Anant loses to Delhi’s Shubham in close fight at TATA Steel golf meet
Delhi’s Shubham Narain put behind the disappointments of the past few seasons by registering a victory on the third playoff hole against Panchkula-based amateur Anant Singh Ahlawat at the final Qualifying Stage of the TATA Steel PGTI Qualifying School on the Golmuri Golf Course in Jamshedpur.
The 27- year-old Narain emerged Q School champion on Saturday morning with a par on the 13th hole (third playoff hole). His opponent Ahlawat missed out on a par on the third extra hole. Narain (71-64-67-66) and Ahlawat (67-64-67-70), both sons of Army officers, went into a playoff on Friday after they were tied at the top with a total of 16-under 268 at the end of the regulation 72 holes.
Both players made pars on the first two playoff holes. As further play was not possible due to the fading light on Friday evening, the resumption of play was scheduled for Saturday at 7am.
Narain, who turned pro in 2017 while he was still a teenager, made a two-on and two-putt for par on the par-4 13th hole, which was used as the third playoff hole. He tapped-in for his winning par putt from one and a half foot.
Ahlawat, a former All-India Amateur champion, missed his par putt from eight feet that brought his challenge to an end.
“First sealing my full card and now winning a tournament after eight years and that too my first one as a professional is very special. I also ended up with my lowest four-day total at an event. This may be just the Q School but a win is a win and that gives me a lot of self-belief going ahead,” said Narain.
“My putting kept the momentum going for me through the week. I was delighted the way I held my game and my thoughts together despite the added pressure of coming out and playing an extra day. In such a situation you generally don’t know what to expect. It was quite unusual because there was hardly anyone on the course when I landed up in the morning. The driving range was deserted. It kind of felt like I was heading for practice and that helped me relax and ease into the situation,” he said.
