07-05-2020

Udayan Mane and Ashok Kumar share record of three back-to-back wins on PGTI

Pune’s Udayan Mane and Delhi’s Ashok Kumar share the enviable record of having posted three back-to-back wins on the PGTI. It’s a winning streak which has not been matched by any other player on the PGTI.

The mercurial Ashok Kumar was the first one to have achieved the incredible feat when he bagged the IndianOil XtraPremium Masters (Digboi Golf Links), Solaris Global Green Open (Bangalore Golf Club) and SRF All India Professional Golf Matchplay Championship (Noida Golf Course) between February and March 2007 in what was the PGTI’s inaugural season (2006-07). Ashok dominated that season with five titles.

The extremely talented Udayan Mane followed in Ashok’s footsteps when he won the season-ending TATA Steel Tour Championship (Golmuri Golf Club) in December 2019 and followed that up with victories in the first two events of the 2020 season this February – Vooty & Haldi presents Golconda Masters (Hyderabad Golf Club) and TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship presented by Eagleton – The Golf Resort. Mane came close to making it four in a row when he lost out narrowly in a playoff against Aadil Bedi at the Bengal Open 2020.

There are five other players who have won two back-to-back titles on the PGTI, namely Gaganjeet Bhullar, Shamim Khan, Anirban Lahiri, Mithun Perera and Honey Baisoya.

Gaganjeet Bhullar, Anirban Lahiri and Honey Baisoya have the distinction of winning consecutive events twice.

Bhullar first posted successive wins at the PGTI Players Championship events at Rambagh Golf Club and Aamby Valley Golf Course in May 2009. He then replicated the feat at the American Express Bangladesh Open (Kurmitola Golf Club, Dhaka) and PGTI Players Championship (RCGC, Kolkata) between January and February 2011.

Anirban Lahiri’s first back-to-back successes came at the PGTI Players Championship (Oxford G & CC) and PGTI – Eagleburg Open (Eagleton) in June and July 2013. Lahiri then went on to secure consecutive wins at the season-ending McLeod Russel Tour Championship (RCGC, Kolkata) in December 2013 and next season’s opening event, the PGTI Ahmedabad Masters presented by Kalhaar Blues & Greens in February 2014.

Honey Baisoya swept the North-Eastern leg of the PGTI in November 2016 as he won his first two titles at the Chief Ministers Meghalaya Open (Shillong Golf Club) and IndianOil Servo Masters (Digboi Golf Links) in consecutive weeks. Baisoya then did an encore in April 2018 by winning back-to-back titles at the Pune Open (Poona Club GC) and Delhi-NCR Open (Noida Golf Course).

Shamim Khan claimed his successive titles at the 6th TATA Open (Golmuri Golf Club) and ONGC Masters (Noida Golf Course) in December 2008.

Sri Lankan Mithun Perera clinched consecutive wins in February 2014 at the Standard Chartered Open (Royal Colombo GC) and PGTI – Eagleburg Open (Eagleton).