Sensational teen Aadil Bedi claims maiden PGTI title
The 19-year-old golfer beat the PGTI Order of Merit leader Udayan Mane in a playoff for the crown.
India’s upcoming golfing talent Aadil Bedi won his maiden PGTI (Professional Golf Tour of India) title with a sensational win over the seasoned Udayan Mane at the Bengal Open golf championship on Sunday.
With the two golfers tied on top of the leaderboard on 14-under par after four rounds at the Tollygunge Club, it needed a playoff to decide the winner. The two matched each other shot for shot before the 19-year-old Aadil Bedi came up with a chip-in birdie on the sixth extra hole to take home the title and deny Mane his fourth consecutive win on the PGTI Tour.
This was the longest play-off recorded in the 15-year long history of India’s professional golf tour. The previous record was of four holes.
“It’s incredible to win my first title in such a manner. It was my first event of the year and I managed to get in the groove early in the first round which helped me in the build-up to the final round,” Bedi would tell the Press Trust of India, post his win.
“I’m happy that I also managed to put behind the disappointment of missing out on my Asian Tour card at the Q School in Thailand.”
Aadil Bedi’s late flourish
It was a fantastic back-and-forth duel between the leading pair throughout the final round.
While Aadil Bedi was quick to get off the mark with a birdie in the opening hole, he was soon found wanting as bogeys on the sixth and the eighth saw him hand Udayan Mane the sole lead.
But the Chandigarh-born Aadil Bedi took his game a notch higher on the back-nine with birdies on the 10th, 11th and the 13th holes — enough to push the round into a play-off.
The two players held their nerves to display some scintillating golf in the play-off. After making pars on the first two extra holes, both scored a birdie on the third — Aadil Bedi sinking a 35-foot putt and Udayan Mane successfully navigating a tricky seven-footer.
For Aadil Bedi, the winning moment finally came on the sixth extra hole when he chipped in for a birdie. His maiden victory earned him a cheque of Rs 4,84,950, while Udayan Mane added Rs 3,34,950 to his PGTI earnings.
Kolkata’s Viraj Madappa finished third at 13-under 267 with veteran golfer Mukesh Kumar a stroke behind at 268.
The Bengal Open was the last event on the PGTI Tour before it shuts down in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.