By Rahul Banerji
Mr Consistent, Manu Gandas continued his standout season to register a convincing win at the Prometheus School Delhi-NCR Open at the Noida Golf Course on Friday.
The Gurgaon-based golfer returned a resolute final round of 4-under 68 to total 19-under 269 for the week and top share of the Rs 40 lakh prize fund, the PGTI said.
On a searingly hot Friday, Gandas (65-69-67-68) recorded his third career victory and his second of the 2022 season. Finishing second was the equally consistent Md Zamal Hossain Mollah.
The 26-year-old Gandas picked up the winner’s cheque of Rs. 6,46,600 to move up from fifth to third on the Tata Steel PGTI Order of Merit.
Zamal Hossain Mollah (66-70-69-68) totalled 15-under 273 as a result of his final round of 68 to bring in a second straight runner-up finish following his second spot at Chandigarh last week.
It took the Bangladesh golfer up from 10th to fifth on the Order of Merit.
Gandas, overnight joint leader along with Amardeep Malik, slipped two shots behind after the latter eagled his opening hole with a 15-foot conversion.
Quick bounce
However, Manu soon gained the sole lead with birdies on the third, fourth and eighth holes where he too sank some long putts even as Amardeep dropped shots on the fourth and seventh.
Gandas, enjoying a three-shot lead at the turn, built further on his edge on the back nine with two more long conversions for birdies on 13 and 14.
His only bogey came on 16 but didn’t materially affect the outcome as Gandas was already on his way to a comfortable win.
Manu said, “From last year, I’ve been working very hard on the areas I felt I was lacking in.
“The result of all that hard work is now showing and that’s also been the key to my success so far this season. I improved upon what I already had.
“Today, I stuck to my own game without bothering too much about the leader board and kept giving myself birdie chances.
“I missed out on a few opportunities but fortunately the other chances I was able to convert into birdies proved to be enough for me.
“I played all 18 holes in the same manner and with the same mindset taking each shot at a time.
“Didn’t see the scoreboard too often but I knew I had a good cushion on the back nine so I just focused on my process and the things I had done well through the week.
“My driving was good for much of the week, so that too helped me put up low numbers.”
Big move
Mollah, also playing in the leader group along with Gandas and Malik, had four birdies and two bogeys through 16 holes.
Zamal then jumped into second with eagle on the par-5 17th where he landed his second shot within three feet of the pin.
Noida’s Malik dropped out of contention after three bogeys and a double-bogey where he missed a few fairways.
Malik added another birdie and bogey on the last five holes to post a 75 and finish third on 12-under 276.
Another Noida Golf Club professional, Vikrant Chopra (70), took fourth place on 10-under 278.
Arjun Prasad and rookie Sunhit Bishnoi fired the day’s best score of 67. While Arjun finished tied 12th on 6-under 282, Sunhit ended T33 on level-par 288.
Also read: Malik, Gandas lead Delhi-NCR Open field by four at Noida GC
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