(L-R) Amandeep Johl – CEO, PGTI, Winner Yuvraj Sandhu, Rahul Mehta – Owner, Victorious Choice, Himanshu Madan Mohan – Director, BSafal, Aditya Raj Kumar Chauhan – GM, Glade One Golf Resort & Club, Rakesh Mehta – Zonal Head, IndusInd Bank, and Navin Vaishnav – GM, Mysa Resort
Chandigarh’s Yuvraj Sandhu picked up right where he left off last week after winning in Kolkata and registered a second consecutive win in Ahmedabad, becoming the first player in over two years to achieve back-to-back PGTI titles—a feat last accomplished by 2022 PGTI Order of Merit winner Manu Gandas. Could this be Yuvraj’s breakthrough year?
The Gujarat Open, held at the Glade One Golf Resort & Club in Ahmedabad, featured an unconventional 54-hole format on the Gary Player-designed 9-hole course. The first two rounds were played over nine holes each, with a par of 36, while the final two rounds were full 18-hole sessions played twice on the same course with different pin placements.
Sandhu posted a stellar seven-under 65 in the final round, the lowest score of the day, to finish at 14-under 202, winning by a comfortable margin of five strokes. He secured the winner’s cheque of INR 15 lakh from a total prize purse of INR 1 crore.
Delhi’s Saptak Talwar, who has spent a lot of time in America and holds partial playing rights on Europe’s Challenge Tour, carded a five-under 67 in the final round to finish runner-up at nine-under 207—his second runner-up finish on the PGTI. Meanwhile, four-time PGTI champion Kshitij Naveed Kaul and Sandhu’s close friend and roommate Arjun Prasad shared third place at nine-under 207 after both posted an even-par 72 in the final round.
Sandhu credited his composed approach for his early-season success, stating, “I was focused on securing consecutive wins from the start of the day. There were nerves, but I wanted to make a statement. I’m heading home satisfied, grateful to my coaches, and appreciative of the hospitality from Glade One and PGTI.”
The tour goes to Raipur this week for the inaugural SECL Chhattisgarh Open Golf Championship, PGTI’s first-ever event in the state of Chhattisgarh, and will be held at the Fairway Golf & Lake Resort in Naya Raipur from February 25-28. Like the other events so far this year, it carries a prize purse of INR 1 crore.
