GolfPlus - Nov 19 Digital Edition (Nov 19) | Page 69

AJEETESH SANDHU DELIGHTS HOME CROWD WITH SPECTACULAR COMEBACK
PIPS RASHID KHAN IN A PHOTO-FINISH AMID HIGH DRAMA
Ajeetesh Sandhu receives the winning cheque from Indian sporting legend Mr. Milkha Singh (4th from left) and tournament host Mr. Jeev Milkha
Singh (3rd from left). The others in the picture are Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI (extreme left), Mr. S S Sandhu, President, Chandigarh Golf
Club (3rd from right), Mr. S P S Matharoo, Captain, Chandigarh Golf Club (2nd from right) and Mr. Srinivasan H R, Vice Chairman & Managing
Director, TAKE Solutions and Joint President, PGTI (extreme right)
handigarh’s Ajeetesh Sandhu pipped
Delhi’s Rashid Khan in a photo-¿ nish
amid high drama much to the delight
of the home crowd on the ¿ nal day
of the Jeev Milkha Singh Invitational 2019
Presented by TAKE Solutions, a Rs. 1.5
crore event played at the Chandigarh Golf
Club.
Ajeetesh, playing at his home course, made
a spectacular comeback in regulation play
before coming through in a marathon playoff
that lasted four extra holes. It was a classical
contest for the ages that saw Sandhu collect
the winning cheque worth Rs. 24,24,750 that
catapulted him from 48th to second position
in the TATA Steel PGTI Order of Merit.
Rashid, who matched the course record of
64 during round two, extended his lead to
over Rs. 34 lakhs in the PGTI’s money list
despite his heart-breaking loss. The 28-year-
old Khan’s PGTI earnings for 2019 now
stand at a whopping Rs. 61,21,653.
Ajeetesh Sandhu (66-69-67-66) and Rashid
Khan (71-64-67-66), the joint leaders
after round three, headed for the playoff
after ending up with identical totals of
20-under-268 in regulation play. It turned
out to be the lowest winning score at the
Chandigarh Golf Club (CGC) improving on
Rahil Gangjee’s 13-under-275 at the PGTI
Players Championship in 2013.
Karandeep Kochhar of Chandigarh took
third place at 17-under-271 after a À awless
68 in round four.
Abhijit Singh Chadha, another local lad,
matched the course record score of eight-
under-64 to take a share of 15th place at
seven-under-281.
The day began with Rashid Khan, a two-time
Asian Tour winner, ¿ ring on all cylinders
with ¿ ve birdies on the ¿ rst six holes to build
a daunting ¿ ve-shot lead over nearest rival
Ajeetesh Sandhu.
However, Ajeetesh Sandhu, who was even-
par over his ¿ rst six holes, got back in the
game with three straight birdies on the
seventh, eighth and ninth, courtesy
some outstanding iron-play to reduce
Rashid’s lead to just two shots.
RASHID KHAN
EXTENDS LEAD
IN TATA STEEL
PGTI ORDER
OF MERIT
DESPITE LOSS
IN MARATHON
PLAYOFF
Ajeetesh, who bagged his fourth title on the
PGTI, said, “I’m delighted to win on my
home turf and in front of my home crowd.
It’s something I’ve always dreamt of.I’ve
been playing some great golf in recent
weeks and this is a culmination of that.
“I’ve played in a few leader groups this
year including Taiwan where I ¿ nished tied
second two weeks back. So, the experience
of dealing with pressure situations in the
recent past helped me during today’s playoff.
I’m now excited about the rest of the Asian
Tour season,” added Sandhu.
The PGTI record for the longest playoff was
also matched at the event.
Thereafter, the 31-year-old Ajeetesh,
a winner on the Asian Tour in
2017, made a crucial 15-feet birdie
conversion on the 17th while Rashid
dropped a bogey on the 18th to take
the match into a playoff.
The see-saw contest continued till the
fourth extra hole of the playoff where
Ajeetesh won the battle of nerves as
he made par while Rashid’s challenge
faded away after he found the water
hazard with his approach.
GolfPlus
Rashid Khan - Runner-up
NOVEMBER
2019
73