IGPL Tour: Jeev Milkha Singh ends 13-year title drought with win in Colombo; Pukhraj wins Order of Merit

Colombo (Sri Lanka), Dec 25 (IANS) India’s golf legend Jeev Milkha Singh provided the inaugural season of the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) a dream finish as he beat a host of young and experienced stars to win the IGPL Invitational Sri Lanka, the final event of the season.

Jeev, who has not won a pro event since 2012, gave his young rivals a perfect lesson on the Royal Colombo Golf Course greens in the final event of the inaugural season.

After a modest second day, Jeev spent almost half an hour at the putting green. It may well have paid off as he putted superbly to add to his splendid iron play that saw him hit his approaches to inside 5-10 feet. At one stage, he had five birdies in a row and seven in a span of nine holes between the sixth and the 14th.

Starting two shots behind Aryan Roopa Anand, Jeev, who turned 54 ten days ago, turned the clock with a closing 6-under 65 to total 15-under. He beat Aryan by one shot. Aryan (68), needing an eagle on the Par-4 18th to force a play-off, managed only a birdie and was sole second at 14-under.

As Jeev won his maiden IGPL title, Pukhraj Singh Gill, despite finishing T-12th, won the IGPL Order of Merit by a razor-thin margin over Aman Raj and Gaganjeet Bhullar. After 11 events carrying Rs. 1.5 crore prize purse with Rs. 22.50 lakh for the winner, Pukhraj, was less than Rs. 9,000 ahead of Aman Raj.

An emotional Jeev was mobbed by friends after the finish, and he was both physically and emotionally drained.

“I had never played in Sri Lanka before. It is an emotional moment for me. Because this is where my parents fell in love and began their relationship. My mother played volleyball, and my father was here for athletics. So, this is where their journey together began,” said an emotional Jeev, wiping the tears away.

“We lost them in 2021, and I lost my will to play, but a little later in 2022, I decided I would play for them and win. I hope today’s win will put a smile on their faces,” he added, looking towards the clear blue skies.

Jeev was generous in his praise for the course and the team at the event. He added, “The Royal Colombo Golf Course was amazing, and the whole team here did a great job, and so did the IGPL team.”

Jeev’s son, Harjai, was one of the amateur players in the field. Watching the two in action was Jeev’s wife, Kudrat, who, of late, has been accompanying her son for junior and amateur events. Harjai was T-22nd.

Speaking after presenting the Trophy to Jeev and putting on him the IGPL jacket, Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO of the IGPL, said, “The IGPL could not have hoped for a better winner to end the season than Jeev Milkha Singh, a legend of the game worldwide. It was an amazing three days of display, and Jeev showed the youngsters, many of whom may not have even begun the sport when he last won at the 2012 Scottish Open, that he is indeed a champion for all time.”

He concluded, “At the IGPL, we are proud that Jeev has put a stamp on it with such a splendid win.”

Jeev’s last pro win was at the 2012 Scottish Open. In his career, Jeev’s successes include four on the European Tour, four on the Japan Tour, and six on the Asian Tour. One of the Asian Tour wins was co-sanctioned with the European Tour.

Jyoti Randhawa, who played alongside Jeev on various Tours for more than two decades, also made his first IGPL appearance in Colombo. He was all praise for his friend, “Jeev is an amazing player. I have been privileged to see him for so many years. His hunger and love for the game are still the same, and he has always wanted to win, as he showed that even today. He is an inspiration for everyone,” said Randhawa, whose son, Zoravar, also played this week as an amateur, and both father and son finished T-24th.

Jeev did not have the best of starts as he gave away a shot on the first, which he made up for with a birdie on the second. But two pars later, Jeev dropped another shot on the fifth. Then came the birdie barrage with five in a row from the sixth to the tenth, and during that run, he went ahead and never looked back.

He added two more birdies on the 12th and the 14th and could then afford four pars to close out the win. Jeev may well be the oldest winner of a proper professional Tour, and his win gave the IGPL an ideal momentum in its very first year.

Karandeep Kochhar (65), who has already sealed his 2026 Asian Tour berth by finishing second on the Asian Development Tour, was sole third at 12-under, while SSP Chawrasia (69) dropped a late bogey to finish fourth at 11-under. Gaganjeet Bhullar (68), who kick-started the IGPL Tour with two wins and then won another when he returned for a third start, was fifth at 10-under.

Local amateur Kaya Daluwatte (71), who had held a 3-shot lead at one stage in the third round, shot even par and finished sixth at 9-under.

Veer Ganapathy, who was one of the big finds of the inaugural IGPL season, was seventh at nine-under. He shot under par on all three days.

Four players, including Aman Raj (71), who was in the running for the IGPL Order of Merit, were tied eighth with Raghav Chugh (63), Pranavi Urs (66), and Kapil Kumar (68) at 8-under. Pranavi, winner of the IGPL Mumbai, was the top woman finisher at Tied-8th at 8-under.

Pukhraj (67), who registered his maiden professional win at IGPL Jamshedpur, missed a 4-foot birdie at his final hole and finished Tied-12th with Chiragh Kumar (72).

Yet that was enough to win the IGPL Order of Merit by a slim margin. Pukhraj won Rs. 81,90,652 while Aman Raj, who had two wins in the season, won Rs. 81,81,708.54, which was less than Rs. 9,000 short of the winner.

Gill’s benefits will include a spot on the USD 2 million International Series in India early next year, and he will also get a spot in an event with Open Qualifying berths on the Asian Tour.

Gaganjeet Bhullar, who won in his first three starts, earned Rs. 81,30,000 to be third. Pranavi Urs with Rs 34,84,687 was the top woman pro earner of the season.

--IANS

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