Also read: Chittagong Open Golf - Thangaraja maintains lead ahead of final round
Thangaraja (65-67-68-66), who was in contention in the last two PGTI events before slipping on the final day on both occasions, managed to set the record straight this time around. Thangaraja, who won his first title on the PGTI after a gap of three years, has now moved up from 11th to first position on the PGTI Order of Merit. Incidentally, the Colombo resident’s 22-under-par 266 total is the lowest ever winning score achieved at BGCC. The previous best was Siddikur Rahman’s 16-under-par 272 at the inaugural edition of the tournament last year. “I am just delighted that I kept my focus and got the job done unlike the previous two events where I missed out on converting my opportunities in the final stages. It’s great to win a title after such a long gap and that too with my best ever four-round total of 22-under-par. This really lifts my confidence for the rest of the season. I’m glad that I’ve come back well after recovering from my knee injury,” said Thangaraja. “I really enjoyed playing at the BGCC and look forward to coming back to this top-class venue next year,” added Thangaraja.
Also read: Thangaraja surges ahead in Chittagong Open
Ahlawat (69-66-68-69), who was overnight third, fired a last round 69 to gain one position and claim second place. He had a promising start with two birdies on the first three holes but thereafter could manage only three more birdies at the expense of two bogeys. Ahlawat’s fourth top-10 finish in his fifth event this season took him from 16th to second position on the PGTI Order of Merit. India’s Aman Raj (65-68-69-72), lying second after the third and penultimate round, slipped out of contention early on the final day when he made a quadruple bogey on the second. He then fought back with six birdies against two bogeys to put up a 72 on the board and end up in third place. Sajib finished an impressive fifth despite shooting a 73 on day four.
