Aman eyes IGPL hat-trick in Jamshedpur

Jamshedpur, Nov 4 (PTI) Aman Raj will look to raise the bar yet again as he chases a rare hat-trick on the IGPL Tour at the IGPL Invitational Jamshedpur, hosted by Arjun Munda.

After triumphs in Jaipur and Kolkata, the 30-year-old Patna golfer is eyeing a third straight title and hopes to use the IGPL route to get to the Asian Tour and International Series.

“I know I have been trending well, but even then, three 61s in four rounds (from the first round in Jaipur to the first round in Kolkata), was very satisfying,” said Aman Raj, who had a surprise visitor in his father, who came over from Patna to see him win in Kolkata.

“Suddenly seeing my father towards the end of the final round was a bonus,” added Aman, who also became the first IGPL player to cross Rs 50 lakh in just five starts. “The money is important, but my game is even more crucial and that has been good.” Young Veer Ganapathy, who is playing his first season as a pro at age 17, gave Aman Raj a good fight and logged his best result as the runner-up in Kolkata.

Among other players showing welcome return to form included the former two-time All India Amateur champion, Aryan Roopa Anand, who was third, and Samarth Dwivedi, who was fourth in Kolkata.

The Rs 1.5 crore event is the sixth one after stops in Chandigarh, Jaypee Greens (NOIDA), Pune, Jaipur, and Kolkata.

Gaganjeet Bhullar won the first two followed by Kapil Kumar in Pune and Aman Raj has won in Jaipur and Kolkata. PTI TAP DDV