Yuvraj Singh Sandhu came from behind with a sensational eight-under 64, the day’s best card, to retain his title with a two-shot triumph at the IndianOil SERVO Masters played at the Digboi Golf Links.
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Yuvraj, who had also won his maiden PGTI title in Digboi last year, totaled 17-under 271 for the week, thus matching Ashok Kumar’s record of five wins in a PGTI season set by the latter in the tour’s inaugural season in 2006-07.
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The 25-year-old Yuvraj (63-70-74-64) now has eight professional titles, including six on the PGTI’s main tour. Yuvraj’s winning cheque worth Rs 11,25,000 took his earnings for the season to Rs 62,39,768 thus extending his lead in the PGTI Order of Merit to over Rs 11 lakh over second-placed Manu Gandas, who has four titles to his credit this season.
Arjun Sharma (66-68-70-69), the overnight leader by one shot, secured his second runner-up finish of the season after he shot a final round of 69 to total 15-under 273 for the week. Arjun, as a result, climbed from 28th to 19th place in PGTI’s money list.
Yashas Chandra shot a 66 to claim tied third place at 13-under 275 along with Sri Lanka’s N Thangaraja (67).
Udayan Mane took fifth place at 12-under 276.
Yuvraj, who was the leader for the first two rounds before slipping to tied fourth and three shots off the lead after Round Three, came out firing on all cylinders with a flawless 64 on Saturday that featured four birdies each on the front-nine and back-nine.
Yuvraj’s ball-striking, the best aspect of his game through the week, stood out for him once again in round four as he found the edges of a couple of par-4 greens with his tee shots and a couple of par-5 greens with his approach shots to set up chip-putt birdies there. Sandhu also sank a 15-footer on the 13th and was two-on on the par-5 15th making birdies on both occasions.
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He said, “I generally don’t start an event well but with my round of 63 here I told myself, if I can do it on Day One, I can certainly do it on Day Four. The thought that inspired me at the start of the round today was that I began my golf in Assam so I have a special connection with this place and therefore I have to do well here.
“I thank my family and my entire team consisting of my coach, trainer and physio who have always believed in me. My father sent me a long text in the morning today which also encouraged me and egged me on to play well.
“Ball-striking was the best part of my game this week. The objective at the start of the tournament was to find maximum greens as the greens are generally small here. I managed to execute that plan well.
“I started cold today but after the front-nine saw an opportunity for myself. Last year I played the hottest back-nine of my career on the final day here. I was running that performance through my mind on repeat when I was playing the back-nine. That helped my cause.”
