Telangana Golconda Masters: Shankar Das ends seven-year victory drought with fiery final round of 64

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], September 30 (ANI): Kolkata-based professional Shankar Das’ astounding birdie spree on the front nine turned the tournament on its head in the final round earning Shankar a spectacular three-shot win at the Telangana Golconda Masters being played at the Hyderabad Golf Association (HGA).

Das, lying overnight tied third and two off the lead, pulled a rabbit out of the hat with a fiery last round of 64 that helped him outplay the rest of the field and bag his eighth professional title, ending a seven-year-long victory drought.

Shankar (70-64-64-64), the 2014 PGTI Order of Merit champion, who went 53 holes without a bogey during the week, totalled 18-under 262 for the tournament. He bagged a prize money cheque worth Rs 15 lakh to rise from 42nd place to 14th position in the 2024 PGTI Ranking.

Chandigarh’s Angad Cheema (68-63-65-69), the overnight joint leader by two shots, claimed the runner-up spot at 15-under 265 following his fourth round of 69. It was Angad’s sixth top-10 and second runner-up finish of the season and as a result, he consolidated himself in fourth place on the PGTI Ranking.

Gurugram golfer Veer Ahlawat’s (68) third place finish at 14-under 266 meant he further built on his lead in the PGTI Order of Merit.

Shankar Das registered one of the most memorable come-from-behind victories of his career as he was a lowly tied 67th after his opening round of 70. Das then made major strides in each round as he delivered three successive scores of 64.

Shankar had a phenomenal start in the last round when he reeled off seven birdies on the front nine thanks to two tap-ins, three more putts within six feet and two 20-feet conversions. All aspects of his game came together on the front nine, especially his wedge-play. He then all but sealed it with an eight-feet birdie conversion on the 13th. A commanding lead of five shots meant Shankar’s bogeys on the 16th and 18th could not play spoilers.

Shankar said, “It was an incredible day for me and I knew that such a round was just around the corner as I had been practising very hard off late and all parts of my game were trending well. My driving and chipping was exceptional today.”

“I have been playing with a free mind this season because I have fully recovered from my back injury that hampered my game for the last few years. My wife also had some health issues in the past. But now she has recovered too. So I was finally playing without the burden of having to worry about all these things. That really helped my game. I would like to thank my new caddie Debashish who has been a great support to me this week,” added an emotional Shankar.

Angad Cheema couldn’t keep pace with Das on day four as his eagle and four birdies were negated by three bogeys and a double-bogey.

Delhi’s Shamim Khan produced a hole-in-one on the ninth hole during his final round of 62, the day’s lowest score. Shamim thus took tied 10th place at 10-under 270 along with overnight joint leader N Thangaraja (74) of Sri Lanka.

Hyderabad-based professional Mohd Azhar (72) ended tied 29th at five-under 275.