Golconda Masters: Shankar Das’ stellar 64 secures three-shot victory, ends seven-year title drought
Kolkata-based professional Shankar Das’ brilliant birdie spree on the front nine turned the tournament on its head in the final round, earning him a spectacular three-shot win at the Golconda Masters held at the Hyderabad Golf Association (HGA) on Sunday.
Das, who began the day tied for third and was two shots off the lead. He pulled a rabbit out of the hat with a fiery final round of 64, outplaying the rest of the field and securing his eighth professional title, thus ending a seven-year victory drought.
With rounds of 70-64-64-64, Shankar, the 2014 PGTI Order of Merit champion, went an impressive 53 holes without a bogey throughout the tournament, finishing with a total score of 18-under 262. He took home a prize money cheque worth Rs 15 lakhs and climbed from 42nd to 14th in the 2024 TATA Steel PGTI Ranking.
Chandigarh’s Angad Cheema (68-63-65-69), the overnight joint leader by two shots, claimed the runner-up spot at 15-under 265 following his fourth round of 69. This marked Angad’s sixth top-10 finish, and second runner-up finish of the season, solidifying his position in fourth place in the TATA Steel PGTI Ranking.
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Gurugram golfer Veer Ahlawat (68) finished third at 14-under 266, further extending his lead in the PGTI Order of Merit.
Das registered one of the most memorable come-from-behind victories of his career after being tied for 67th following his opening round of 70. He made significant strides in each subsequent round, delivering three successive scores of 64.
Das had a phenomenal start in the final round, reeling off seven birdies on the front nine, thanks to two tap-ins, three putts within six feet, and two 20-foot conversions. His wedge play was strong, and he effectively sealed his victory with an eight-foot birdie conversion on the 13th. A commanding five-shot lead allowed him to weather bogeys on the 16th and 18th holes without concern.
“It was an incredible day for me, and I knew that such a round was just around the corner as I had been practising very hard lately. All parts of my game were trending well. My driving and chipping were exceptional today,” Das said.
“I have been playing with a free mind this season because I have fully recovered from my back injury that hampered my game for the last few years. My wife also had some health issues in the past, but now she has recovered too. I was finally playing without the burden of worrying about these things, which helped my game. I would like to thank my new caddie Debashish, who has been a great support to me this week,” added the emotional title winner.
Cheema couldn’t keep pace with Das on day four; despite making an eagle and four birdies, his three bogeys and a double bogey hindered his performance.
Delhi’s Shamim Khan produced a hole-in-one on the ninth hole during his final round of 62, the day’s lowest score, finishing tied for 10th place at 10-under 270 alongside overnight joint leader N. Thangaraja (74) of Sri Lanka. Hyderabad-based professional Mohd Azhar (72) tied for 29th at five-under 275.