US golfer Jhared Hack receives his Chhattisgarh Open trophy from state deputy chief minister and sports minister Arun Sao (second from right) and former India international cricketer Nikhil Chopra (far right) at New Raipur on Friday. Image courtesy DP World PGTI.
By Rahul Banerji
Qualifying School graduate Jhared Hack of the US made a dream debut on the DP World PGTI with a convincing victory at the season-opening SECL Chhattisgarh Open in New Raipur on Friday.
The Las Vegas resident carved out a thumping five-shot win in the Rs 1.5 crore event at the Par-69 Fairway Golf & Lake Resort, the DP World PGTI said
Hack (63-61-63-59), third overnight third one shot off the lead, produced a sensational closing 10 under par 59, the lowest single-round score ever registered at the venue.
Runner-up at last week’s Q School, Hack improved on the previous course best of 60 and also set a new mark for the lowest winning score with his astounding 30 under 246.
Last year’s lowest winning score was 27-under 249 by Shaurya Bhattacharya.
Twenty-one-year-old Anshul Kabthiyal (62-61-63-65) recorded his career-best result, finishing second on 25 under 251.
Solid effort
The overnight joint leader by one shot, he produced a round on Friday that on another day would have been a title-winning effort.
Fellow overnight leader Honey Baisoya (65) was third on 23 under 253 with Kshitij Naveed Kaul (63), teenager Kartik Singh (64) and former PGTI no. 1 Veer Ahlawat (65) sharing fourth place on 254.
Akshay Sharma, the leader on the first two days, finished tied for seventh on 21 under 255 along with Mohd Azhar.
Hack, 36, made his first trip to India even more memorable by winning in his maiden appearance on the DP World PGTI.
Hack, who has played on the Korn Ferry, Canadian and PGA Latinoamerica tours before hearing about the DP World PGTI from his close friend Dominic Piccirillo, began the last day with a bogey.
He then made a charge with three long conversions, two for birdies and one for eagle on the front nine.
Hack powered ahead on the back nine with his second eagle, on the par-4 12th where he drove the green and five other birdies, all results of great wedge shots that set up short putts.
Proud moment
“I’m very excited about winning my very first event on the DP World PGTI,” Hack said later.
“Proud of all the work I’ve done behind the scenes that helped raise my game.
“I’m now looking forward to playing in all the different courses and conditions in India as I’ve heard a lot about the variety that India has to offer in terms of the courses and weather conditions.
“I had an outstanding week with some brilliant iron and wedge shots. Today the standout moments were the two eagles that helped me calm down.
“Produced my best shot of the tournament on the par-4 12th where I drove the green and left myself a four-feet eagle conversion.
“I thank my friends Dominic Piccirillo and Koichiro Sato for all their support and guidance.
“Dominic and Koichiro have spent over a year in India playing on the DP World PGTI and gave me some important tips to adjust to the country well.”
Also read: Kabthiyal, Baisoya grind their way into joint lead at New Raipur
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