Ribhav Verma clinches IGU Hyderabad Amateur Golf Championship with wire-to-wire victory

Teenager Ribhav Verma secured a commanding wire-to-wire victory at the IGU Hyderabad Amateur Golf Championship at Boulder Hills Golf & Country Club, finishing 10-under 278 to claim his maiden amateur title and beat Order of Merit leader Deepak Yadav by five shots.

Hyderabad: Talented teenager Ribhav Verma completed a splendid wire-to-wire victory with a gritty one-over 71 on the final day of the IGU Hyderabad Amateur Golf Championship at the Boulder Hills Golf & Country Club here on Friday.

The 18-year-old finished with an impressive four-day aggregate of 10-under 278 for his maiden victory on the amateur circuit at a course – known for its narrow fairways — that puts a premium on accuracy.

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Ribhav’s fine show under pressure on the final day powered him to a big five-shot victory over Order of Merit leader Deepak Yadav (71), who returned a third straight sub-par score, and Anshul Mishra (72).

Parth Raman Sood, who was three behind the leader going into the final round, lost his plot and shot an uncharacteristic four-over 76 to finish in a tie for fourth place with Ranveer Mitroo (68) and Gulfam Hussain (70).

“It’s a nice feeling to win after a long time,” said an elated Ribhav, who last won a ‘B’ Category (13-14 years) title four years ago in Panchkula. The youngster seemed a trifle nervous before approaching the first tee box. But once the game got underway, Ribhav relaxed and concentrated on the job at hand.

He picked up a shot on the par-5 fifth following a great chip from 50 yards. A monster drive on the sixth set him up for another birdie, he chipped to within six feet and holed the putt. However, he dropped shots on the seventh hole after pulling his 4-iron tee shot to the left, and on the ninth, where he found the water on the right with his 2-iron tee shot.

Despite the twin setbacks, Ribhav was still six shots ahead of the field. He played a little conservatively on the back nine and picked up a shot after reaching the 14th green in two. He missed a 40-foot eagle putt, but settled for a birdie to seal his victory.

Final scores (after 72 holes): 278: Ribhav Verma (66, 69, 72, 71); 283: Deepak Yadav (72, 71, 69, 71), Anshul Mishra (68, 71, 72, 72); 286: Ranveer Mitroo (72, 73, 73, 68), Gulfam Hussain (73, 72, 71, 70), Parth Raman Sood (69, 71, 70, 76); 288: Arin Ahuja (72, 75, 71, 70), Chaitanya Pandey (74, 71, 73, 70).