Yuvraj Sandhu receives the Tata Steel PGTI Players Championship trophy and cheque from tour president Kapil Dev and The Tollygunge Club president P.S. Barman in Kolkata on Friday. Image courtesy PGTI.
By Rahul Banerji
Yuvraj Sandhu continued his love affair with Tollygunge Club winning the season-opening Players Championship presented by The Tollygunge Club in Kolkata on Friday.
Sandhu (63-61-68-68), who led the first three rounds, shot a final 2 under par 68 to total 20 under 260, two ahead of Bangladesh’s Jamal Hossain, the PGTI said.
It was the 27-year-old Chandigarh golfer’s second title at Tollygunge Club where he previously won in 2022 and he fell just one stroke short of matching his record for the lowest winning total at the venue.
Hossain (65-62-66-69), who posed a serious challenge to Sandhu on the back nine on Friday, produced a 69 on the last day to total 18 under 262, carrying on with his fine season-ending form from 2024.
Bangalore-based Rahil Gangjee, originally from Kolkata, carded a 70 on Friday to take third place at 14 under 266.
Dhruv Sheoran of Gurgaon had the day’s best of 63 to move up 26 place and end the week in tied fifth on 12 under 268.
Two-time Indian Open champion S.S.P. Chawrasia (68) was the best-finishing Kolkata professional in tied eighth place on 11 under 269.
Sixteen-year-old Kolkata amateur Anshul Mishra, the only one to make the cut, closed the week in tied 24th on 5 under 275.
Good getaway
Sandhu, who held a one-shot lead heading into the final round, built on his advantage with a strong front nine where he picked up three birdies from eight to 12 feet at the cost of a lone bogey.
Well on the road to a win after birdie on 11 and a great up and down for par on the 12 Sandhu hit some late jitters when he found the hazard on 15tto drop a shot even as Jamal collected a couple of birdies to narrow the lead to one.
However, Sandhu came back with a timely 12-foot birdie conversion on 16, extending his lead to two shots.
A bogey on the final hole couldn’t stop Sandhi from marching to his seventh PGTI title and 10th professional win overall for which he took home a winning purse of Rs 15 lakh.
“It was another up and down day for me but all the work I did with my mental coach Rabia Gill recently seemed to have paid off as I was in control of the situation and stayed calm through the week,” Sandhu said.
Momentum shift
“The tough up and down for par on 12 was a momentum-changer for me and then the long birdie conversion on 16 was another key moment as it gave me a two-shot lead.
“Jamal really challenged me over the last 36 holes but I think it’s just the comfort level that I have at Tolly that helped me stay ahead and bring out my best. I really like the warmth at this club and the food here.
“Last time I won here at Tolly, my career had a jump-start. Now, I’m hoping this win can give me a lift again before I head to the Asian Tour.”
Hossain, also a former winner at Tollygunge, had a birdie and a double-bogey on the front nine but then emerged as a contender when he made a charge with birdies on 11, 13 and 15.
Jamal, however, couldn’t make the final push since he managed just two pars and a bogey thereafter. He earned Rs 10 lakh for his efforts.
Also read: Yuvraj Sandhu retains Players’ lead as Jamal Hossain closes in
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