Manu Gandas clinches Vooty Masters title
Manu Gandas of Gurugram recorded a thumping four-shot win after a nerveless final round display of six-under 66 to win the inaugural Vooty Masters golf championship and pick his fifth title of the season in Vikarabad.
Gandas (63-68-67-66), the overnight leader by one shot, totalled 24-under 264 for the week to register a title-triumph and thus match the PGTI record for most wins in a season, a record previously jointly held by Yuvraj Singh Sandhu (2022), Gaganjeet Bhullar (2009) and Ashok Kumar (2006-07).
In the process, Gandas also equalled the PGTI record for the lowest winning total (24-under 264) set earlier by Anirban Lahiri, Rashid Khan and Akshay Sharma.
Gandas collected the winner’s purse of Rs. 15 lakh and consolidated his second position in the Tata Steel PGTI rankings. Om Prakash Chouhan (66-63-73-66) of Mhow finished runner-up at 20-under 268 following his last round of 66.
Delhi’s Shamim Khan shot a fine 64 to secure third place at 16-under 272. Chandigarh’s Sandhu continues to lead the PGTI Order of Merit thanks to his sensational last round effort of nine-under 63 which matched the course record set previously in the week by Gandas and Chouhan. Yuvraj gained 25 spots to finish fourth at 14-under 274, which took his season’s earnings to Rs. 67,39,568.
The 26-year-old Gandas, who set the course record of 63 on day one, had a mixed start to round four with birdie-bogey on the first two holes. But Gandas began to find his groove with birdies on the third and fifth, where a terrific approach shot and a brilliant chip left him tap-in putts. Gandas then sank birdie putts from a range of seven to 10 feet on the eighth and ninth to lead by five shots at the turn against nearest rival Chouhan.
Gandas, who has six career titles on the PGTI, then hit a poor approach and missed a short putt on the 10th to drop a double-bogey. Just as Chouhan got within two shots of Gandas, the latter resurrected his round with birdies on the 14th and 15th thanks to his sharp chipping and putting. Gandas finally saw it home in style with birdies on the last two holes including a monster 45-feet conversion on the 18th.