Pune, 22-10-2022

Veer Ahlawat Prevails by three shots at Pune Open Golf Championship 2022, registers second pro win

Gurugram’s Veer Ahlawat prevailed by three shots at the Pune Open Golf Championship 2022 to lift his second professional trophy. Veer struck a solid four-under 62 in the final round at the Poona Club Golf Course to end up with a tournament tally of 19-under 245. With this win Veer has jumped six spots on the Tata Steel PGTI Order of Merit for 2022 to be placed at 11th position. Delhi’s Kapil Kumar finished second at 16-under 248 carding a two-under 64 in the final round today.

Ahlawat (63-59-61-62), the overnight leader by one shot, made a tentative start with a birdie and bogey on the second and third holes. The tall and lanky Veer then stepped on the gas with birdies on the seventh, ninth, 10th and 11th to build a lead that gave him little to worry. His bogey on the 17th followed by a birdie on the 18th hole helped to seal his name on the winner’s cheque today. 

“My last win as a pro was three years back and ever since I came close but could never finish it off. This win today makes me and my team very happy that our hard work has paid off. I am very satisfied with my short game and my chipping specifically, and that I think, played a critical role in my performance today,” said Veer Ahlawat, who last won on the PGTI at Digboi in NOvember 2019.

Delhi’s Kapil Kumar (59-62-63-64) who finished second, started on a conservative note birdieing on the fourth, his only birdie before he took the turn. His bogey on the seventh hole brought his front nine at level par, but Kapil on his back nine, got a birdie on the 11th hole before squandering it away with a bogey on the 13th. Kapil thereafter made a quick recovery to make two back-to-back birdies on the 14th and 15th holes to wrap up his round at two-under 64 for the day. 

Mysore’s Yashas Chandra MS carded the day’s best round of six-under 60 to finish at tied third with Sri Lankan N Thangaraja, with identical total scores of 15-under 249. Gurugram’s Manu Gandas and Noida’s Rashid Khan finished as tied fifth with matching totals of 14-under 250 after the final round got over today. 

Some of the other prominent names to comprise the Top 10 of the Pune Open Golf Championship 2022 include Delhi’s Kshitij Naved Kaul at seventh with an overall tally of 13-under 251; Local boy and Olympian Udayan Mane and Gurugram’s Kartik Sharma finished tied eighth with a tally of 12-under 252. Ludhiana’s Pukhraj Singh Gill and Chandigrah’s Ajeetesh Sandhu finished at tied 10th with identical scores of 11-under 253.

Prize Presentation picture caption:

Champion Veer Ahlawat is presented the winner's trophy and cheque by (L - R) Mr. Ikram Khan, Captain, Poona Club Golf Course, Mr. Anurag Raha, GM, Crowne Plaza Pune City Centre and Mr. Sampath Chari, Tournament Director, PGTI