Sandhu cruises to seven-shot win for third Digboi title
Yuvraj Sandhu returned to winning form in commanding fashion, closing with a three-under 69 to seal a seven-shot victory at the IndianOil SERVO Masters in Digboi. The PGTI Ranking leader finished at 19-under 269 for his third title at Digboi Golf Links and fifth win of the season.
Sandhu, who held a six-shot lead overnight, kept full control on Friday despite an early bogey on the second. He hit back with birdies on the third and fifth, then holed an eight-footer for eagle on the seventh to stretch his advantage to eight. Two late bogeys were offset by birdies at 15 and 16 as he completed a wire-to-wire win.
“It was a relaxed day with a big lead,” Sandhu said. “After the eagle on seven I was in my zone again and chasing my own record here. Digboi is special for me — it’s where I won my first PGTI title.”
The victory also marks Sandhu’s 14th professional win and takes his season earnings to INR 1,21,67,100, extending his lead on the PGTI Order of Merit to more than INR 29 lakh.
Last year’s champion Jamal Hossain posted the round of the day with a 65 to climb into solo second at 12-under 276, helped by an eagle and five birdies. His runner-up finish moves him into the top five on the PGTI Ranking.
Shaurya Bhattacharya (67), Saptak Talwar (69) and Veer Ahlawat (70) shared third place at 11-under. Bhattacharya’s finish lifts him to second in the season standings.
Local pro Deven Bhumij, the only Digboi-based player to make the cut, closed with a 298 (+10) for 54th place.
This year’s edition marked the 25th anniversary of the IndianOil SERVO Masters, the PGTI’s longest-running event and North-East India’s premier tournament, now boasting a record INR 1 crore purse.
Photo – PGTI / Yuvraj Sandhu (3rd from right) receives the trophy and cheque from Mr. A S Sahney, Chairman, IndianOil (2nd from right) and Mr. Kapil Dev, President, PGTI (3rd from left). The other dignitaries seen in the picture are Mr. Rahul Prashant, ED & RH, Digboi Refinery, IndianOil (extreme right), Mr. K John Prasad, ED (CC & Branding), MKHO, IndianOil (2nd from left) and Mr. Amandeep Johl, CEO, PGTI (extreme left).
