20 October 2019: Put this event down for one of those tournaments on the calendar set to dish out delirious fare. After taking shape last year with a pulsating playoff thriller between S Chikkarangappa and Karandeep Kochhar, it was the turn of Rashid Khan and Ajeetesh Sandhu to deliver the drama this year. After drawing even on the final hole at 20-under 268, Sandhu won the prestigious title on the fourth playoff hole to put an end to the intense drama that preceded the finish.
Rashid Khan worked his way back from a disappointing first round 71. On Sunday, he was the man in front with Ajeetesh Sandhu as the two young men set out to burn the course at the Chandigarh Golf Club. The defiant Khan threatened to take it all away with an early blitz, scoring five birdies in the first six holes.
But a resilient Sandhu was determined to keep the silver at home, pushing closer with three birdies at the bend. With only four holes left to play, Khan enjoyed a comfortable two-stroke advantage over his opponent.
But a birdie at the 17th by Ajeetesh and a bogey by Rashid on the 72nd hole, his first in three days, pushed the two men into a decisive playoff.
Khan showed immense character, making a par-save from 30 feet to keep the playoff alive. But he found the water on the 4th playoff hole and there would be no way back for him. Ajeetesh took it all with great calm as he marched home to victory on his home turf.
Karandeep Kochhar played some impressive golf all week before settling for 68, closing the week at 17-under in third place. Divyanshu Bajaj came home in fourth, four strokes behind the 20-year-old emergent star. Another emerging star, also from Chandigarh as is Kochhar, finished a creditable fifth with Akshay Sharma. They scored 68 and 69 respectively for a 12-under total of 276.
At 11-under Mithun Perera finished in 7th place while, Kshitij Naveed Kaul, Rory Hie and Om Prakash Chouhan brought up the rear end of the top ten at 10-under 278.
This was Sandhu’s fourth victory on the PGTI Tour. With ten victories against his name, Khan remains in sixth behind Anirban Lahiri and Chikkarangappa, both having a dozen titles to their name.
The winners cheque of nearly 25 lakhs was enough to catapult Sandhu into second place, but it is Khan that remains firmly at the top of the order of merit with the help of two victories and a sum of Rs. 61,21,653 from his consistent run this season.
