Shaurya saves best for last, snatches victory in a playoff

Pune, Oct 31 (PTI) Shaurya Bhattacharya, who trailed by two shots after round three, saved his best for the last as he upstaged the pre-tournament favourite Yuvraj Sandhu in a playoff to emerge victorious at The Poona Club Open, here Friday.

Shaurya Bhattacharya (69-63-67-64) carded a flawless seven-under 64 in the last round, the day's best score, to finish with a total of 21-under 263 before making a birdie in the playoff to edge out Yuvraj.

It was Shaurya’s second title of the season and his third overall which earned him a cheque worth INR 15 lakh and saw him consolidate his fourth position in the PGTI Order of Merit as his season earnings moved to INR 83,02,392.

Yuvraj (65-67-65-66), who also totalled 21-under 263, posted a 66 in the fourth round before losing out with a par in the playoff to finish runner-up.

"It was a very thrilling day of golf with the match going down to the wire. I felt like I held my nerves really well. I made very crucial putts, especially the par putt on the 16th. Then on the 18th the focus was on making birdie," Shaurya said.

"The game-changer was the 25-footer for birdie on the 11th hole which I was not really expecting. That gave me a lot of momentum.

"My mindset on the playoff hole was to stay in the present, focus on my breathing and my aim and follow my process. Importantly, I kept the ball in play with my tee shot on the playoff hole. That set up the finish for me. I now feel like I can close the second half of the season well." Veer Ahlawat and Shivendra Singh Sisodia finished a distant tied third at 12-under 272.

Pune’s Rohan Dhole Patil ended the week as the best-placed among the local professionals as he finished 14th at six-under 278.

The 22-year-old Delhi resident Shaurya began the day with pars on the first seven holes even as Yuvraj, the overnight leader by two shots, raced ahead to build a five-shot lead at that stage.

Shaurya’s 12-feet birdie conversion on the eighth then triggered a huge turnaround. Bhattacharya thereafter went on to collect five birdies over the next six holes thanks to his outstanding tee shots and a 25-feet conversion. He thus got within one shot of the leader Yuvraj.

Yuvraj enjoyed a two-shot lead heading into the last hole.

However, an erratic tee shot and a missed short putt by Sandhu resulted in a bogey for him on the 18th even as Shaurya drained a birdie on the same hole to take the match into a playoff.

On the playoff hole, Yuvraj missed the fairway once again and came up with a par while Shaurya was solid from tee to green and thus scored the decisive birdie to walk away with the trophy. PTI AT AT PDS PDS