Coimbatore, Oct 3 (IANS) Arjun Prasad ended a long wait for his maiden title with a four-stroke triumph at the Rs 1 crore Tamil Nadu Open 2025 played at the Coimbatore Golf Club. The 26-year-old Arjun (70-70-68-72), the leader since Round Two, who began the final round with an imposing six-shot lead, produced a steady even-par 72 on the last day to join the winner’s circle with a total score of eight-under 280.

Delhi-based Prasad, a professional since 2017 and the only player this week to not shoot an over-par round, thus picked up the winning cheque worth INR 15 lakh that saw him consolidate himself in second position on the PGTI Order of Merit with season’s earnings of INR 84,71,599.

Arjun, who has been among the most consistent performers this season with 10 previous top-10 finishes, including two runner-up results, has now closed the gap with PGTI money list leader Yuvraj Sandhu to less than INR 4 lakh.

Chandigarh’s Jairaj Singh Sandhu (75-71-70-68) fired the fourth round’s joint lowest score of 68 to total four-under 284 for the week. As a result, Jairaj gained four places from his overnight sixth and finished tied second. The southpaw also moved up 12 spots to 22nd place in the PGTI’s merit list.

Sri Lankan N. Thangaraja (72-73-69-70) delivered a last round of 70 to hold on to his overnight tied second place and share the runner-up spot with Jairaj at four-under 284. Thangaraja’s result helped him progress from sixth to third place in the PGTI Ranking.

Hyderabad’s Mohd Azhar (68) and Bangladesh’s Jamal Hossain (71) closed the week in tied fourth place at two-under 286.

Arjun Prasad, enjoying a commanding lead at the start of the day, had some early jitters on the front nine where he conceded two bogeys in exchange for a birdie. However, a great par-save thanks to a top-class up and down on 10th set the stage for Arjun’s march to victory.

Thereafter, Prasad rolled in two long birdie putts and made two good pars with a couple of quality chip shots to come home the champion. Arjun’s nearest rivals could not catch up with him despite his bogey on the final hole.

A beaming Arjun said, “I’m delighted to have finally crossed the line today. The win did take some time to sink in. Importantly, I stayed in the moment and was very focused throughout the day.

“I didn’t really sleep well last night, but I got up early, did my warm-up routine, and was quite relaxed when I reached the course. I talked to my caddie, Mohan, before the round, and we spoke about sticking to the same process as the last three days.

“The front-nine was a little up and down, but I didn’t let that bother me as I kept hitting fairways and greens. The excellent up and down for par on the 11th really got my momentum going. Then I holed some crucial birdie putts, the kind that win tournaments. I would like to thank my family and my caddie for all their support.

“Now, sealing my spot at the DP World India Championship, happening two weeks later at Delhi Golf Club, is a huge boost, as that was one of my goals as soon as the tournament was announced. Playing alongside a field consisting of Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood is a dream come true. I really look forward to playing alongside Tommy once again, who was my playing partner at the 2016 Indian Open when I competed as an amateur.”

–IANS

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