodhi course is set to pose a different challenge with its revamped greens and reshaped bunkers when the Tour returns for the first time since India's Khalin Joshi claimed his breakthrough win there in the 2018 Panasonic Open India.

The Asian Tour is in the process of completing its 2020-21 season with two season-ending events in Singapore scheduled for January -- The Singapore International and the SMBC Singapore Open.

The Tour resumed play following a 20-month break caused by the pandemic in November and December last year with back-to-back events in Phuket.

Chinese Taipei's Chan Shih-chang won the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship before Phachara Khongwatmai from Thailand emerged victorious in the Laguna Phuket Championship.

The Tour will be releasing their 2022 schedule later in January before the season-opening USD 5 million Saudi International, powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, to be played at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club from February 3-6. 

Also Read : Arshvant shoots 67 to take boys U-12 title at US Kids Golf India

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Gurgaon, Dec 24 (Golf News) Arshvant Srivastava, who was off-colour a day earlier, shot a bogey free five-under 67 to win the boys Under-12 title at the US Kids Golf India North tournament here on Thursday.

A day after shooting five-over 77, Arshvant, winner of the opening leg in November, went 10 shots better with five birdies and no bogeys to avenge the losses he suffered at the hands of his friend and arch-rival Bhavesh Nirwan, who won four times from the second to the fifth leg.

It was an exciting contest with some excellent golf as Arshvant's five birdies were rivalled by six from Bhavesh but he also gave away three bogeys. The third-placed finisher Ansh Dubey also did well with one-over 73.

Pint-sized Ojaswini Saraswat from Mohali picked up her fourth successive title at the US Kids Golf India North.

Ojaswini, who is in the girls Under-8 section, did not play the first two legs but has been unbeaten since as she registered a score of 33 in the nine-hole competition for her age group and won by six shots over Aanya Dandriyal, winner of the second leg. Annika Chendira, winner of the opening leg, was third.

The lanky Arjun Singh, for whom the Classic Golf and Country Club is the home course, grabbed his fourth title and boosted his chances for international appearances.

Prince Bainsla, supported by US Kids Golf India, won for the fifth time in a row, while Mahreen Bhatia, who has been playing alone in the girls Under-13-14 category, shot a superb score of 74 which put her in line to qualify for US Kids United States in Pinehurst next year.

Shaurya Dagar, who has shifted base from Bengaluru to Panchkula and now trains with women's professional Tavleen Batra, won a title battle in a three-way play-off in the boys Under-10 category.

Winning his section for the fifth time was Raajveer Singh of Noida in the boys Under-9, while Abeer Agarwal (boys Under-7) won for the fourth time and Nalinaksh (boys Under-6) emerged victor for the third time.

Vedant Banerjee (boys Under-13-14), winner of the second leg, won his second title in the series while Kriti Parekh (girls Under-11-12), winner of the third leg, triumphed for the second time. Naina Kapoor earned her maiden success in the girls Under-9-10 category.

The seventh and eighth legs will be held on January 27 and 28 at the Classic Golf and Country Club. 

Also Read : Mane wins TATA Steel Tour Championship to emerge PGTI Order of Merit champion

News Source : PTI

Jamshedpur, Dec 19 (Golf News) Olympian Udayan Mane held his nerve and carded a three-under 69 in the last round to win the PGTI's season-ending TATA Steel Tour Championship by a narrow one-shot margin here on Sunday.

The win also helped him bag the PGTI Order of Merit title for the 2020-21 season.

Mane (68-66-67-69) made six birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey on the final day to end up with a tournament tally of 18-under 270 at the season's showpiece event worth Rs. 1.5 crore in prize money which was played across the Beldih and Golmuri Golf Courses.

The six-foot four-inch tall Pune-based golfer, who made a 12-feet pressure putt for victory on the last hole, made it a year to remember as he followed up his Tokyo Olympics appearance with the bragging rights of being No. 1 in PGTI's money list with season's earnings of Rs. 58,72,275.

Two-time Asian Tour winner Rashid Khan (70-72-66-63) matched the tournament's lowest round of nine-under 63 on the last day to climb 10 spots and finish runner-up at 17-under 271.

Rashid, who made an eagle and seven birdies in round four, gave himself an opportunity to have a shot at the title and was even staring at a record fourth PGTI Order of Merit crown as his playoff with Mane was looking possible at one stage.

Mane, the overnight joint leader along with Shubhankar Sharma, seized the early initiative with birdies on the second, third and fourth, making two-putts on the two par-5s on that stretch. He made double-bogey on the eighth but soon recovered with birdies on the 11th and 13th where he sank 10-feet putts.

Mane emerged the outright favourite after his terrific up and down birdie from the bunker on the 16th gave him a two-shot cushion at the top.

A bogey on the 17th and an erratic drive on the 18th gave him some anxious moments as clubhouse leader Rashid was just one shot behind at that stage.

However, Mane produced a good approach shot and an ice-cool 12-feet par conversion on the 18th to seal his 12th title on the PGTI.

Mane, who collected the winner's purse worth Rs. 22,50,000, thus zoomed from third to first position in the PGTI Order of Merit as he leapfrogged Karandeep Kochhar and Chikkarangappa in the merit list based on season's earnings.

Mane won an impressive four titles during the 2020-21 season and posted four other top-10s as well.

"I just like the courses here in Jamshedpur. That's the reason I've won here twice. It's a good test for the professionals to adapt from one course to another in the middle of the round.

"Winning the PGTI Order of Merit title is great for my confidence as I will head to the Asian Tour soon. I'd now like to carry this form to Asia," added Mane, who now wins a four-year exemption on the PGTI as a result of emerging Order of Merit champion.

Rashid, lying tied 30th after his first two rounds of 70 and 72, made a brilliant rearguard action with scores of 66 and 63 in the last two rounds to make a strong comeback in the tournament.

He added three more birdies on the back-nine during his flawless final round. As a result of his runner-up finish, Rashid jumped from ninth to fourth place in the PGTI's final money list.

Two-time European Tour winner Shubhankar shot a final round of 72 to take tied fourth place at 15-under 273 along with four-time European Tour winner SSP Chawrasia (70).

Shubhankar's challenge faded away on the back-nine where he conceded three bogeys and a double-bogey in exchange for two birdies.

SSP's nephew Sunit Chowrasia (69) finished tied sixth at 14-under 274 along with nine-time Asian Tour winner Gaganjeet Bhullar (71).

Karandeep Kochhar, a winner of two events this season, finished tied 23rd at six-under 282 at the season finale. He took second place in the PGTI's money list with season's earnings of Rs. 51,00,880.

Chikkarangappa claimed tied 12th place with a total of 10-under 278. A two-time winner in the season, he thus finished third in the Order of Merit with season’s earnings of Rs. 48,07,880.

Indian golf legend Jyoti Randhawa finished tied 44th at one-under 287.

Kartik Sharma of Gurugram won the PGTI Emerging Player of the Year title with season's earnings of Rs. 18,22,750, the highest among the rookies. 

Also Read : Shubhankar's stunning 63 takes him into joint lead, Udayan too rises

News Source : PTI

Jamshedpur, Dec 18 (Golf News) Shubhankar Sharma set the Golmuri Golf Course ablaze with a nine-under 63, his best ever score over nine holes, that catapulted him into the joint lead along with 2019 champion Udayan Mane in round three of the Rs. 1.5 crore TATA Steel Tour Championship here on Saturday.

Udayan shot a fighting 67 to boost his chances of winning the Order of Merit title at the Beldih and Golmuri Golf Courses.

Shubhankar (67-71-63) and Udayan (68-66-67), currently third in the PGTI rankings, totalled 15-under 201 to be placed two shots ahead of the chasing pack consisting of other contenders including defending champion Gaganjeet Bhullar (67-67-69), SSP Chawrasia (63-69-71), a three-time winner in Jamshedpur and Veer Ahlawat (68-67-68), who is currently eighth in the PGTI's merit list and also has a shot at the Order of Merit crown.

Shubhankar followed up his sedate 71 in round two with a red-hot 63 to make a strong comeback in the tournament as he climbed seven spots from his overnight tied eighth position.

The 25-year-old, a two-time winner on the European Tour, fired two eagles, six birdies and a bogey during his outstanding effort that matched the tournament's lowest round earlier shot by Chawrasia on day one.

Sharma, a winner in his previous appearance in Jamshedpur in 2016, kick-started his round with birdie-eagle on the first two holes with a 12 feet and 25 feet conversion respectively.

Shubhankar then landed it within a foot for birdie on the sixth and for his second eagle of the day on the ninth. He also had three other birdies during his extraordinary front-nine at Golmuri.

After the turn, Sharma's round slowed down as he could only pick up a birdie and a bogey on the back-nine at the Beldih Golf Course.

Shubhankar said, "I'm really happy as I shot my best score in nine holes ever. However, the back-nine was a bit of a dampener as I didn't make any inroads there. But shooting a 63 is great especially on the moving day.

"The birdie-eagle start gave the impetus to my round which I built upon through the front-nine. I also started well in Beldih but missed an easy up and down on the 12th that took the wind out of my sails a little bit." Olympian Udayan, lying overnight tied third and two off the lead, too had a good start to the day as he birdied the first from 10 feet and then recovered well from the bunker wall with a chip-putt birdie on the fourth before sinking a 30-footer for birdie on the fifth.

Udayan dropped a shot on the eighth but soon regained control with birdie on the ninth.

Udayan then made two-under on the back-nine in Beldih with a 25-feet eagle conversion on the 12th and a birdie and bogey each. Mane, currently third on the PGTI Order of Merit, is now in with a chance of winning the Order of Merit title if he triumphs in Jamshedpur.

Bhullar's 69 featured an eagle, five birdies and four bogeys while SSP Chawrasia's 71 included five birdies and four bogeys.

Ahlawat struck an eagle, five birdies and three bogeys during his 68. Ahlawat too has an opportunity to win the Order of Merit title if he wins this week’s event. He is eighth in the merit list at the moment.

Bengaluru's Chikkarangappa, currently second in the PGTI Order of Merit, shot a brilliant 65 to move up 27 spots to tied 20th at six-under 210. With a possible top-5 finish in Jamshedpur, Chikka too stands a chance of wrapping up the Order of Merit title.

Indian golf legend Jyoti Randhawa (70) ended the day in tied 46th place at one-under 215. 

Also Read : Jaipur's Khushi wins maiden title at final leg of Hero WPGT

News Source : PTI

Kolkata, Dec 17 (Golf News) Jaipur golfer Khushi Khanijau turned in a stunning birdie-birdie finish to win her maiden title in the 15th and final leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club here on Friday.

The 21-year-old's previous best was tied-second (alongside Tvesa Malik) and behind Amandeep Drall, in her rookie year 2018, at the Boulder Hills in Hyderabad. Khushi was also the Rookie of the Year in 2018.

Khushi became the fifth first-time winner in 2021 after Jahanvi Bakshi, who added three more wins, Seher Atwal and Lakhmehar Pardesi and amateur Avani Prashanth.

Khushi, who learnt most of her early golf at the Ram Bagh Golf Club in Jaipur, shot an even par 72 on the strength of three birdies in the last four holes, during which she also had a bogey on 16th.

Her round of 72, the best of the day, got her to a total of 229, one better than the trio of amateur Smriti Bhargava (77), Shweta Mansingh (77) and overnight leader Seher Atwal (80), all of whom were tied for second.

As Khushi played in the second last group, she finished at 229 and waited for the final group. A birdie for any of the three, Smriti, Seher and Shweta, playing together, would have sent the tournament into a play-off.

However, all three parred and stayed one behind to share the runner-up spot.

While Khushi landed four birdies, three of them in the last four holes, neither Smriti Bhargav nor Seher managed to find any birdies on the final day. 

Also Read : Seher leads by two shots at Hero WPGT event

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Kolkata, Dec 16 (Golf News) Seher Atwal managed to stay ahead of the field despite a closing bogey in the second round of the 15th leg of Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour here on Thursday.

Seher, who had a one-shot lead after the first round, extended it to two shots with a card of 75, the same as the first day.

Seher was two clear of Shweta Mansingh, who is looking for her maiden win on the Hero WPGT.

Shweta, who was way behind with 80 on the first day, shot an even par round of 72, which was the best card of the day. At 152 she was sole second, while amateur Smriti Bhargava (78-75) was third.

Lakhmehar Pardesi was lying fourth, while Khushi Khanijau (74), Jyotsana Singh (78), Saaniya Sharma (77) and amateur Agrima Manral (79) were tied fifth.

Seher, who is hoping to close 2021 with a second win, had three birdies against six bogeys, while Shweta, who was 3-over after 12 holes, had three birdies between 15th and 17th.

Amateur Smriti Bhargav had five bogeys against two birdies in her 75.

Ridhima Dilawari, the winner last week, struggled to 9-over 81 with 10 bogeys and one birdie. She had six bogeys in a row from fifth. 

Also Read : Ace golfer Jeev Milkha Singh eyes new chapter of his career at 50

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Chandigarh, Dec 15 (Golf News) Ace Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh, who turned 50 on Wednesday, insisted his storied career can begin a new chapter from here on.

Son of the legendary sprinter Milkha Singh, Jeev is considered as the torchbearer of Indian golf with his exploits and achievements across the globe.

Winner of 18 world titles so far in his illustrious career in professional golf, Jeev rose to number 28 in the Official World Golf Ranking, the highest ever by an Indian professional.

He was the Asian Tour No. 1 twice and won four titles each on the European Tour and the Japan Golf Tour. He became the first Indian to qualify for both the Tours.

"It’s been an amazing journey so far. I have had a very satisfying career, with some big wins alongside some frustrating misses, but I have always given my 100 per cent to the sport, and I am very proud of that," Jeev said in a statement.

"This year (2021) was probably the most challenging year of my life, and it had nothing to with golf. To lose both my parents in a space of five days, was something I wasn't prepared for. It has taken me time to get over my personal loss.

"However, I know my father would have wanted me to get back on the course and work hard, and that is what I am going to do. My dad introduced me to the sport, and I will now play golf in his memory." Jeev turned professional in 1993 after an equally notable amateur career, during which he won the NCAA Division II Individual title.

With cards on the European Legends Tour and the Japan Golf Seniors Tour, Jeev will add another first against his name next year when he becomes the first Indian to play full-time on the seniors (above 50) tours. He is also expected to get a few starts on the Champions Tour in the US.

"I feel very lucky that golf is a sport that can be played competitively even at my age and beyond. The Seniors Tours are extremely challenging with quality players like my idol Fred Couples, Phil Mickelson and Bernhard Langer, who is still dominating even though he is past 60 now," said Jeev, a Padma Shree recipient.

"If there is one regret in my career so far, it is that I haven't won a major championship. I now have a chance to rectify that, and I am going to give it my best shot. I am going to play a few tournaments on the regular Tours as well, like the Asian Tour where I have an honorary membership." Looking back at his career, Jeev said it was difficult to pick out one moment as his favourite.

"Every win is special because of the circumstances. I am very proud of my 2006 Volvo Masters win in Valderrama, because I was playing that challenging golf course for the first time and it had a reputation of never yielding to a rookie.

"I will never forget my 2008 Barclays Singapore Open win, because it was called Asia's major and had a very deep field. The 2008 Golf Nippon Series JT Cup in Japan was special because I had suffered a major personal loss that week," he said.

He said his lowest moments would be the numerous injuries he suffered during his career.

"I have no doubt that I'd have had a much better career if I could have somehow avoided them. The wrist injury I got during my 2012 Scottish Open win was particularly difficult to digest, only because I was playing so well at that time." Jeev is planning to start his 2022 season with the two proposed events on the Asian Tour in Singapore, followed by the Saudi International. He will plan his seniors schedule after that. 

Also Read : Seher Atwal takes slender lead in 15th Leg of WPGT

News Source : PTI

Kolkata, Dec 15 (Golf News) Seher Atwal, who registered a breakthrough win earlier this year, took a slender one-shot lead in the first round of the 15th and final leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour here on Wednesday.

Seher, who missed making the final stage of the Ladies by one shot, carded 3-over 75 on the first day at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club. She was one shot ahead of Neha Tripathi and two clear of last week’s winner Ridhima Dilawari.

Four players, including two amateurs in Smriti Bhargav and Agrima Manral, were tied for fourth at 6-over 78. The two pros in the bunch were Lakhmehar Pardesi and Trimann Saluja.

Seher, winner of the fourth leg this year in Pune, overcame a double bogey and three others bogeys in her 75. Her two birdies came on the par-5 fourth and par-4 12th.

Neha Tripathi also had two birdies but she also dropped six bogeys in her 76, while Ridhima had just one birdie on the par-5 15th and six bogeys on a day when the scores were modest.

Jyotsana Singh and Rhea Purvi Saravanan were tied for eighth at 79 each, while five players were together at 8-over 80 in Tied-10th place.

The back nine played rather difficult and only Seher was even for it while all others went over par for the stretch. No player birdied the 18th. 

Also Read : TATA Steel Group and PGTI to host TATA Steel Tour Championship 2021

News Source : PTI

Jamshedpur, Dec 13 (Golf News) The TATA Steel Group and PGTI will be hosting the TATA Steel Tour Championship at the Beldih and Golmuri golf courses here from December 16 to December 19.

The event offers a handsome prize purse of Rs 1.5 crore and will feature an elite field of 74 professionals.

The championship is the season-ending event of the 2020-2021 PGTI calendar. The tournament is a 72-hole stroke-play championship and there will be no cut applied.

There is guaranteed prize money for all participants. The Pro-Am event preceding the tournament will be played on Tuesday.

According to the format of the event for all four rounds, half the field will play their first nine holes at Golmuri and second nine at Beldih while the other half will play their first nine at Golmuri and second nine at Beldih.

From round two onwards, the leading/front half of the leaderboard (leading groups as per the scores) will play their first nine holes at Golmuri and second nine at Beldih. The prize presentation ceremony on Sunday will be at Beldih.

The tournament will feature some of the biggest names in Indian golf such as defending champion Gaganjeet Bhullar (10 international wins), Jyoti Randhawa (9 international wins), Olympian SSP Chawrasia (6 international wins), Shubhankar Sharma (2 international wins) and Olympian Udayan Mane (2019 champion).

The field will also feature the top-60 from the PGTI Order of Merit with the prominent names being PGTI Order of Merit leader Karandeep Kochhar, Rashid Khan, Khalin Joshi, Viraj Madappa, Chikkarangappa S, Yuvraj Singh Sandhu, Aman Raj, Veer Ahlawat and Manu Gandas, to name a few.

Two-time European Tour winner and former Asia No. 1 Shubhankar Sharma returns to play in Jamshedpur after five years.

Shubhankar, a European Tour regular, last played in Jamshedpur at the 15th TATA Open 2016, an event he went on to win. Sharma will also be playing a PGTI event for the first time since February 2020.

The tournament will decide the PGTI Order of Merit champion for the 2020-2021 season. 

Also Read : Ridhima wins 14th leg of Hero WPGT despite triple bogey on last hole

News Source : PTI

Kolkata, Dec 10 (Golf news) Ridhima Dilawari flirted with danger throughout the final day and, despite a triple bogey on the final hole of the third round, won the 14th leg of the Hero Women's Golf Tour at the Tollygunge Club here on Friday.

Time and again she fell back only to fight back before holding on for a second title in 2021.

Ridhima, who was tied-second overnight, birdied the 16th and 17th and led by four when she came to the finishing Par-3 18th which she triple bogeyed to go from one-over to four-over.

She shot four-over 74 for a total of four-over 220 and won by one shot over Saaniya Sharma (75) and by two over Lakhmehar Pardesi (77).

Ridhima was helped by the cushion of a four-shot lead when she came to the 18th. Her closest rival, Saaniya Sharna, who had an up-and-down round of 75, managed only a par.

The leader of the first two rounds, Lakhmehar Pardesi was unable to find the form of first two days and could not land a single birdie. Her seven bogeys meant seven-over 77 and that dashed her hopes of a second career title, and also the second one of the year.

Ridhima, who had won the opening leg in 2021 in January, thus added a second title. She began on a nervous note with bogeys on first and third and fell behind Lakhmehar and Saaniya.

Then Lakhmehar and Saaniya bogeyed fourth and fifth to allow Ridhima, who parred the two holes, back into the frame.

Ridhima grabbed her chance by landing birdies on seventh and 10th. Then came the choppy part with three bogeys on 11th, 14th and 15th, but once again Ridhima clawed her way back with birdies on 16th and 17th.

The drama did not end there as Ridhima was again in danger of losing the lead and with it the title with a triple bogey. However, on this occasion she held on and holes ran out for her rivals.

Ridhima had four birdies against five bogeys and a triple, while Saaniya totalled 11-over 221 and in the final round had two birdies against five bogeys and a double. Lakhmehar had seven bogeys and no birdies and a three-day total of 12-over 222.

Jyotsana Singh (74) was a distant fourth at 227 and amateur Nishna Patel (73) was fifth at 228 as yet another amateur Zara Anand (76) was tied-sixth with Shweta Mansingh (80) at 230.

Anisha Agarwalla (72), who shot the best round of the day, was tied-eighth with amateur Smriti Bhargava (78) at 232 and amateur Jahnavi Prakhya (79) was 10th at 233.

Despite the win Ridhima was seventh on the Hero Order of Merit, which has been combined for 2020 and 2021. Ridhima won once in 2020 and twice in 2021. The leader is Amandeep Drall followed by Vani Kapoor and Jahanvi Bakshi.

The 15th and final leg of the Hero WPGT 2021 will be held next week at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club.

Also Read : Lakhmehar leads by one shot at Hero WPGT

News Source : PTI