Udayan pips Veer, wins Players C’ship; Shubhankar T-29th

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 14

Pune-based Udayan Mane continued his sizzling form with a playoff victory over Gurugram’s Veer Ahlawat in the PGTI Players Championship at the Eagleton Golf Resort in Bengaluru today.

Mane, who also won the last two PGTI events — the TATA Steel Tour Championship 2019 and the Golconda Masters 2020, has now become only the second player after Delhi-based Ashok Kumar to win three consecutive events on the PGTI.

Kumar had achieved the feat during the PGTI’s inaugural season in 2006-07.

Mane (68-67-67) fired a 66 in the last round to share the top spot with Ahlawat (67-65-65-71) at 20-under 268 after the regulation 72 holes.

The two players then went into a playoff where Mane prevailed on the second extra hole to bag his 10th professional title.

Mane, lying fourth and five off the lead after the penultimate round, fashioned a remarkable come-from-behind victory at the Rs 30 lakh event.

The big-built Mane began the day with a flourish as he played his approaches and wedges well and sank putts from a range of 10 to 15 feet to pick up birdies on the 1st, 4th, 6th and 7th.

His only blemish came on the 9th where he missed an up and down for a bogey. However, his only bogey was neutralised by a birdie on the 10th. Mane then had a quiet stretch with pars on the next six holes, which included an incredible par-save on the 13th.

He finally made a late surge with birdies on the 17th and 18th to catch up with Ahlawat. While Mane drove the green on the par-4 17th, he followed it up with a 12-feet conversion on the 18th.

Mane and Ahlawat made pars on the first playoff hole. However, on the second, Ahlawat bogeyed after missing a five-footer for par while Mane walked away with a par and as a consequence the title.

“This is turning out to be an unbelievable run for me. My hard work seems to be paying off. I feel I drove it better last week in Hyderabad, but this week I hit my approach shots, irons and wedges much better,” said Mane, who earned a cheque worth Rs 4,84,950.

Bengaluru’s Chikkarangappa (67) and Mari Muthu R (69) took a share of third at 18-under 270, while Khalin Joshi (66), also from Bengaluru, secured fifth place at 17-under 271. Patna’s Aman Raj (76) finished sixth at 13-under 275.

Abhishek Jha fired the day’s best round of 7-under 65 to finish tied-21st at 6-under 282.

Shubhankar Sharma (73-71-72-69), who shot his best round of the week, a 3-under 69, on the last day, finished tied 29th at 3-under 285.