Bhubaneswar, Nov 6 (NationPress) In an exhilarating conclusion, Umed Kumar executed back-to-back chip-in birdies, one at the last hole of regular play and another during the playoff, to clinch the PGTI NEXGEN season finale, the Dilip Tirkey Invitational 2025, a Rs 20 lakh event held at the Bhubaneswar Golf Club.

This marked Umed's second NEXGEN title of the season.

Hailing from Chandimandir, Haryana, Umed took home the winning cheque of Rs 2,54,000, positioning him as the No. 1 in the 2025 PGTI NEXGEN Order of Merit with total earnings of Rs 8,61,140. As the NEXGEN Order of Merit champion, Umed will enjoy an exemption on the main tour of PGTI next year.

The 24-year-old Umed Kumar (67-70-71), who led by three shots overnight, carded a one-under 71 in the final round, finishing with a total of eight-under 208 over the week.

The tournament proceeded to a playoff after Kushal Singh from Gurugram (70-73-65) delivered the best round of the tournament, a remarkable seven-under 65, tying with Umed at eight-under 208 after 54 holes.

This was the inaugural PGTI event hosted in Odisha, supported by Indian hockey icon Dilip Tirkey.

Chandarjeet Yadav (66) secured third place at seven-under 209, while Sanjeev Kumar and Divesh Rana finished tied for fourth at five-under 211.

Sanjeev Kumar, who led the NEXGEN Order of Merit prior to this season finale, earned Rs 1,02,300 for his tied fourth position, concluding the season with earnings of Rs 8,11,040, placing second in the Order of Merit.

Ajay Kumar Sahu achieved the best result among local professionals, finishing 27th with a total of six-over 222.

Umed Kumar, who achieved wire-to-wire champion status, faced a rollercoaster day with a birdie and two bogeys on the front nine, followed by two birdies and a bogey on holes 11 to 17. Despite making the most fairways and greens, Umed had five putts lip out.

As Kushal Singh surged on the final day with an eagle and seven birdies against two bogeys, Umed needed a miracle to catch up, which he achieved with a chip-in birdie on the 18th hole.

In the playoff, Umed executed another stunning chip-in for birdie to claim the title and the Order of Merit crown, while Kushal missed his chance for birdie.

Umed reflected, “This is the kind of finish a golfer dreams of. Achieving back-to-back chip-ins in a career is rare, and I did it to win the match and the Order of Merit. It’s been an incredible day, and I’m thrilled to secure my spot on the main tour next year. This win has greatly boosted my self-belief.”

He added, “My hitting was strong today, but I missed several putts compared to the previous days. I aimed for four to five under on the final day to secure victory but struggled to find my rhythm. I feared I might come close to another loss like I had earlier this season.”

“Standing on the 18th for my chip, I felt I had nothing to lose. Once I chipped in for birdie on the 18th and forced a playoff, my confidence surged. I carried that momentum into the playoff, which turned the tide in my favor.”

“I couldn’t have asked for a better season with two wins, a runner-up finish, and another top five. I owe my gratitude to PGTI CEO Amandeep Johl for providing me the opportunity to compete in my first NEXGEN event this year, which I won. There’s been no looking back since then.”