Anura wins PGTI open, Aadil third

Chandigarh, December 9 

Sri Lankan Anura Rohana drove home the advantage in the final round at the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) course on Sunday to register a comfortable three-shot victory at the PGTI’s Bengaluru Open Golf Championship 2018.  

Patna’s Aman Raj took second place at 16-under-272 at the Rs. 60 lakh event. Seventeen-year-old Aadil Bedi (69) of Chandigarh claimed third place, his best finish as a professional so far, at 15-under-273.

The 45-year-old Rohana struck a steady one-under-71 in the last round to end up with a total of 19-under-269 and thus record his sixth professional win and second win at the KGA.

Rohana (67-64-67-71), the third round leader by five shots, built on his massive advantage early in the day with a hat-trick of birdies on the third, fourth and fifth where he made conversions from a range of seven to 15 feet.  When Anura capitalized on the par-5 11th with another birdie, he looked certain to seal the title as his lead stood at six shots. 

“I just played my own game today and didn’t worry too much about the other contenders. I knew with an overnight five-shot lead, all I needed to do was put my head down and repeat what I had done over the last two days,” said Rohana. 

Raj (68-67-71-66), a winner on the PGTI this year, carded a bogey-free 66 on day four to emerge runner-up. He finished three shots behind the winner.

Seventeen-year-old Aadil Bedi (69) of Chandigarh claimed third place, his best finish as a professional so far, at 15-under-273.

M Dharma had the best result among the Bengaluru golfers. He secured tied fourth place at 14-under-274 along with Mukesh Kumar of Mhow. Last year’s champion Udayan Mane of Ahmedabad and Bengaluru’s C Muniyappa took a share of sixth place at 13-under-275. Bengaluru’s Aryan Roopa Anand ended the tournament in tied 42nd place at two-over-290. —TNS