Bangladesh’s Jamal Hossain (33-36-69-70) chipped his way to a gritty final round performance of two-under 70 to break his four-year long victory-drought at the Ahmedabad Open in India on the day of Eid ul Fitr.
The 38-year-old golfer, lying overnight third, one shot off the lead, emerged triumphant in round four as he totaled eight-under 208 for the week thus securing his fourth PGTI title which was also his first win on the tour since 2019.
Jamal’s success at the Rs 1 crore event also pushed him up 16 spots from 21st to fifth place in the TATA Steel PGTI Rankings. The Dhaka lad had also posted a tied fourth finish at Chandigarh the previous week after leading early in the final round.
Delhi’s Rashid Khan (34-35-68-72) finished runner-up at seven-under 209 while Delhi’s Kshitij Naveed Kaul (33-35-69-73) claimed third place at six-under 210.
The first two rounds of the tournament comprised nine holes each. The third and fourth rounds comprised 18 holes each. The tournament was played over a total of 54 holes. The par for the course in the third and fourth rounds was 72. The 9-hole course was played twice in rounds three and four with different pin positions.
Jamal began the final day with a bogey on the first but immediately made up for it with a chip-in for eagle from 30 yards on the second. Jamal then landed his chips within a foot on the fifth and 11th for tap-in birdies on both holes.
Hossain’s bogeys on the 13th and 17th couldn’t stop his march to the title as he landed his approach within four feet for another birdie on the 15th and made a crucial two-putt for par on the 18th to pocket the top prize of Rs. 15 lakh.
Jamal has the distinction of being the first player to win on the PGTI as an amateur when he bagged the Bangladesh Open back in 2009. Karandeep Kochhar of Chandigarh later joined this list.
Jamal said, “I played my wedges and chip shots to perfection today. After a bad start, the eagle on the second gave me a lot of confidence. I then just focused on keeping it in play.
“There was some pressure on me going into the last hole when Rashid got within one shot of me. However, I had clarity in my thought-process while teeing it up on the last hole. I knew finding the green in two shots and making par with a two-putt could be good enough to win. I executed that plan well.
“I learnt from my mistakes in Chandigarh last week where I was in the lead in the early stages of the final round before I blew away my chances with some poor iron shots.
“I’ve waited a long time for this win. I would like to thank my home course Kurmitola Golf Club and the Bangladesh Golf Federation for all their support. I would also like to thank my sponsor for the last 14 years for its support. My family and friends have also been a great source of encouragement for me,” added Jamal.
As the PGTI heads into its mid-season break, Om Prakash Chouhan of Mhow continues to lead the TATA Steel PGTI Rankings with season’s earnings of Rs. 52,52,650 while Jamal moves into fifth position with Rs. 24,18,485.
