Jamshedpur, 09-02-2024

Chile’s Matias Dominguez records impressive seven-shot win at TATA Steel PGTI Qualifying School 2024

Thirty-six players earn full cards for 2024 season

Chilean golfer Matias Dominguez (61-70-69-64) posted a final round of seven-under 64 to end up as the wire-to-wire champion with an impressive seven-shot margin at a total of 20-under 264 at the Final Qualifying Stage of the TATA Steel PGTI Qualifying School 2024 held at the Golmuri Golf Course in Jamshedpur.

The trio consisting of India’s Mohammad Sanju (65-66-72-68) and amateurs Subash Tamang (67-66-71-67) of Nepal and India’s Anshul Kabthiyal (64-70-69-68) were the joint runners-up at a total of 13-under 271.

The cut in the final round went at four-under 280 with the top 36 players earning their full cards for the 2024 TATA Steel PGTI season.

The top 36 included six amateurs. There were also 10 foreigners (three from Bangladesh and one each from Chile, Nepal, Italy, Czechia, Canada, South Korea and Japan) among the 36 players who earned their full cards.

Thirty-one-year-old Matias Dominguez, who either held the solo or the joint lead since round one, produced seven birdies during his flawless fourth round to cruise to victory and make it a memorable first trip to India.

Matias, being the overnight joint leader by three shots, established himself as the sole leader early on thanks to his two birdies on the front-nine. The man from Santiago, the Pre-Q III winner following his historic 59 last week, expanded his lead and finally ran away with it after adding five more birdies on the back-nine as he was excellent from tee to green on Friday.

Dominguez, the 2015 Latin America Amateur champion and a regular on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica over the last few years, said, “I’m really happy about winning the Q-School on my very first visit to India. It’s been an unbelievable experience for me over the past one week having shot scores of 59 and 61 and winning the Pre-Q and the Final Stage. All aspects of my game have been top-notch and I’m now really excited about playing the 2024 PGTI season.”

Matias bagged the top prize money cheque of Rs. 75,000 for his effort.

Twenty-one-year-old amateur Subash Tamang had recently made history when he became the first Nepalese golfer to win the All India Amateur Championship in December 2023. Tamang’s last round of 67 featured six birdies and two bogeys thus helping him finish as joint runner-up.

Nineteen-year-old Anshul Kabthiyal was the other amateur who finished in the three-way tie for second place. Kabthiyal struck five birdies and two bogeys during his final round of 68.

Mohammad Sanju, the third joint runner-up, too carded a 68 as a result of his six birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey.

Prize Presentation Picture Caption:

Champion Matias Dominguez receives his trophy and cheque from Mr. D B Sundara Ramam, Vice President - Raw Materials Division, TATA Steel & Captain, Jamshedpur Golf (3rd from right) and Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI (2nd from left). The other dignitaries seen in the picture are Mr. R N Murthy, EIC, Tinplate Division (2nd from right), Mr. Digvijay Singh, CEO, Jamshedpur Golf (extreme right) and Mr. Sampath Chari, Tournament Director, PGTI (extreme left).