Shiv Kapur won the 1.5-crore Jeev Milkha Singh Invitational 2021 in a playoff over Rashid Khan on Sunday at the Chandigarh Golf Club, making it his first win at a PGTI event. For the fourth year in a succession, the tournament was decided in a playoff.
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Shiv (64-68-67-70), a Dubai-based golfer who is originally from Delhi, was for the lead with Delhi's Rashid (65-67-69-68) at 19-under 269 after ordinary play, with final rounds of 70 and 68, respectively.
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Udayan Mane (69-68-67-67) finished third at 17-under 271 after shooting his second consecutive 67. Aadil Bedi of Chandigarh, who started the week in second place and was one shot behind the leader, finished fourth after a final round of 72, bringing his total to 16-under 272.
Shiv, a six-time international winner who has also won two times on the Indian domestic tour, hit a brilliant second shot from the rough on the playoff hole (18th hole), making a two-putt for par, while Rashid, a two-time Asian Tour winner, hit his second shot into the water, effectively ending his challenge.
Shiv, who was the overnight leader by one stroke, battled with his hitting earlier in the day and had three bogeys on the front nine in exchange for only one birdie. For him, a tremendous 50 ft birdie conversion on the 11th hole proved to be the day's defining moment.
Shiv kept landing it within six feet after that, picking up birdies on the 13th, 16th, and 17th holes. On the 18th hole, he missed a four-footer for birdie and outright victory, but he came back stronger in the playoff to win his close friend Jeev Milkha Singh's event and take home the winning check for Rs 24,24,750.
"It wasn't my most beautiful game of golf." To begin with, I had no rhythm and was all over the place. My first stroke of luck came on the 11th hole with a lengthy putt. That's when I informed my caddy that we were in the fourth quarter of a basketball game and that we could return. After that, I had a strong back nine and am glad of how I came back to win despite not having my best game. Shiv, who last won at the Chandigarh Golf Club as a 15-year-old junior golfer, stated, "I was quite delighted with the way I played the last three holes.”
"Winning Jeev's event is especially significant because he's like my elder brother and his family is like my second family," he added, adding that there could not have been a finer preparation for the forthcoming Asian Tour events. I wouldn't be half the player I am without Jeev's help."He concluded.
Rashid, a three-time PGTI Order of Merit champion who had previously lost in a marathon playoff to local boy Ajeetesh Sandhu at the 2019 edition of the event, was awarded a prize money cheque for a total of 16,74,750 rupees. As a result, he moved up the PGTI Order of Merit from 16th to seventh place.
Apart from Bedi, Yuvraj Singh Sandhu (tied sixth at 12-under 276), Abhijit Singh Chadha (eighth at 11-under 277), previous champion Ajeetesh Sandhu, and last year's champion Karandeep Kochhar were the four Chandigarh golfers who finished in the top ten (both tied 10th at nine-under 279). Kochhar continues to lead the PGTI Order of Merit with earnings of 49,59,880 for the season. Varun Chopra of the United States earned the prize for the best performing amateur after finishing tied 26th at four-under 284.