Ikram Khan (Committe Member Pune GC) awards Aryan Roopa Anand with his winning trophy
The 120th All India Amateur Championship ended in a thriller as Bangalore’s Aryan Roopa Anand eagled the par 5, 36th and final hole at the Pune Club course to force a sudden-death playoff against Panchkula’s Yuvraj Singh which he then won with a par. In winning, Aryan became one of the few players to win the title two years in succession.
The 36-hole final between two youngsters in fine form remarkably never saw either take more than a 2 up lead. The morning session ended all square and then Aryan won the 27th and 28th to take a 2 up lead with 8 holes to play. However Yuvraj won the 30th and 33rd to draw the match level. Yuvraj won the 35th to stand one up on the final tee when Aryan produced the incredible eagle to square the match and force the playoff.
Aryan Roopa Anand and Yuvraj Singh the two finalists
The last player to defend the title was another Bangalorean, Chikkarangappa, in 2011, when he overcame a six-hole deficit to prevail against Pritam Haridas in Bangalore.
Anand had beaten veteran amateur Simarjeet Singh of Noida in the round of 16, Pranav Mardikar in the quarter finals and long-hitting Vrushank Balu in the semi-finals.
Aryan Roopa Anand with his coach Tarun Sardesai
With the win, Anand finishes the extended 2019 to 2021 season on a high. He won five times in India and abroad, claiming the Singapore Junior Championship, the Gujarat Amateur, the Albatross Golf Tournament and the 119th and 120th All India Amateur Championships.
“It’s absolutely an amazing feeling to be able to defend the title,” Anand told India Golf Weekly. “I hear there are not many who have achieved this feat and it feels great to be part of such an elite company. Definitely worked hard for this and Yuvraj didn’t make it easy at all.”
Anand’s coach Tarun Sardesai, the Director of Instruction at the residential TSG Academy at Zion Hills in Kolar on the outskirts of Bangalore, was delighted to be able to watch his student defend his title in person. “Our main focus was on mental preparation for the title, and we stuck with the game plan for the finals. Aryan is a quality player and seeing him in person hitting that perfect eagle on the 18th to force a playoff was something I can’t forget. I am sure he is someone to look out for in the future.”