By Rahul Banerji
Shamim Khan’s missed birdie putt on hole 15 was possibly the first sign that it was going to be Gaurav Pratap Singh’s day at his home Noida Golf Course.
For Shamim, it was a costly miss as it would have brought the overnight leader back on level terms with Gaurav Pratap. It would all go south thereafter.
For the latter though, it was a sign that the gods were smiling on him.
Gaurav Pratap had already taken a penalty on that hole, the par-5 14th and scrambled home with a par. Shamim’s missed putt kept him one shot ahead.
On 18, with eventual runner-up Karan Pratap Singh having birdied the par-4 hole in the group ahead, Gaurav Pratap’s sent his 3-wood off the tee into the trees that possibly stopped the ball from going into the water hazard.
Again, he would scramble home with a 7-iron approach and a two-putt par to stay in title contention and take the matter into a playoff.
Played over hole 18 again, Gaurav Pratap opted for a 2-iron off the tee in the first tie-break hole and safely made par, while Karan Pratap, who had the more difficult putt went too long, and could only manage a bogey.
Key putts
The second crucial putt in the space of six holes handed Gaurav Pratap Singh his second PGTI title, after a 14-year-long wait.
Fate truly was on his side in the Rs. 1 crore Delhi-NCR Open at Noida Golf Course on Friday.
The 38-year-old Gaurav (35-68-70-71) put up a solid final round performance before prevailing in the playoff against Faridabad’s Karan Pratap (34-71-70-69), the PGTI said.
Both had earlier posted identical totals of eight-under 244 in regulation play to force a playoff.
Sudhir Sharma can be forgiven for feeling a little short-changed as he had recorded an eight under – in just nine holes – on the first day itself.0
For the 22-year-old Karan, who turned pro in 2019, it was a career-best finish.
Chandigarh’s Harendra Gupta (69) and Greater Noida’s Sudhir Sharma (71) claimed tied third place on seven-under 245.
Bangladesh’s Badal Hossain fired the day’s best 68 to take fifth place on six-under 246.
Building up
Gaurav Pratap, overnight second and one shot behind Shamim, picked up birdies on holes one and six with some great wedge shots.
Singh, who was struggling with his short game in round three, turned around his chipping and putting on the day with a number of crucial saves for par after dropping a shot on 11.
He also produced a terrific bunker shot on the par-3 16th to set up an important tap-in par.
On the playoff hole, Gaurav made a two-putt from 25 feet for par while Karan Pratap missed a two-putt from 40 feet to extend the issue.
It was Gaurav’s fourth professional title and a second on the PGTI, besides two wins on the PGTI Feeder Tour. The winner’s cheque of Rs. 15 lakh propelled him from 22nd to fourth in the Tata Steel PGTI Rankings.
Gaurav, who had also won his previous PGTI title at the Noida Golf Course in 2009, said, “It’s been a long time since I won so it almost seems to me like my first win.
“I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs over the last few years but I’m pleased to have got the win under my belt at last.
“Playing at one’s home course is always an advantage but I didn’t think too much about that and played like I would’ve at any other course. It was great to win in the presence of my family.
Saving grace
“While coming down the stretch I did feel some pressure with a couple of drives landing on the left but my short game was the saving grace for me on those occasions.
“I kept calm, focussed on my short game as I knew that I had to make a lot of par putts. I didn’t hit it well on the last four holes so the chip putts were crucial there.
“On the playoff hole, the wind kept switching so I was aware that hitting a 3-wood could land my shot in the water hazard, therefore I hit a 2-iron short of the water in order to find the green in two shots and give myself a birdie opportunity.
“I have come close to winning a lot in the recent past but somehow could not close it. However, I never gave up and kept working hard. Consistency and trying to put myself in contention every time has finally paid off for me.”
Karan Pratap Singh, who was in good ball-striking form through the week, landed it very close to the pins on the final day.
His last round featured seven birdies and four bogeys and he set up the playoff with birdies on the last two holes.
Karan’s runner-up cheque of Rs. 10,00,000 lifted him from 12th to sixth place in the rankings.
Round three leader Shamim Khan of Delhi shot a fourth round of 78 to slip to tied 11th at two-under 250 on Friday.
Also read: Shamim weathers the wind to shoot day’s best for lead at NGC
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