Chandigarh, 17-09-2013

Rahil Gangjee sets the bar on day one

Randhawa, Mukesh, Tiwana in tied second

Kolkata’s Rahil Gangjee set the bar in round one of the PGTI Players Championship at Chandigarh Golf Club with a brilliant five-under-67. The seasoned Jyoti Randhawa made a welcome return to Chandigarh after a decade with an impressive 68 that placed him tied second along with defending champion Mukesh Kumar and promising youngster Arshdeep Tiwana.

Rahil Gangjee had an eventful start to the day making birdies on the first, second and fourth holes. He knocked-in a 15-footer on the first and a 30-feet putt on the fourth. A bogey on the fifth didn’t deter Rahil as he produced a great approach shot on the sixth to set up another birdie. The 35-year-old Gangjee found the green in two on the par-5 13^th to pick up his fifth birdie of the day. A 20-foot birdie conversion on the 14^th helped him end the day at five-under.

Gangjee, a winner on the Asian Tour, said, “I didn’t have too many expectations from the day so I’m happy with this start. I made some long putts today. I’ve had a decent season so far, having posted three top-10s on the Asian Tour and top-5s at the last two PGTI events. I’m feeling good about my game at the moment. The key at this course will be to find the fairways on a consistent basis and read the greens well.”

Jyoti Randhawa shook off the rust in his first round of competitive golf in four months as he fired an impressive 68. The Gurgaon-based professional, also playing his first PGTI event of the 2013 season, made an ideal start with a 15-feet conversion for birdie on the first.

Randhawa dropped a bogey on the sixth after finding the trees but came roaring back with birdies on the sixth, eighth, 12^th and 14^th. His magical approach from 110 yards out on the 12^th landed within a few inches of the pin and led to a birdie. Jyoti made bogey on the 17^th before sinking a 20-footer for birdie on the 18^th.

Randhawa, a former Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, said, “I’m playing a tournament after a gap of four months so I’m quite pleased with my start. It was a good day with the putter despite the fact that I haven’t really practiced putting and instead focused on my hitting during the last few months of practice.”

He added, “My experience helped me grab my chances on the greens at the Chandigarh Golf Club where I’m playing after about 10 years. I believed in what I had to do in order to convert those crucial putts and I executed my game-plan well.”

Mukesh Kumar of Mhow, who won at Chandigarh Golf Club earlier this year, had six birdies and two bogeys in his opening round. Mukesh hit it close through the day. He landed it within two feet on three occasions for easy birdie tap-ins. However, he stumbled on the greens by missing short par putts on the fourth and 11^th.

“My iron-play was terrific even though my putting was not up to the mark. I’m always high on confidence playing at the Chandigarh Golf Club since I’ve had a fair amount of success at this venue in the past,” said Mukesh, the current leader on the Rolex Rankings.

Arshdeep Tiwana, who recently moved base from Gurgaon to Chandigarh, also turned it on with a bogey-free 68 on day one. The 26-year-old made some good up and downs for birdies on the second, fourth and 13^th before landing it within three feet for birdie on the 18^th.

“I hit it close today thanks to some good shots with the wedges. I’ve been practicing at Chandigarh Golf Club for the last two months and that helped me get off to a good start today,” said Tiwana. 

Chandigarh golfers Abhijit Singh Chadha and Akshay Sharma are in tied fifth along with Moinuddin Malak of Pune and Lucknow’s Rajesh Kumar Rawat at three-under-69.