Ajeetesh Sandhu ends drought with Vishwa Samudra win

It was a day to remember for Ajeetesh Sandhu at the Delhi Golf Club, where the 36-year-old delivered a near-flawless performance to win the Vishwa Samudra Open by five strokes. Sandhu’s rounds of 69-67-69-71 added up to a 12-under-par total of 276, marking his fifth victory on the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) and his first in over five years.

The Chandigarh native took control of the tournament in the second round with a brilliant 67, following his opening 69, to jump to 8-under and grab a three-shot lead. From there, he never looked back. Heading into the final round with a two-stroke advantage, Sandhu kept things steady and stress-free, making 17 pars and a single birdie on the par-5 14th to close with a calculated 71.

“It’s been a long wait, but it feels amazing to finally get another win,” said Sandhu, who last tasted victory at the Jeev Milkha Singh Invitational in October 2019. “I focused on staying patient and not forcing anything, and it paid off.”

The win not only ended a 1,881-day title drought but also added ₹30 lakh to Sandhu’s season earnings, bringing his total to ₹36,56,500 in just three events this year. It was his seventh professional victory overall and one of the most dominant of his career, with no need for the drama of a playoff this time.

Bangladesh’s Jamal Hossain, fresh off his win at the IndianOil Servo Masters in Digboi, Assam, finished second at 7-under. Hossain had set the pace with a first-round 67 but couldn’t keep up with Sandhu’s steady play over the weekend.

Another standout performance came from fellow Chandigarh player Yuvraj Singh Sandhu. The 2022 PGTI rankings runner-up, now plying his trade on the Asian Tour, finished third at 5-under with rounds of 71-71-71-70. Remarkably, Ajeetesh and Yuvraj were the only players in the field to post under-par scores across all four days, highlighting the difficulty of the Delhi Golf Club’s demanding layout.

Photo – PGTI / In photo – Mr. U S Mundy (CEO – PGTI), Mr. Shivdutt Das
(Executive Director – Vishwa Samudra Holdings), Mr. Vikram Seth
(Captain – Delhi Golf Club), Col. Mohit Nasa (Retd.)
(Chairman – Golf Operations, Delhi Golf Club), Mr. Amandeep Johl
(CEO – Designate – PGTI & Committee Member, Delhi Golf Club)

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