PGTI NexGen: Wasim Khan wins maiden title at Phillaur Open

IANS March 27, 2025 149 views

Wasim Khan secured his first PGTI NexGen title with a strong final-round performance at the Phillaur Open. His precise iron play and clutch putting helped him overcome a mid-round stumble. The win propelled him to second in the Order of Merit, just behind Rajesh Kumar Gautam. Khan credited his mentor Shamim Khan for guiding him to victory.

"I’m delighted to register my first professional win." – Wasim Khan
Ludhiana, March 27: Wasim Khan of Delhi shot a final round score of four-under 67 to move his total to 10-under 203 for the week and thus win his maiden title at the PGTI NexGen’s Phillaur Open played at the Ranjitgarh Golf Club in Phillaur, Punjab. Lucknow’s Rajesh Kumar Gautam (68) and Chandimandir’s Chandarjeet Yadav (69) finished joint runners-up at a total of eight-under 205.

Key Points

1

Wasim Khan shot 67 in final round to seal victory

2

Rajesh Kumar Gautam and Chandarjeet Yadav tied for second

3

Khan climbed to second in PGTI NexGen Order of Merit

4

His iron play and putting were key to success

Kurush Heerjee (71) of Jamshedpur, the overnight leader, ended the week in tied fourth place at a total of seven-under 206 along with Chandigarh’s Brashwarpal Singh (69).

The 34-year-old Wasim Khan (67-69-67), who was overnight tied third and one off the lead, outperformed the rest of the field on the final day as he mixed seven birdies with a bogey and a double-bogey during his round of 67.

Wasim’s iron play was the highlight of his round on Thursday as he landed it within three feet of the flag to set up three of his birdies. He was also consistent with the putter as he sank three birdies from a range of 10 to 12 feet.

A couple of errant tee shots on the 15th and 16th saw Wasim drop three strokes on that stretch. However, he closed it out well with a birdie on the 17th and a crucial par on the 18th. Khan picked up the winning cheque worth Rs 2,54,300 to climb from 11th place to second position in the 2025 PGTI NexGen Order of Merit. Wasim’s total earnings for the season now read Rs 3,54,600.

Rajesh Kumar Gautam, a winner in Gurugram and runner-up this week in Phillaur, now tops the NexGen Order of Merit with season’s earnings of Rs 4,29,600.

Wasim said, “I’m delighted to register my first professional win. I came close to winning earlier as I had two runner-up finishes on the PGTI Feeder Tour in 2019. I’m glad that I could close out the match this time around.

“My game has been in good shape since last week’s event in Kapurthala. So, I just decided to continue with the same game plan this week and play percentage golf by trying to hit maximum fairways and greens. The advice from my mentor and senior professional Shamim Khan helped me a great deal,” he added.

Tags:
You May Like!