Jammu: Om Prakash Chouhan of Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, produced a rock-solid final round performance of three-under 69 to come home the victor by three shots at a total of 11-under 277 at the Rs. 50 lakh J&K Open 2023 presented by J&K Tourism played at the Jammu Tawi Golf Course (JTGC).
Chouhan (71-70-67-69), who picked up his second title of the season and a prize money cheque worth Rs. 7,50,000, further extended his lead in the TATA Steel PGTI Ranking as his season’s earnings moved to Rs. 79,03,009. Om Prakash now enjoys a lead of more than Rs. 23 lakh over his nearest rival Aman Raj in the PGTI’s money list.
Chandigarh’s Akshay Sharma (68-71-72-69) also posted a 69 on day four to finish runner-up at eight-under 280. Akshay has now registered three consecutive top-3 finishes. He thus climbed one spot to eighth position in the PGTI’s merit list.
Om Prakash Chouhan, the overnight leader by one shot, maintained his grip on the proceedings for the first half of the day having recorded three birdies till the 10th hole as he sank eight to 10 footers with relative ease.
The 33-year-old Om Prakash, who has been based in Ahmedabad for the last couple of years, was in a spot of bother when he dropped a double-bogey after a three-putt on the 11th but he immediately got back in control with another 10-feet birdie conversion on the 12th. The bogey on the 16th also didn’t affect Chouhan’s round as he once again came roaring back with birdies on the last two holes including a 20-feet conversion on the 17th.
Chouhan said, “Today I didn’t try anything fancy and just focused on playing regulation golf. I thought, let the others try to catch up with me. Importantly, I didn’t have any anxious moments because I made good comebacks every time I dropped shots. That helped me play with a relaxed mind.
“It was a delight to play at the Jammu Tawi Golf Course and I look forward to coming back here next year. Since moving to Kalhaar Blues & Greens in Ahmedabad, my game has improved a lot. I would like to thank Mr. Badresh, Mr. Devang Shah and Mr. Ragesh Vasa for all their support.”
Runner-up Akshay Sharma’s last round featured five birdies and two bogeys.
The Delhi-based duo of Kapil Kumar (seven-under 281) and Harshjeet Singh Sethie (five-under 283) finished third and fourth respectively.
Final Leaderboard:
277: Om Prakash Chouhan (71-70-67-69)
280: Akshay Sharma (68-71-72-69)
281: Kapil Kumar (69-68-72-72)
283: Harshjeet Singh Sethie (69-71-73-70)
