Pune: The stage is set for an exciting finish to the IGU All India Junior Golf Championship as the battle for title heated up with Delhi
lad Manu Gandas firing a superb 4-under par 68 at the testing Oxford Golf and Country Club to surge ahead of overnight leader Viraj
Madappa. The 17-year-old with a three-round total of 6-under 210 was leading the field by a stroke in the top category.
The final round would be a real test of nerves with the top four including Viraj who submitted a card of 2-under 70 and third-placed
Feroz Singh Garewal who shot a 3-under 69 for a 54-hole total of 214 and Piyush Sangwan with a total of 216 jostling for honours. Shubham
Narain was a distant fifth with a total of 222.
Arjun Prasad with a total of 228 emerged a two-stroke leader over Karandeep Kochar in Category B. Pratheek Nagaprasad was third with an
aggregate of 233 with Kartik Sharma closely behind at 234 in fourth place. Shreyas Chandra completed the top five with a total of 236.
Manu Gandas who is supported by his home club DLF Golf and Country Club made an ominous start when he lost a stroke on the opening hole.
However, he ensured that this was the only mistake of the day as he went on to make birdies on the fourth, sixth and ninth to take the
turn at 2-under. Continuing in the same vein, Manu birdies the first two holes (10th and 11th) and played some steady golf under trying
conditions while parring his way to enter the club house as the leader.
Viraj meanwhile made a good start garnering two birdies in the first four holes. However it was nullified by a double on the ninth. Being a
shot behind Manu, Viraj went on the offensive making consecutive birdies on the 10th and 11th while losing a shot on the 12th. With a
birdie on the 15th, Viraj managed to sign a card of 70.
“It took a while for me to settle but I the way I played today I am confident of a good final round,” said Manu who had earlier won the
Southern India title in Bangalore couple of months ago. “This course can punish any golfer who is too aggressive hence I am planning to
first play to par and then think of making birdies,” he added.
Top scores after 54 holes
Category A&B
210 Manu Gandas (73, 69, 68); 211 Viraj Madappa (71, 70, 70); 214
Feroz Singh Garewal (73, 72, 69); 216 Piyush Sangwan (74, 71, 71); 222
Shubham Narain (76, 73, 73); 223 Tapendra Ghai (78, 74, 71); 224 Veer
Ahlawat (75, 73, 76); 225 Rohan Dhole Patil (77, 74, 74), Jairaj Singh
Sandhu (76, 74, 75); 226 Yuvraj Sandhu (73, 75, 78)
Category B
228 Arjun Prasad (75, 75, 78); 230 Karandeep Kochar (78, 76, 76); 233
Pratheek Nagaprasad (78, 77, 78); 234 Kartik Sharma (76, 79, 79); 236
Shreyas Chandra (77, 80, 79); 239 Bhav Sharma (79, 79, 81); 241
Udayjit Bhalotia (80, 79, 82); 243 Arjun Puri (78, 83, 82), Karanveer
Singha (83, 77, 83).