How Did Kshitij Naveed Kaul Achieve Victory with a Stunning Finish at the Kolar Open 2025?

Kolar, Aug 29 (NationPress) Kshitij Naveed Kaul from Delhi clinched victory with an extraordinary late-game performance at the Rs 1 crore Kolar Open 2025, held at the ZION Hills Golf County in Kolar, Karnataka.

Kaul (74-69-71-65), who started the final day in fifth place, six strokes behind the leader, executed a remarkable comeback on the last day. He carded a tournament-low score of seven-under 65, featuring three birdies and an eagle on the final four holes, accumulating a total of nine-under 279 for a two-shot victory on a day when the winds peaked at over 30 km/h.

At just 24 years old, this marks Kaul's fifth professional title. His prize of Rs 15 lakh propelled him five positions up to eighth in the PGTI Order of Merit, bringing his season earnings to Rs 48,00,847.

Meanwhile, Shaurya Bhattacharya (70-72-66-73), another professional from Delhi and the overnight leader by three strokes, finished with a round of 73, ending up as the runner-up at seven-under 281. This performance advanced him four spots to sixth in the PGTI rankings.

In third place was Dhruv Sheoran from Gurugram (67), finishing at four-under 284.

Udayan Mane from Pune, who set a course record of 67 in the second round, posted a 74 in the final round, resulting in a tie for fourth at three-under 285, alongside Honey Baisoya (72) from DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurugram.

Subash Tamang from Nepal, who played at his home course, concluded the tournament in sixth place at two-under 286.

Kaul made his mark early with impressive drives and wedge play, scoring four birdies in the first six holes. Despite facing challenges with three consecutive bogeys from holes seven to nine, he made a crucial recovery with an 18-foot putt for bogey on the seventh.

After sinking a birdie on the 10th, Kaul, who last won in November, finished strong with remarkable long putts on the 15th and 16th holes, followed by a chip-in for birdie on the 17th and an impressive 30-foot eagle on the 18th.

With a hot putter in hand, Kaul flipped the competition against Shaurya Bhattacharya, the day’s leader, in the final moments. Notably, under the preferred lie rule for round four, Kaul's 65 did not count as a course record.

Reflecting on his performance, Kaul stated, “I maintained patience throughout the day and concentrated on making quality shots. Every aspect of my game was sharp this week, particularly driving and putting. My off-season preparations have paid off wonderfully, making this win even more satisfying amidst such challenging conditions.”

“During the final stretch, my focus was simply on executing one good shot after another. The winds made it tough to manage distance and ball control, but I knew that if I kept hitting good shots, success would come.”

Shaurya Bhattacharya maintained his lead with three birdies and bogeys each on the front nine but faltered with three bogeys between the 11th and 15th, failing to recover despite two birdies on the last three holes.