Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI)
Ahmedabad-based Udayan Mane zoomed to No. 1 spot on the PGTI Order of Merit after clinching the inaugural Bengaluru Open Golf Championship at the Karnataka Golf Association course last month.
Udayan Mane receives the winning cheque after completion of the Bengaluru Open Golf Championship
The 26-year-old prevailed by one shot at the Rs. 1 crore PGTI event for his third title of the season, as Honey Baisoya (71) missed a two feet par putt on the last hole. Mane totaled 20-under-268 for the week to surpass the previous 72-hole course record set by local pro Chikkarangappa S. (13-under 275) during last year’s TAKE Open.
Mane took home a winning cheque of Rs. 15 lakh to move up from second to first in the PGTI Order of Merit as his season’s earnings went up to Rs. 36,58,851.
“I began the week with no expectations as I didn’t play the practice round and the Pro-Am and therefore didn’t have a feel of the course. But I’m glad that I played with heart, kept my nerves in a high pressure situation and got the job done. I played like a peaceful warrior… I had almost prepared myself for a playoff when Honey (Baisoya) missed that last putt. I was quite surprised by that because he had been putting like a demon all week. It feels like both of us won the tournament since it was such a close contest and Honey played so well,” Mane said later.
Chandigarh’s Harendra Gupta (67) took the third spot at 17-under 271 while Bengaluru golfers Khalin Joshi (66) and Rahil Gangjee (67) shared fourth place at 14-under-274. Gangjee signed off with an eagle on the last hole.
(Read more in the December issue of Golf Digest India. Download here.)