Sanju wins IGU Andhra Pradesh Amateur Golf Championship by one shot

Sanju clinched his maiden amateur title with a one-shot win at the IGU Andhra Pradesh Amateur Golf Championship in Visakhapatnam. Despite mid-round setbacks, he held his nerve to edge past Sukhman Singh and Deepak Yadav on the final day

Hyderabad: Sanju survived a rollercoaster final round to clinch a dramatic one-shot victory over playing partners Sukhman Singh and Deepak Yadav at the IGU Andhra Pradesh Amateur Golf Championship at the East Point Golf Club in Visakhapatnam on Friday.

A shot ahead of Deepak and three ahead of Sukhman going into the final round, Sanju fell two shots behind with a double bogey on the 10th hole. But the 24-year-old held his nerve when needed, carding an even-par 71 for a winning total of 11-under 273 to capture his maiden amateur title.

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Sanju benefited when Sukhman, 19, leading by a shot with a hole to play, fluffed his lines to let the crown slip through his fingers. The teenager’s 9-iron second shot found the water on the left and he then two-putted for a double bogey to miss entering the winner’s circle for the second time this season.

Sukhman, who was in fine form on the front nine, closed with a 69 to finish second along with Deepak Yadav (71) on 10-under 274. The latter dropped a shot on the 16th hole to miss out on a playoff.

Sanju, under pressure at the start of the day, bogeyed the first hole. But the Railways golfer birdied the third, fifth and seventh holes to stay in the hunt. Sukhman caught up with the leader at the turn with five birdies.

Sanju followed up the setback on the 10th with a three-putted bogey on the 14th hole to stay two behind Sukhman. He reduced the deficit with a clutch birdie on the 15th hole, and missed two more birdie opportunities on the 16th and 18th holes. Fortunately for him, Sukhman gave away the trophy on the closing hole.

“Although I got a bit lucky, it does feel great to win my maiden title,” said Sanju.

Final scores (after 72 holes):
273: Sanju (70, 64, 68, 71);
274: Sukhman Singh (68, 65, 72, 69), Deepak Yadav (67, 68, 68, 71);
276: Harman Sachdeva (69, 71, 68, 68);
277: Chaitanya Pandey (70, 73, 68, 66), Ishaan Chawhan (70, 71, 68, 68);
278: Ram Singh Mann (70, 68, 72, 68).