By IANS,
Gurgaon : Joseph Chakola emerged triumphant at the Aircel-PGTI 2009 Final Qualifying Stage, which concluded at the Golden Greens Golf and Country Club Friday.
Chakola fired rounds of 74, 73, 71 and 68 for a total of two-under 286 for the tournament. Shiva Ram Shrestha (70, 72, 72, 73) of Nepal finished second with an overall score of 287, while Australian Anthony Paul Choat (73, 72, 71, 75) grabbed third place (291). The top 44 players from the Final Qualifying Stage earned full cards for the 2009 Aircel-PGTI season.
Chakola’s fourth round of four-under 68 included an eagle and five birdies. “This win comes at the right time for me. I struggled with my form last season which was also my first season as a professional. But after winning at the Q-school, I’m confident that I’ll be able to turn things around this season,” said Chakola.
He added, “I had a great round today and the eagle on the par-five 14th was special as my six-iron second shot came up just two feet short of the pin.”
Runner-up Shiva Ram Shrestha’s final round 73 included birdies on the second, 14th and 18th, and bogeys on the third, fifth, 15th and 17th.
Aircel, continuing their support towards growth of professional golf in India, announced the ‘Aircel Emerging Player of the Year Award’ for the 2009 season.
Padamjit Sandhu, Director – PGTI, said the award will carry a cash prize of Rs. 500,000.