New Delhi, March 6 (NationPress) The Rajasthan Regals etched their name in the annals of Indian professional golf by clinching the inaugural DP World PGTI’s 72 The League with an impressive 12-3 victory over the leading UP Prometheans at the Qutab Golf Course near New Delhi on Friday.

After advancing to the finals as the second seed from the five-round league stage, the Regals avenged their earlier 4-10 defeat to the Prometheans during the fifth round.

The champions were awarded the exquisite 72 The League Trophy, crafted by Vibhor Sogani, along with a cash prize of INR 1 crore. The runners-up received a silver salver and INR 50 lakh.

The Prometheans fielded their top two players – unbeaten captain Shaurya Bhattacharya and Arjun Prasad – in the singles matches. However, the Regals countered effectively with Jairaj Singh Sandhu, who triumphed over Bhattacharya 4&3, and Akshay Sharma, who defeated Prasad 2&1.

With just one victory needed from the last three matches, Rajasthan secured their win when the duo of Aryaman Mohan and Yuvraj Singh prevailed against Joshua Seale and Arjun Sharma on the 18th hole.

Youngster Mohan had the honor of sinking the decisive putt for his team, tying the final hole.

In the other four-ball matches, Regals’ captain Ajeetesh Sandhu faced his first defeat of the tournament alongside Michele Ortolani, while Chikkarangappa S and Dhruv Sheoran wrapped up the match with a 2&1 victory over Gaurav Pratap Singh and Pranav Mardikar.

A jubilant Sandhu expressed, “Leading this talented group has been an immense privilege. From the auction day, I recognized our team’s depth. More importantly, our chemistry has been remarkable since our first gathering.”

“This past fortnight has been a fantastic journey, and we couldn’t have wished for a better conclusion. This tournament will remain etched in our memories forever, and we take pride in being the inaugural champions.”

Mohan reflected on the pressure of the final putt, stating, “Despite it being under four feet, my hands were shaking as I approached it. I usually make those putts effortlessly, but that moment was different. Thankfully, Yuvraj was there to support me.”

Bhattacharya acknowledged it was simply “one of those days” where nothing aligned for them.

“We had a great run throughout the tournament, but today wasn’t ours. It will take time to process this, and while we are disappointed, we gave ourselves a shot at the trophy. We will definitely bounce back next year,” Bhattacharya added.

The Charminar Champions secured the Plate Championship, finishing third, ahead of the fourth-placed Kolkata Classics in the tournament organized by DP World PGTI in collaboration with Game of Life Sports (GOLS).

Interestingly, Charminar, who received a cheque for INR 20 lakh, missed out on the final by a countback against Rajasthan after both teams ended with 43 points in the league stage.

FINAL RESULT

Rajasthan Regals defeated UP Prometheans 12-3

Singles:

Jairaj Singh Sandhu defeated Shaurya Bhattacharya 4&3

Akshay Sharma defeated Arjun Prasad 2&1

Fourballs:

Michele Ortolani/Ajeetesh Sandhu lost to Abhinav Lohan/Manoj S 3&2

Chikkarangappa S/Dhruv Sheoran defeated Gaurav Pratap Singh/Pranav Mardikar 2&1

Foursomes:

Aryaman Mohan/Yuvraj Singh defeated Joshua Seale/Arjun Sharma 1-up

Plate Championship:

3rd: Charminar Champions – 122 points

4th: Kolkata Classics – 110 points

5th: Mumbai Aces – 109 points

6th: Nava Raipur – 109 points