Shamim Khan coasts to three-shot win at Kensville Open 2019 Presented by TATA Steel PGTI

Delhi’s Shamim Khan coasted to a comfortable three-shot win at the Kensville Open 2019 Presented by TATA Steel PGTI, an Rs. 40 lakh event, played at the Kensville Golf & Country Club near Ahmedabad from November 28 to December 1.

The experienced Shamim, the overnight leader by two shots, posted a tenacious two-under-70 in the final round to emerge as the wire-to-wire champion with a winning total of 13-under-275.

Khan thus lifted his 15th trophy on the TATA Steel PGTI which also accounted for his overall 17th professional win.

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Pune-based Udayan Mane, the only player besides Shamim to return four sub-par rounds during the tournament, came up with the last round of 71 to secure the runner-up spot at 10-under-278.

Shamim Khan (66-68-71-70), who held the lead in all the three previous rounds, enjoyed his best day with the putter as he sank five birdies at the cost of three bogeys. The 41-year-old stretched his lead to three shots at the turn having made two 20-feet birdie conversions on the front-nine.

Khan dropped two bogeys on the back-nine after finding a tree on one hole and a hazard on the other, but he still managed to close out the match with two birdies even as the others were unable to catch up with him.

Shamim’s first title after a one-year gap earned him prize money worth Rs. 6,46,600 that pushed him up from 30th to 14th place in the TATA Steel PGTI Order of Merit.

Khan, known to have one of the smoothest golf swings in Indian golf, said, “This win really raises my confidence as it was achieved with a double-digit total score on a difficult course. In fact, only two players, Udayan and me, had a double-digit total this week. That reflects the tough scoring conditions at Kensville.

“I wasn’t having a great season until I arrived in Ahmedabad. But I feel that I can now carry this form into the last three events of the season,” added Shamim, the only man with career earnings in excess of Rs. 4 crores on the PGTI.

Udayan Mane (69-67-71-71), lying two off the lead in tied second after round three, shot a 71 on day four that featured three birdies and two bogeys. Mane, who began the day with a bogey on the first hole, was looking good for a late surge when he picked up birdies on the eighth, ninth and 11th. But Udayan’s bogey on the 15th put paid to his hopes as he conceded an almost unassailable four-shot lead to Shamim.

“I wasn’t having a great season until I arrived in Ahmedabad. But I feel that I can now carry this form into the last three events of the season,” added Shamim, the only man with career earnings in excess of Rs. 4 crores on the PGTI.

Udayan Mane (69-67-71-71), lying two off the lead in tied second after round three, shot a 71 on day four that featured three birdies and two bogeys. Mane, who began the day with a bogey on the first hole, was looking good for a late surge when he picked up birdies on the eighth, ninth and 11th. But Udayan’s bogey on the 15th put paid to his hopes as he conceded an almost unassailable four-shot lead to Shamim.