Jharkhand’s top amateur golfer Biren Kumar posted a superb comeback to win the Champ for Life Academy (CFL) Amateur Open, the seventh leg of Eastern India Amateur Golf Tour 2022, which was organised at Tollygunge Club between June 8 and 10.

The tournament was the first World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) event of the year in Kolkata where golfers competing for WAGR points played three rounds. The rest at the CFL Amateur Open, however, played only two rounds.

On January 23, 2007, The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R&A), the governing body of golf outside of the United States and Mexico, had created the WAGR system for men. It is based on around 2,600 amateur tournament results every year.

The champion, Kumar, made his comeback after shooting four-over-par 74 on day one, shooting four-under-par 66 and tying with Gurshaan Singh Grewal from Kolkata. He, however, eventually prevailed over Grewal in the sudden death playoff on the third hole.

With a score of 149, Abhishek Mitra won the Mid-Amateur Category, followed by S.K. Rafick on 155. In the Senior category, Ashit Luthra won by shooting 158 in both rounds, followed by Col. Shree Kant Tiwary on 160. Luthra also took top spot in the category of Super Seniors — it featured players aged 60 and above — with Subroto Kundu finishing second on 192.

Sinjini Mukherjee won in the Ladies category with a score of 146, followed by Fizza Ali’s 152. Sinjini shot one-under-par on the first day, which was also a record because no one in her category had done it before this year.

Another notable performance on day one was Samridh Sen’s one-under-par. Sen eventually went on to finish third on both the remaining days. Gurshaan Singh Grewal won the WAGR Men’s Ranking with a score of 210, which was level par. Sinjini Mukherjee won the Ladies’ Ranking with a score of 11-over in three rounds.

The CFL Amateur Open 2022 was sponsored by Medica and The Reliable Group. The tournament was managed by Protouch Sports.