Lucknow, 17-10-2013

Harendra Gupta prevails in playoff against Manoj Kumar

Arjun Singh Chaudhri wins 2013 PGTI Feeder Tour Order of Merit

Harendra Gupta of Chandigarh prevailed over Lucknow’s Manoj Kumar in a playoff to win the inaugural Ansal API Feeder Tour Championship presented by The Palms Golf Club – Sushant Golf City. Harendra triumphed on the second playoff hole after he and Manoj ended the regulation 54 holes with identical totals of 14-under-202.

Arjun Singh Chaudhri of Noida, won the PGTI Feeder Tour Order of Merit title for 2013. Chaudhari, who finished tied 17th at The Palms Golf Club this week, topped the Order of Merit with earnings of Rs. 2,09,330. He has now earned a full card for the 2014 PGTI season (main tour). Honey Baisoya of Delhi finished second on the Order of Merit with earnings of Rs. 1,40,190. Baisoya secured tied 15th place in Lucknow.

Harendra Gupta (68-62-72), who ended round two in second place, after shooting a course record score of 62, came up with a steady even-par-72 in the final round. Gupta began with a good chip-putt for birdie on the first. A wrong club-selection on the fifth tee led to a bogey for Harendra. He capitalized on the sixth and 15th, both par-5s to pick up two more strokes. The 29-year-old, who was playing with fellow professional Vijay Kumar’s putter, having forgotten his own back in Chandigarh, sank a 12-footer on the 15th. Gupta’s second shot landed out of bounds on the 16th and resulted in a double-bogey.

Both Harendra and Manoj made pars on the first playoff hole. Gupta sealed it with a par on the second playoff hole after Manoj hit his tee shot out of bounds. 

“I played some solid golf through the week. I putted well despite using someone else’s putter. I was aggressive in the final round and even though that strategy didn’t really pay off for me, I ended up making some good chip-putts for birdies. I stuck to the basics in the playoff and that helped me bag the title. This win has lifted my spirits as I head into some important events in the coming weeks,” said Gupta, who bagged his seventh professional title on Thursday.

Manoj Kumar (65-68-69) made five birdies and two bogeys in his final round of three-under-69. Manoj’s runner-up finish on Thursday helped him secure third place on the Feeder Tour Order of Merit.

Lucknow’s Bhoop Singh, the overnight leader, slipped to tied third place after firing a 76 in the final round. Rajesh Kumar Rawat, another Lucknow golfer, carded a 66 in round three to share third place along with Bhoop Singh at 12-under-204.

Gurgaon golfer Shubhankar Sharma shot the day’s best score of 65 to end up in fifth position at 11-under-205.

Arjun Singh Chaudhri, the Feeder Tour Order of Merit champion, said, “It’s a great feeling to win the Order of Merit. All the hard work put in by me this season has paid off. My game’s looking good as my short-game and putting has been very consistent this year. I’ll now be in a lot more relaxed frame of mind while playing on the main tour. I’d like to carry this form into the big events coming up on the PGTI in the next two months.”

Chaudhari, who had also won the Feeder Tour Order of Merit back in 2011, posted two wins during the 2013 Feeder Tour season.