L-R – Mr. Sampath Chari, Tournament Director, PGTI, Varun Parikh receives the winning cheque from Mr. Dinesh Shah, Chairman, Navratna Group , Mr. Trilok Parikh (2nd from right) & Mr. Pranav Shah, MD, Navratna Group
Varun Parikh of Ahmedabad shot 67-69-69-67 (16-under 272) to register a massive eight shot victory at the Final Qualifying Stage of the PGTI’s Q-School at Kalhaar Blues & Greens in Ahmedabad from Feb. 15-18.
Gurgaon’s Sunhit Bishnoi, younger brother of pro Gaurika Bishnoi, a multiple winner on the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour, shot 8-under 280 to finish second. Parikh and Bishnoi were the only two players to finish under par.
A total of 82 players competed in the final Qualifying. The numbers included pros who finished outside the top-60 in the PGTI rankings last season and players who made it through the three Pre Qualifiers, held in the previous few weeks, with the Top-40 and ties earning their playing rights on the 2022 PGTI Tour.
Parikh received a cheque of Rs 75,000.
Coached by Jesse Grewal, Parikh turned pro in 2019 but has struggled on the PGTI Tour, finishing 74th and 71st on the Order of Merit in 2019 and 2021. He is part of a new generation of pro golfers from Ahmedabad, a city where golf really took off just 15 years ago. Other PGTI pros from Ahmedabad are Sharavan Desai, Anshul Patel and Jay Panda. Ahmedabad currently has more golf courses per capita than any city in India, and if these youngsters make a name for themselves, it could lead to a golfing boom in the city.
The PGTI tour will launch its 2022 season with the Rs 40 lacs Gujarat Open from Feb. 22-25 at Kalhaar Blues & Greens in Ahmedabad.
Credits:-
Photo – PGTI