Udayan outshines Veer in playoff to win TATA Steel PGTI Players C'ship

Pune-based Udayan Mane continued his sizzling form with a playoff victory over Gurugram's Veer Ahlawat at the TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship here on Friday.

Mane, who also won the last two PGTI events -- the TATA Steel Tour Championship 2019 and Golconda Masters 2020 -- has now become only the second player after Delhi-based Ashok Kumar to win three consecutive events on the TATA Steel PGTI.

Ashok had achieved the feat during the PGTI's inaugural 2006-07 season.

Mane (68-67-67-66) fired 66 in the last round to be tied at the top with Ahlawat (67-65-65-71) at a total of 20-under-268 after the regulation 72 holes.

The two players then went into a playoff where Mane prevailed on the second extra hole to bag his 10th professional title.

Mane, lying fourth and five off the lead after round three, fashioned a remarkable come-from-behind victory at the Rs. 30 lakh event which was played at his former home course Eagleton.

The big-built Mane began the day with a flourish as he played his approaches and wedges well and sank putts from a range of 10 to 15 feet to pick up birdies on the first, fourth, sixth and seventh.

His only blemish came on the ninth where he missed an up and down for a bogey. However, his only bogey was neutralized by his birdie on the 10th. Mane then had a quiet stretch with pars on the next six holes which included an incredible par-save on the 13th.

He finally made a late surge with birdies on the 17th and 18th to catch up with Ahlawat. While Mane drove the green on the par-4 17th, he followed it up with a 12-feet conversion on the 18th.

Mane and Ahlawat made pars on the first playoff hole. However, on the second, Ahlawat bogeyed after missing a five-footer for par while Mane walked away with a par and as a consequence the title.

"This is turning out to be an unbelievable run for me. My hard work seems to be paying off. I feel I drove it better last week in Hyderabad, but this week I hit my approach shots, irons and wedges much better," said Mane, who earned a cheque worth Rs. 4,84,950.

"The crucial moments in my round were the birdie on the fourth where I gave myself a good yardage with my second shot, the par-save on the 13th where I landed my third shot from 90 yards to within a foot for a tap-in and the all-important 12-feet birdie conversion on the 18th that took me into the playoff."