Viraj scripts comeback win
Jamshedpur Juniors Cup winner Viraj Khanna (left) with other top finishers on Thursday.
Viraj Khanna scripted a comeback victory to capture the Jamshedpur Juniors Cup on the Tata Steel IGU East Zone junior tour played at the par-71 Golmuri Golf Club on Thursday.
Viraj who began the day, three shots behind overnight leader Imitiaz Ali, fired a birdie on the finishing hole to tie with Imitiaz and then went on to win on the second play-off hole to grab his second title of the season.
The tie-break was necessitated after both the players finished tied on a two-round total of 23-over 165 in the top category (Cat A & B).
Udayajit Bhalotia finished third while Zahed Khan was fourth.
Bibek Sardar captured the crown in Category C with a total of 161 while Manish Rajak finished runner-up. Hashan Rahman finished third while Raghav Kharb and Arshad Ali ended up fourth and fifth respectively.
Sandeep Yadav won Category D with Rajib Ali ending up as the runner-up. Abhikanks Basu was third. Mohammed Rayyan Habib won in Category E while Rakshik Basu was second.
Kolkata lad Viraj played some brilliant golf making two birdies in all, supplemented with eight pars. He could have won easily at the end of regulation play but for a quadruple bogey on the par-5 11th.
Trailing by a shot on the 36th and final hole, Viraj made a birdie to take Imitiaz into the play-off.
“I am thrilled to win my second title,” said Viraj.
“My aim was to play steady golf for the first nine holes and then go all out in the back nine, if ever I had a chance of winning.
“I paid for aggressive play when I lost four shots on the 11th. However, I recovered and took one more chance on the 18th, this time it paid off,” said the champion.
“My aim is to finish on top of the Order of Merit and play on the National amateur circuit,” he added.
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