Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Maiden pro title for Himmat Singh Rai

February 06, 2009 21:09 IST

Himmat Singh Rai lived up to his reputation of being one of the brightest young prospects of Indian golf when he posted his first professional win at the PGTI Players Championship in Kolkata on Friday.

The 21-year-old thus became the youngest professional to win on the Aircel-PGTI.

Himmat's final round 69 took his tournament total to nine-under 271.

Lucknow's Sanjay Kumar finished second at seven-under 273, while local favourite SSP Chowrasia (274) climbed from overnight fourth to third as a result of his final round 68.

"It's like a dream-come-true for me. In fact, the victory hasn't sunk in as yet. I was a little nervous at the start of the round today but the birdie on the second helped me settle down into my rhythm," Himmat later said.

"I played solid from then on. I then had to struggle for a brief period from the 12th to the 14th. The 25 feet birdie putt that I made on the 16th turned out to be very crucial because it gave me the lead with just two more holes to go," added the golfer who now leads the PGTI Order of Merit.

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.