Gurugram-based Gandas (66-73-69-73), the PGTI Order of Merit leader, and local lad Yuvraj Sandhu (72-69-70-70) and the 21-year-old Shubham Jaglan (71-69-71-70), who made his PGTI debut this week, ended the regulation 72 holes with matching totals of seven-under 281 to take the match into a playoff. Gandas prevailed in the playoff with a par to return to winning ways after one year and 10 months.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Gandas\u2019 ninth professional win saw him pick up a cheque worth INR 15 lakh that also lifted him from 14th to seventh position in the PGTI Order of Merit.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The 17-year-old rookie Manoj S, the third-round leader, who was looking to become the youngest player to win as a professional on the PGTI, shot a last round of 75 to finish tied fourth at six-under 282 along with Shaurya Bhattacharya (71), the winner of PGTI\u2019s last event.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Former PGTI Order of Merit champion Manu Gandas, who was one shot off the lead in second place after round three, made an early gain on Friday when he played a terrific chip to set up a tap-in birdie on the second hole. Gandas, who hails from the DLF Golf & Country Club, then slowed down with pars all the way till the ninth and a bogey on the 10th.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
A 27-foot birdie conversion on the 13th made Gandas the top contender for the title. However, finding the trees with his drive on the 16th resulted in a double-bogey for Gandas, which was a big setback for him.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Both Yuvraj and Shubham made five birdies and three bogeys to catch up with Manu and join him in the playoff. Gandas produced the best drive in the three-way playoff as both the others missed the fairway. Gandas then played a quality chip that left him a four-foot par putt for victory, which he went on to convert.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Gandas, who played on the DP World Tour for one year following his PGTI Order of Merit win in 2022, said, \u201cThe thought process today was to continue doing what I had been doing well earlier in the week. I had posted seven top-10s in the last nine events, so the game was trending well, and I knew that it was just a matter of time before I won.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI was a little frustrated with the double-bogey on the 16th, but then just decided to let it pass and rather focus on what I had in my control. On the playoff hole (18th), I thought I would play it like I had done through the week by ensuring that I found the centre of the fairway. That\u2019s exactly what I did, and it paid off for me.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Gandas, who played on the DP World Tour for one year following his PGTI Order of Merit win in 2022, said, \u201cThe thought process today was to continue doing what I had been doing well earlier in the week. I had posted seven top-10s in the last nine events, so the game was trending well, and I knew that it was just a matter of time before I won.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
It was a creditable joint runner-up finish for Shubham Jaglan in his very first event on the PGTI. On the other hand, Yuvraj Sandhu, the other joint runner-up, continued his fine form to extend his lead in the PGTI Ranking as he crossed the INR 1 crore mark in his season earnings. Yuvraj picked up a cheque worth INR 7,99,900 to take his 2025 earnings to INR 1,06,67,100.<\/p>\r\n\r\n