Kolkata, 16-02-2024

Manu Gandas steals the show with last day 64, bags eighth career title

 

Rahil Gangjee secures second place

 

Gurugram’s Manu Gandas (65-67-64-64) stole the show in the last round by shooting the day’s best score of six-under 64 to total an impressive 20-under 260 and lift his eighth career title at the INR 1 crore TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship 2024 presented by Tollygunge Club.

Rahil Gangjee (65-65-64-68), playing in his original home town of Kolkata, put together a fourth round of 68 to secure the runner-up spot at 18-under 262.

Twenty-seven-year-old Manu Gandas, who had earned a spot on the DP World Tour in 2023 after winning the TATA Steel PGTI Ranking in 2022, drew on all his learnings from playing in Europe last year. Manu’s second straight 64 was a bogey-free effort that was punctuated by three birdies each on the front-nine and back-nine.

Gandas, trailing overnight leader Rahil Gangjee by two shots at the start of the day, started piling on the pressure on the latter with some great wedge shots that led to birdies on the fourth and seventh and a 40-feet birdie conversion on the sixth. Manu continued to fire with his short-game on the back-nine making two critical birdie putts from a range of 10 to 15 feet on the 13th and 17th to finally move into the lead and thereafter seal the match.

Manu said, “I wasn’t thinking any differently today and just stuck to my gameplan and continued doing what I did well earlier in the week. The first round was my best in terms of ball-striking. But on the next two days, the irons were not up to the mark. However, I managed to salvage those rounds thanks to my short-game. The long birdie putt on the 17th today was crucial as it gave me a two-shot cushion going into the last hole.

“I’ve drawn a lot of positives from my experience of playing on the DP World Tour last year which has helped my game immensely. The fields there were world-class and the environment was completely different. I got to see where my game stood and where it needed to be in order for me to excel at the international level. Just continue what I’m doing.”

Bengaluru-based Rahil Gangjee controlled the proceedings till the 13th having drained five birdies at the cost of a lone bogey. However, Rahil’s double-bogey on the 14th saw his title hopes fade away as Manu emerged as the new leader.

Chandigarh’s Akshay Sharma (65) finished third at 17-under 263.

Rookie Stepan Danek of the Czech Republic (67), making his PGTI debut, ended tied fourth at 16-under 264 along with Delhi-based Saptak Talwar (68).  

Final Leaderboard:

260: Manu Gandas (65-67-64-64)

262: Rahil Gangjee (65-65-64-68)

263: Akshay Sharma (67-67-64-65)

264: Stepan Danek (64-66-67-67); Saptak Talwar (66-65-65-68)

Prize Presentation Picture caption:

Champion Manu Gandas receiving his trophy & cheque from Mr. Ajay K Mishra, Chief, Sales Planning & Admin - Flat Products, TATA Steel (3rd from left) & Mr. Sujoy Banerjee, President, Tollygunge Club (2nd from right). The other dignitaries seen in the picture are Mr. Sreyon Chatterjee, Golf Captain, Tollygunge Club (extreme right), Brig. (Retd.) V Ganapathy, CEO, Tollygunge Club (4th from left), Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI (2nd from left) and Mr. Gaurav Pundir, Golf Superintendent, Tollygunge Club (extreme left).