Bengaluru, April 26 (IANS) Chandigarh golfer Angad Cheema dominated the final round with a six-under 66 to win the INR 2 crore Kapil Dev Grant Thornton Invitational 2025 tournament played at the Prestige Golfshire Club in Bengaluru on Saturday. Cheema’s (66-64-66) sublime final-round effort helped him total 20-under 196 for the 54-hole event as he clinched his fourth professional title and third win on the PGTI main tour by a two-stroke margin.
The victory saw 35-year-old Cheema pick up a winning cheque worth INR 30 lakh that propelled him from 28th position to 10th place in the PGTI Order of Merit.
Bengaluru’s Khalin Joshi (65-67-66) carded a last round of 66 to finish runner-up with a total of 18-under 198. Faridabad’s Abhinav Lohan (66-65-70) finished third at 15-under 201 following his third round of 70.
Yuvraj Sandhu finished tied fourth at 12-under 204 and, as a result, moved up from third to first position in the PGTI Order of Merit. PGTI Ranking leader Yuvraj’s season earnings now read INR 54,67,300. On Saturday, Aman Raj matched the course record of 63, which was set earlier in the week by Gaurav Pratap Singh and Saptak Talwar. Aman thus finished tied sixth at 11-under 205.
Pranavi Urs (71-65-72) had the best finish among the lady professionals as she ended the tournament in tied 18th place with a total of eight-under 208.
Cheema, the overnight leader by one shot, drove home the advantage while playing in the second session along with the amateurs on Saturday. Cheema, who began his round from the 10th, didn’t have the ideal start when he bogeyed the 11th. The tall and lanky Cheema then made huge strides forward when he picked up three birdies on the back nine, including a 30-foot conversion.
On the windiest day of the week with challenging pin positions, Cheema made the front-nine count as he added four more birdies to his card, including three conversions from a range of 10 to 20 feet. He also hit a great approach for a tap-in on the fourth.
Cheema, who looked extremely confident and relaxed during the week, said, “Playing alongside amateurs while competing for the main prize is always challenging, and I feel that I handled that well. I was also fortunate to have very cooperative amateurs in my group.
“Fortunately, playing in the afternoon session, I had a number to aim at as Khalin had set the mark at 18-under after the morning session. That helped me plan my round. I putted really well through the week and made some clutch putts today. I felt comfortable after making the birdie putt on the seventh, which gave me a two-shot cushion.
“I’ve been playing well this year, but that did not reflect in my results. However, I was in good rhythm over the last three events, and the momentum kept building coming into this event,” added Angad, who won his previous title in Vizag last year to end an 11-year victory drought.
Khalin Joshi, who was overnight third and two off the lead, finished the morning session on day three as the leader in the clubhouse after a round of 66 that featured seven birdies and a bogey.
The 32-year-old Joshi, an international winner, jumped into contention with a late flurry of birdies on the par-3 15th and 17th holes, where he sank a 12-footer and landed his tee shot within three feet respectively.
Khalin, who earned a cheque worth INR 20 lakh, moved up from 12th to seventh place in the PGTI Order of Merit.
The tournament combined the Professional Championship with a thrilling Pro-Am component, bringing together professionals and amateurs in a dynamic and engaging way. The three-day, 54-hole championship featured 60 men and 12 women professionals competing for the same prize purse.
The event also featured three Pro-Am rounds in a rotational format, with 48 professionals teeing off in the morning, while the remaining 24 paired up with 72 amateurs in the afternoon session.
–IANS
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