Umed Kumar fired a steady one-over 63 in the third and final round to win on his professional debut at the PGTI NEXGEN Forest Hill Golf & Country Club in S.A.S. Nagar, Punjab.
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Chandigarh-based 24-year-old Umed (61-66-63), who was two shots behind the lead in second place after round two, totaled even-par 190 for the week as he triumphed with a three-shot margin.
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Mari Muthu R (61-64-68), the overnight leader, signed for a six-over 68 on Friday to finish runner-up at a total of three-over 193.
Irfan Ali Mollah (63) finished third with a total of five-over 195.
The Forest Hill Golf & Country Club is a nine-hole course where the nine holes are played twice to comprise a round. In the first two rounds, the par for the course was 64 while in the third and last round the par for the course was changed to 62.
Umed, who was a winner of two titles on the amateur tour prior to turning pro, was rock-solid on day three as he conceded just one bogey on the 12th and made pars on all other holes. His par-saves with two-putts from 30 feet on the last two holes were the highlight of his round.
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Umed, who hails from the SEPTA golf course in Chandimandir and also has playing rights at the Forest Hill Golf & Country Club and the Panchkula Golf Club, earned a winning cheque worth INR 2,54,300 that placed him sixth in the PGTI NEXGEN Order of Merit.
Umed said, “I’m delighted to have won my very first tournament as a professional. It’s a big confidence-booster for my professional career.
“I just stuck to the basics this week and hit a lot of fairways and greens. My chipping and putting were also exceptional. Today I made some very crucial par-saves on the last two holes thanks to my solid putting that saw me home.”
Mari Muthu made one birdie, five bogeys and a double-bogey during his last round of 68 to finish second.
Rajesh Kumar Gautam continues to lead the 2025 PGTI NEXGEN Order of Merit with season’s earnings of INR 4,29,600.
, who was two shots behind the lead in second place after Round Two, totaled even-par 190 to win by three.){kind=link}