Baisoya completes post-to-post run in Players Championship

By Rahul Banerji

Opening the new season in style, Sachin Baisoya made it a start-to-finish at the Rs. 1 crore Tata Steel PGTI Players Championship presented by Tollygunge Club in Kolkata on Friday.

It was the Delhi golfer’s maiden victory in his seventh season as a professional.

The long-awaited victory came after a steady final round of one-under 69 that took Baisoya’s total to 16-under 264 and helped him win by two shots, the PGTI said.

Two young golfers – one a rookie and the other is his second year as a professional – shared second place.

Delhi-based Harsh Gangwar (66-64-67-69) took a career-best placing after his last round of 69 saw him end the week on 14-under 266.

Varun Chopra (65-68-65-68) of the United States, making his pro debut on the PGTI this week after coming through last week’s Qualifying School, shot a fourth round of two-under 68 to also take tied second place.

Baisoya (64-66-65-69), in the lead from the first round, was two shots up going into round four and made early headway on Friday with a long-range birdie early on.

A bronze medallist in the team event for Delhi at last year’s National Games, Baisoya dropped his first shot of the day on the ninth where his ball plugged in the bunker.

Strong recovery

With Gangwar and Chopra breathing down his neck, Sachin played some brilliant wedge shots to pick up tap-in birdies early on in the back nine and regain the initiative.

Two crucial putts over the last three holes then all but sealed the title for him. Sachin’s bogey on the last hole was not enough to halt his title charge.

Baisoya, who earned the winning cheque of Rs. 15 lakh to go on top of the Tata Steel PGTI Rankings, said, “I was numb after the final putt as I had been waiting for my first victory for a very long time.

“Today, I just told myself not to make any mistakes and grab any birdie opportunity that comes my way. I was very focused and had a gameplan and fortunately, everything fell in place for me.

“The birdie on 15 was probably the turning point as it resulted in a two-shot swing in my favour after Harsh bogeyed the same hole.

“I was then playing for par till the end and hit some good tee shots on 16 and 17 that saw me home.

Confidence-boost

“This win will surely do wonders for my confidence. Since my decent form began last year, I haven’t changed much in my game but have just changed my mindset.

“I’m a lot more positive in my approach now. I thank fellow professional Manav Jaini for all his encouragement and support to me.”

Gangwar, who was overnight second and two off the lead, was in the mix till 14 with a tap-in eagle on 13 as well as four birdies and three bogeys.

However, a bogey on 15 and a double on 16 where Harsh hit it out of bounds, put paid to his chances.

Chopra, overnight third and three shots off the lead, also came close to challenging for the lead on the final day but double-bogey on 13 saw him drop out of the race.

Varun also made five birdies and a bogey during his round.

Gurgaon’s Kartik Sharma (67) and Patna’s Aman Raj (68) finished tied fourth on 13-under 267.

Kolkata’s Sandeep Yadav (69), the lone amateur to make the cut, finished tied 27^th on four-under 276 while defending champion Yuvraj Singh Sandhu was tied 30^th on one-under 279.

Raju Ali Mollah, the only Kolkata-based professional to make the cut, was tied 46^th on one-over 281.

Also read: Consistent Baisoya opens up two-shot lead over Players’ field