Thangaraja clinches Bengaluru Open to continue remarkable run

Sri Lanka’s N. Thangaraja continued his golden form, capturing his second win in four weeks and third title of the season with a steady two-under 69 in the final round of the INR 1 crore Bengaluru Open 2025 Powered by IndianOil at the Karnataka Golf Association course.

Thangaraja (66-65-66-69) finished at 18-under 266, two shots clear of Manu Gandas (70-63-69-66), to claim his seventh professional victory. The 44-year-old pocketed INR 15 lakh, taking his season’s earnings to over ₹82 lakh, strengthening his position at third on the PGTI Order of Merit, just behind leader Yuvraj Sandhu.

Gandas, Gangjee, and Talwar Impress

Manu Gandas closed with a 66 to finish second at 16-under, while Rahil Gangjee, who shot the day’s best round of 64, shared third at 13-under with Saptak Talwar (67). Seventeen-year-old Manoj S of Bengaluru continued his impressive rookie campaign, taking fifth at 12-under.

Arjun Prasad finished tied-15th at seven-under but narrowed the gap on Yuvraj Sandhu to just ₹2.5 lakh in the season-long standings.

Thanga’s Calm Under Pressure

Starting the day five ahead, Thangaraja held firm even as Gandas closed in with four birdies on the back nine. The Sri Lankan veteran responded in style with three straight birdies from 11 to 13, including a stunning approach on the 12th. A lone bogey on the 14th didn’t shake his composure as he parred home for victory.

“Changing my putter grip before the Chennai event made all the difference,” said Thanga. “My putting has been solid for weeks, and I’ve just trusted my rhythm. I stayed calm even when Manu was charging.”

He added, “It’s great momentum heading into the DP World India Championship next week in Delhi — I really want to make a mark there.”

Local Highlights

Amateur Kanav Chauhan (72) claimed the Best Amateur Trophy, finishing even-par at tied-33rd. Brijesh Kumar provided the day’s standout moment with a hole-in-one on the 15th, finishing 49th.
Photo – PGTI