The city’s very own golfer, Shankar Das emerged victorious in the Telangana Golconda Masters 2024 presented by IGPL. The Telangana Golconda Masters 2024 that commenced on September 26, was hosted at the Hyderabad Golf Club, and concluded on September 29 with Shankar’s victory, followed by incredible performances by Angad Cheema and Veer Ahlawat, who secured the second and the third positions respectively.
Shankar had a challenging beginning on the inaugural round that he ended with a level par, with three birdies. He played a better second round which he opened with a birdie followed by five birdies, and wrapped up with a six under par.
Shankar went on to maintain his score consistently from the second round in the third and in the final round, both of which he ended with a six under par. Gaining 12 spots after the third round, he tied at the third position overnight after struggling in the first two rounds. He efficiently scored multiple birdies throughout. Moreover, Shankar managed to score eight birdies in the ultimate round. All of this tantamounted to a total score of 18 under par, and this secured him the position of the champion.
From the inauguration, Chandigarh’s Angad Cheema, the fourth rank holder at PGTI, had a good start. Along with birdies he also chipped in an eagle in the 17, to finish the first round with a two under 70. He too, had a better second round, which he ended with seven under 70 with birdies, and again an eagle at 17.
Angad ended the third round with five under par, gaining the spot, and emerging as the co-leader, tying along with Sri Lankan golfer N. Thangaraja. However, he played a challenging fourth round, in which he managed one under, to gather a total of fifteen under 280, to secure the position of the first runner up.
Veer Ahlawat, the PGTI top ranker, secured put up a great performance. Starting off with a four under 70, he maintained great consistency in his game to maintain his score till the penultimate round. However, Veer faced challenges during the final round, which culminated in a two under par, and he scored a total of fourteen under 280 to secure the third position.
Incredible performances were also displayed by Sri Lankan player N. Thangaraja, who topped till the third round with multiple birdies and eagles. He put up the best show in the second round with am eight under to climb the ladder in the leaderboard.
Akshay Sharma, Ravi Kumar, and Sarthak Chhiber also deserve special mention for the great display of golfing skills, strategies and mental resilience. While Akshay Sharma and Ravi Kumar ended the tour, securing the fourth and the sixth positions respectively, Sarthak Chhiber tied at the fourteenth position with M. Dharma and Mani Ram.
Shankar’s commanding victory along with the impressive efforts by all the golfers, especially Angad, Ravi, Veer and N. Thangaraja is a testimony to dedication and skill. This tour was the celebration of golf at its finest as it is certain that the tour will leave behind great moments of camaraderie.