Chandigarh golfer Angad Cheema ended an 11-year wait for his second PGTI title, emerging victorious in a nail-biting playoff against Aman Raj of Patna at the Vizag Open golf championship. Cheema, who had consistently been in the top 10 throughout the season, including two runner-up finishes, entered the final round as the overnight leader by three shots.
He maintained his composure and fired a three-under 68 in the final round, finishing with a tournament total of 16-under 268. However, Aman Raj’s impressive six-under 65 in the final round, fueled by a flurry of birdies, drew him level with Cheema at 16-under, sending the championship into a playoff.
In the playoff, Cheema calmly converted an eight-foot birdie putt, securing the victory and a winning cheque worth INR 15 lakh. The win propelled him to third place in the TATA Steel PGTI Ranking.
Cheema reflected on his long-awaited triumph, saying, “It’s a great relief and a monkey off my back to finally win after so long because I had come close to victory on so many occasions in recent years and had not closed it out. I’m now looking forward to bigger things.”
He attributed his success to his consistent approach, stating, “My approach this season and in particular today was to just try and keep giving it my best without worrying too much about the result because that was not in my hands. It was annoying to not win despite coming close so often but my confidence was sky-high knowing that I was playing great golf every week and that kept me going.”
The final round saw Cheema hold a comfortable lead until the 16th hole thanks to his excellent putting, converting four birdies from a range of 12 to 20 feet. However, a bogey on the 18th and Aman’s late charge with three consecutive birdies forced a playoff.
The tension escalated as a drizzle added to the drama. Cheema seized the initiative in the playoff, hitting a strong tee shot and approach shot, setting up an eight-foot birdie putt for victory. He calmly sank the putt, while Aman missed his birdie attempt from 20 feet.
With this win, Cheema now boasts three professional titles, including two on the PGTI and one on the PGTI Feeder Tour.
“Today my putter was on fire as I holed a lot of very crucial putts which kept the momentum going for me. Aman played really well to force the playoff, but it was a whole new ball game once the playoff began,” Cheema said.
He attributed his victory in the playoff to a crucial tee shot, stating, “On the playoff hole, my tee shot was crucial because I had struggled off the tees all day. After Aman hit the fairway with his drive, I knew I had to put it in play to have a good chance and that’s exactly what I did. I then played a terrific approach shot and left myself a good number on the green. My putting confidence was already high and that finally helped me sink the winning putt on the playoff hole,” he concluded.
