GolfPlus - Nov 19 Digital Edition (Nov 19) | Page 65

ABHINAV LOHAN BREAKS VICTORY BARRIER
WITH PLAYOFF TRIUMPH IN SEASON FINALE AT THE PALMS
Abhinav Lohan (centre) receives the winning cheque from Mr. Sheeraz Kalra, GM, The Palms
Golf Club & Resort (right) and Mr. Sampath Chari, Tournament Director, PGTI (left)
Abhinav Lohan - Winner
WASIM KHAN AND LOCAL LAD SANJEEV KUMAR FINISH JOINT RUNNERS-UP
A
bhinav Lohan of the DLF Golf & Country
Club, Gurugram, ended a long wait for his
maiden title as he triumphed in a playoff
over Delhi’s Wasim Khan and Lucknow’s
Sanjeev Kumar at the season-ending TATA
Steel PGTI Feeder Tour 2019 Presented by
The Palms Golf Club & Resort played in
Lucknow.
The trio of Abhinav (29-51-51), Wasim (31-
52-48) and Sanjeev (30-51-50) had identical
totals of 15-under-131 at the end of regulation
play in round three. The three players then
headed for the playoff where 2010 Asian
Games silver medallist Lohan came out
trumps with a long birdie conversion on the
¿ rst extra hole at the Rs. 8 lakh event which
constituted the sixth and last leg of the season.
As a result of heavy rain for the last one week,
part of the course was rendered unplayable
and as such the round was played over 15
holes with the par for the course being 56.
Abhinav Lohan, the joint leader after round
two, continued as the top contender on the
¿ nal day when he birdied the seventh, eighth
and 10th thanks to some quality ball-striking.
Abhinav added two more birdies on the 14th
and 15th to sign off with an error-free and
classy 51 that helped him make it into the
three-way playoff. In the playoff, Lohan sank
a decisive 15-footer for birdie even as his
rivals Wasim and Sanjeev missed their birdie
putts.
Abhinav thus continued his rich vein of form
over the last three events after having ¿ nished
tied 21st at the Asian Tour event at Classic and
tied 11th at the Jaipur Open.
Lohan, who turned professional in 2011, said,
“I’m relieved to have ¿ nally won my ¿ rst title.
I’ve waited a long time for this. This win gives
me loads of con¿ dence as I head back on to the
PGTI’s main tour.
“I’ve been striking the ball really well since
the last three events. All the hard work that
has gone into improving my hitting seems to
be paying off. I made just three bogeys this
week,” added Abhinav who took home the
winning cheque worth Rs. 1,01,720.
Wasim Khan’s fabulous eight-under, also a
bogey-free round, was the best score of the
¿ nal round. Wasim, who was fourth and three
off the lead after round two, made a chip-in
and some long conversions before ¿ ghting
his way into the playoff with a last hole birdie
from ¿ ve feet.
Sanjeev Kumar, lying one off the lead in third
place after round two, joined Abhinav and
GolfPlus
Wasim in the playoff after his À awless last
round of 50 that featured an eagle and four
birdies.
Sanjeev Kumar - Joint Runner-up
Wasim Khan - Joint Runner-up
NOVEMBER
2019
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