Gandas shoots 67 to finish on a high at Soudal Open in Belgium

Antwerp, May 15 (PTI) Indian golfer Manu Gandas carded his best round of the week for a creditable under par total of 5-under 279 that saw him finish the Soudal Open at Tied-41st.

Gandas, a rookie pro on DP World Tour, carded a 4-under 67 on the final day even as Shubhankar Sharma missed the cut.

Sweden’s Simon Forsstr m achieved a dream maiden win on the DP World Tour as he triumphed at the Soudal Open.

The 34-year-old carded a two under par final round of 69 to finish one stroke ahead of fellow Swede Jens Dantorp at Rinkven International Golf Club.

Gandas, who got onto the Tour after topping the PGTI Order of Merit, started with a bogey, but an eagle on Par-5 fifth helped. It was his second eagle of the week. He did not drop any more shots and on the back nine, he birdied three times on the 12th, 14th and 16th.

It was his best round to par this season, though he had a 4-under 68 in Thailand on a Par-72 course.

Gandas takes time off now after playing 10 events so far on the 2023 schedule and has made the cut four times in his first full season.

Next week, the DP World Tour will host US Open Qualifying at Walton Heath, where Shubhankar will tee up to try and make the field for the Major.

Forsstr m, who spent seven consecutive seasons attempting to graduate from the European Challenge Tour, finally earned playing privileges on the DP World Tour for 2023 after winning the Qualifying School Final Stage in November. Now he is secure for the next two seasons.

He also previously secured his lone Challenge Tour victory in Belgium in 2016, when he won the KPMG Trophy.

Forsstr m started the day one shot ahead and then held a three-stroke lead at the turn, but shared the lead with Dantorp with six holes to play after a double bogey on the tenth and another dropped shot on the 12th hole.

But he fired back in style as he birdied the 14th, 16th and 17th to move one ahead with one to play.

Dantorp held the clubhouse lead on 16 under par after signing for a four under round of 67, but Forsstr m hit his approach on the 18th to within five feet and he two-putted for a 17 under par total and his first DP World Tour title.

Finishing in third, two strokes back from Dantorp was Denmark’s Thorbj rn Olesen on 14 under and in a share of fourth on 13 under par were Alexander Bj rk of Sweden, Frenchman Mike Lorenzo-Vera and England’s Matt Southgate.

Home favourite Thomas Detry carded a two over par round of 73 as he finished in a share of seventh place.