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Chandigarh golfer wins Mewat event, pockets Rs 15 lakh

A regular winner on the amateur circuit, Chadha was a member of the Indian golf team which won the silver medal in the 2010 Asian Games held at Guangzhou, China.

Abhijit Chadha

Last week, Chandigarh golfer Abhijit Chadha was leading by two strokes before the start of the final round in the PGTI Players Championship at Rambagh, Jaipur. But a disastrous final round meant that the Chandigarh golfer finished tied eighth in the championship. A week later, the 24-year-old golfer put the disappointment behind and claimed his second title on the professional circuit when he emerged as the champion in the BILT Open on the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) at Mewat, Haryana, on Friday.

“The win has come after the disappointment last week. And that’s why the win feels special to me. The conditions were windy at Mewat and the field of the players also included some of the big names of Indian golf. Last week, l led for the first three rounds but had a bad day in the final round. But that’s part of the game. I was in the lead yesterday and I wanted to win the title. I am glad that the win has come at this time of the season,” said Chadha, who pocketed Rs 15 lakh for the win and also rose to the top spot in the PGTI Money list with an earning of Rs 17,91,165 this season.

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A regular winner on the amateur circuit, Chadha was a member of the Indian golf team which won the silver medal in the 2010 Asian Games held at Guangzhou, China. Chadha turned professional in 2012 and won his first title in the form of Surya Nepal Masters in the same year. The Chandigarh golfer had five top-ten finishes in 2013 before returning with four top-ten finishes last year in the PGTI Tour. Earlier this year, Chadha also secured a card for the Asian Tour and has played in three events on the tour this season and will be playing in the Macau later this month.

“It has been a challenge to play on the Asian Tour but whatever tournaments I played, they made me learn something. Playing and sharing things with some of the top-ranked Asian golfers helps my game, and this win will also boost my confidence ahead of the Macau Open next week. Panasonic Indian Open will be held in India and I will be looking towards a top-ten finish at the home event,” said Chadha, who earned his Asian Tour card earlier this year in January.

The 24-year-old trains under coach Jesse Grewal at the Chandigarh Golf Association Range and has been working upon his posture and balance in the last six months to maintain consistency this season. “Abhijit has been in fine form this season. He had some good starts and hit some very good scores. Playing in the Asian Tour will help his game and it will also give him a lot of exposure. He has the talent to excel at the international level. Wins like these will help him,” said the coach.