Jaglan ends tied 28th as Stubbs takes AAC title in dramatic style

By Rahul Banerji

Shaurya Bhattacharya and Yuvraj Singh returned the best cards of the India squad on the final day, but Shubham Jaglan (T28) was the top finisher at the Asia-Pacific Championships in Melbourne on Sunday.

Jaglan (74) totalled 14-over, Bhattacharya was tied 31st and Yuvraj Singh (71) and Raghav Chugh (76) shared 36^th place. Kartik Singh (77), who became the youngest player to make the cut at the AAC, finished T57.

At the top, Melbourne’s Jasper Stubbs (69), stunned China’s Ding Wenyi (70) and Zheng Sampson Yunhe (75) in a three-way playoff to emerge the 2023 AAC champion after the three were tied at 1-over 285 at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

Starting six shots off the lead, the Australian overcame a rocky start to shoot the day’s low card and tie for the lead with four closing birdies as overnight leader Sampson let his solid cushion slip away.

Brilliant putts

In the playoff, Stubbs had two brilliant putts as Sampson was eliminated first when the other two birdied. On the second one, Stubbs parred with a superb lag putt, while 2022 US Amateur winner Ding’s putt hit the cup but did not fall in.

The win gave Stubbs entry into the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National, The 152nd Open at Royal Troon and the 129th Amateur Championship. 

“Those two putts were just nuts,” said Stubbs, who holed a 20-foot downhill putt on the first extra hole for birdie. On the second playoff hole, he hit a 60-foot putt to within three inches that was good enough for the win

Playing in the last group, Sampson shot 4-over but joined the play-off with a superb bunker shot that led to a par.

When Stubbs birdied the 18^th on the first play-off hole, it was the first time anyone had birdied the hole on the final day. Both Stubbs and Ding Wenyi did it, but on the next Stubbs parred and Ding failed.

Stubbs is the fourth Australian winner of the Championship after Antonio Murdaca (Royal Melbourne in 2014), Curtis Luck (South Korea, 2016) and Harrison Crowe, winner last year in Thailand. 

Also read: Kartik Singh sets an AAC mark as five Indians make Melbourne cut