Arjun Prasad receives his trophy and cheque from Coimbatore Golf Club president R. Gopinath and tour CEO Amandeep Johl. Image courtesy PGTI.
By Rahul Banerji
Arjun Prasad ended an eight-year wait for a maiden title with a four-stroke triumph at the Rs 1 crore Tamil Nadu Open at the Coimbatore Golf Club on Friday.
The 26-year-old, who began the final round with an imposing six-shot lead, returned a level par 72 to enter the winner’s circle with an 8 under 280 total, the PGTI said.
Delhi-based Prasad (70-70-68-72), a professional since 2017 and the only player this week to not go over par, picked up Rs 15 lakh which took his season’s earnings to Rs 84,71,599.
A consistent performer this season with 10 previous top-10 finishes including two runner-up results, has now closed the gap to PGTI Order of Merit leader Yuvraj Sandhu to less than Rs 4 lakh.
Chandigarh’s Jairaj Singh Sandhu (75-71-70-68) fired the day’s joint low of 68 to total 4 under 284 for the week and finished in a tie for second.
The southpaw also moved up 12 places to 22nd on the merit list.
Sri Lanka’s N. Thangaraja (72-73-69-70) delivered a closing 70 to share the runner-up spot with Jairaj on 4 under 284 and progress from sixth to third in the PGTI Ranking.
Hyderabad’s Mohd Azhar (68) and Jamal Hossain (71) of Bangladesh closed the week in tied fourth place on 2 under 286.
Healthy cushion
Prasad started with a six-shot lead but hit an early bump on the front nine, giving away two shots against a birdie. A great up and down for par on hole 10 set the stage for his march to victory.
Two long birdie putts and two good pars from accurate chip shots helped Prasad come home champion as the chasing pack never threatened his score at any stage during the day.
Even a closing bogey merely reduced the eventual victory margin to four strokes, such was his control on the day’s proceedings.
“I’m delighted to have finally crossed the line today,” a beaming Prasad said later.
“The win did take some time to sink in. Importantly, I stayed in the moment and was very focused throughout the day.
“I didn’t really sleep well last night but got up early, did my warm-up routine and was quite relaxed when I reached the course.
“My caddie Mohan and I talked before the round about sticking to the same process as the last three days.
Momentum boost
“The front nine was a little up and down but I didn’t let that bother me as I kept hitting fairways and greens. The up and down for par on the 11th really got my momentum going.
“Then holed some crucial birdie putts, the kind that win tournaments. I would like to thank my family and my caddie for all their support.
“Sealing a spot in the DP World India Championship at Delhi Golf Club, is a huge boost as that was one of my goals as soon as the tournament was announced.
“Playing in a field that includes Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood is a dream come true.
“I really look forward to playing alongside Tommy once again who was my playing partner at the 2016 Indian Open when I competed as an amateur.”
Also read: Arjun Prasad opens up six-shot lead on day three of TN Open
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