Mysuru: Yuvraj Sandhu stamped his authority at the Rs 1 crore Mysuru Open 2025 golf tournament on Friday by registering a thumping eight-shot win to clinch his third title of the season, which also helped him consolidate his lead at the top of the PGTI Order of Merit.
Yuvraj (61-65-62-61), who hails from Chandigarh, emerged wire-to-wire winner after an exceptional final round of nine-under 61, matching his tournament low from Round One, which saw him end the week with an astounding total of 31-under 249 in his very first appearance at the pristine Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Golf Club (JWGC).
The 28-year-old Sandhu, an international winner, picked up the winner’s cheque worth Rs 15 lakh that took his season’s earnings to Rs 73,67,200, giving him a substantial lead of over Rs 12 lakh in the PGTI Order of Merit. The champion took home the elegant new trophy depicting the majestic Mysore Palace, Mysuru’s biggest landmark.
As the preferred lie rule was in application through the week due to the rains preceding the event, Sandhu’s tournament total, the lowest ever on the PGTI, will unfortunately not register as a PGTI record.
Bangladesh’s Jamal Hossain (62-65-64-66) came in second at a total of 23-under 257 following his effort of 66 in the final round.
Delhi’s Arjun Prasad (66-62-64-66) secured third place at 22-under 258 after shooting a last round of 66. As a result, Arjun, one of the most consistent performers this season with eight top-10 finishes to his credit, moved up from third to second place in the PGTI’s money list with season’s earnings of Rs 61,12,549.
Sandhu, the leader from round one till the end, began the last day with a healthy three-shot lead. He went on to strengthen his position at the top early on the fourth day with five birdies on the front nine. His drive on the Par-4 third hole found the green while he chipped in and produced a great chip for a tap-in on the next two holes.
On the back nine, Sandhu continued his march towards the title by adding four more birdies courtesy of a couple of terrific tee shots and his second chip-in of the day on the 11th.
Sandhu, winner of the 2025 PGTI season’s first two events, said, “Winning with a 31-under score and a huge margin to add to that is something that every professional golfer dreams of. I would like to thank my whole team for their support. I dedicate this win to my grandmother, who we lost about two months back, and also to my caddie Sonu, who did an outstanding job this week.
“My form through the week was, like I said before, a reflection of the grind I went through in the off-season. It feels nice when all that hard work pays off. I’m now looking forward to carrying forward this form into the season ahead.
“I had a side bet with my caddie that I would break my previous PGTI record of 10-under by shooting an 11-under today. Unfortunately, I couldn’t achieve that today, but it was something that motivated me through the round,” he added.
Jamal Hossain, who was overnight second, came up with six birdies on the day, but his early double-bogey made it hard for him to catch up with a rampaging Sandhu.
Mysuru’s Dhruv Bopanna had the best finish among the local professionals as he totalled three-under 277 to end up in tied 53rd position.
(IANS)
