Amateur Dhruv Sheoran triumphs at PGTI Qualifying School

Pune-based amateur golfer Dhruv Sheoran (73-72-69-69) won the PGTI's Final Qualifying Stage for the 2017 season being held at Kensville Golf & Country Club here today.
Sheoran's final round of three-under 69 took his tournament total to five-under 283 which helped him secure an impressive four-stroke victory.
Mysuru's Harish K (70-73-72-72) and Delhi's Gulfam (75-68-72-72) finished tied second at one-under-287.
At the end of round four, the top 39 players earned their cards for the 2017 PGTI season. The top 39 included five amateurs.
Dhruv Sheoran, who started the final day with a one-shot lead, made two birdies on the front-nine to stay ahead. The 22-year-old seemed to be unfazed by the fact that there were some seasoned professionals chasing him as he added two more birdies against a lone bogey on the back-nine to post his second straight 69 and surprise one and all with his sensational victory.

The Pune-based golfer, a serving Army officer's son who originally hails from Bhiwani, Haryana, is now all set to turn professional with the first PGTI event of the season in February.

Dhruv, who was ranked 23rd on the Indian amateur circuit in 2016, said, "It's been an unbelievable fortnight for me. I'm delighted as it's my first ever win since I began playing golf at the junior level.
"I wasn't even supposed to be here. I was holidaying in Dehradun just 10 days before the start of the PGTI Qualifying School. I hadn't fared well at the All India Championship recently so was not in the right frame of mind to play the Q School. But my friend Saurabh Bhaduri, a professional on the PGTI, pushed me to play the Q School.

"Once I returned to Pune and began practicing, I wrote on my washroom mirror - 'I will win the Q School'. That helped me psychologically. I've struggled with the mental aspect of my game while playing on the amateur circuit. But over the last two weeks, I feel I was quite strong mentally. I held on to my overnight lead on the final day despite some established professionals being on my tail.
"I owe my success at the Q School to the constant support and encouragement that I received from my father Col. Satyavrat Sheoran, my mother Mrs. Deepa Sheoran, my sister Neha Sheoran and my girlfriend Kriti Dutta.

"I now have no expectations as I head into my first season as a professional. I'll just look to carry forward my form from here and play my natural game," added Dhruv.
Harish K and Gulfam held on to their overnight tied second place after both shot scores of 72 in the final round.
The two other amateurs who finished inside the top-5 were Arjun Prasad, who recently also earned his Asian Tour card, and Shubham Narain. The duo ended the week in tied fourth at five-over-293 along with Vijay Kumar and Rajesh Kumar Rawat.