Manish Thakran reserves best for last round, outshines rivals to clinch maiden title at PGTI NEXGEN

ANI June 19, 2025 295 views

Manish Thakran delivered a stunning final-round performance to claim his first professional victory at the PGTI NEXGEN event. The 29-year-old overcame a four-shot deficit with precise ball-striking and clutch putting. Overnight leader Vasu Sehgal struggled in the final round, settling for a tie for second. Thakran's win propels him to 11th in the season rankings while boosting his confidence for future tournaments.

"Winning my first ever professional title feels special. My ball-striking was the standout feature of my game this week." – Manish Thakran
Ludhiana, June 19: Gurugram-based Manish Thakran produced the best score of the third and final round, a five-under 67, to outshine all his rivals and clinch his maiden title with a total score of nine-under 171 at the PGTI NEXGEN Imperial Golf Estate played in Ludhiana.

Key Points

1

Thakran surged from tied fourth with a 5-under 67

2

Teenager Vasu Sehgal faltered with 73 in final round

3

Tushar Pannu shared second place at 7-under

4

Rajesh Kumar Gautam leads PGTI NEXGEN Order of Merit

The 29-year-old Thakran (36-68-67), who was overnight four shots off the lead in tied fourth position, registered a two-shot winning margin on Thursday, thus picking up a cheque worth Rs 2,54,300 that moved him into 11th position on the 2025 PGTI NEXGEN Order of Merit.

Chandigarh teenager Vasu Sehgal (33-67-73), the overnight leader by three shots, returned a 73 in round three to finish tied second at seven-under 173. Karnal golfer Tushar Pannu (31-72-70), who was overnight tied second, shot a 70 on day three to also finish joint runner-up.

Lucknow's Rajesh Kumar Gautam (69) and Karnal's Rohit Narwal (70) ended tied fourth with matching scores of six-under 174. Rajesh Kumar Gautam continues to lead the 2025 PGTI NEXGEN Order of Merit with season's earnings of Rs 5,31,900.

The Imperial Golf Estate is a par-72 nine-hole course where the nine holes were played twice to comprise a round.

Manish Thakran, who has come close to winning on the PGTI's main tour in the past, began the day on a solid note with some brilliant tee shots and approach shots that earned him two birdies on the front nine, both coming from a range of five feet.

Manish then made further gains on the back-nine where he scored four birdies in exchange for a solitary bogey. He sank a 30-footer for birdie on the 11th hole after which he bogeyed the 12th as a result of finding the water hazard. Thakran finally capped off his round in style with birdies on the 15th and 18th where he came up with a great bunker shot and a quality chip shot respectively.

Manish said, "Winning my first ever professional title feels special. My ball-striking was the standout feature of my game this week as I hit most of the fairways and greens. I was in good form with my driver and 3-wood.

"I focused hard today and kept it simple. The plan was to look for regulations and make as many pars as possible. This win has come after a long wait for me and now boosts my confidence going ahead. I would like to thank my home course, Classic Golf & Country Club, for being a great source of support for me.

"Playing at the Imperial Golf Estate for the first time has been an amazing experience. I really enjoyed the layout of this course and the playing conditions here. I would love to come back to the Imperial Golf Estate to play more events in the future."

Reader Comments

Here are 6 authentic Indian perspective comments for the golf tournament article:
A
Amit K.
What a comeback by Manish! To go from 4 shots behind to winning by 2 shows real champion mentality. Indian golf needs more such thrilling finishes to attract new fans. Hope this win opens doors for him on the main tour! 🇮🇳🏌️‍♂️
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Priya M.
So happy for Manish after coming so close in previous tournaments! His bunker shot on 15th must have been amazing. Golf may not be as popular as cricket here, but performances like this make me proud of our athletes. More power to him!
R
Rahul S.
The young players like Vasu Sehgal show great promise too. While Manish's experience won today, it's good to see new talent emerging. Maybe PGTI should get more TV coverage - we only hear about these achievements through newspapers.
N
Neha T.
Interesting that they played the same 9 holes twice! Must be challenging to maintain focus. Manish's consistency was impressive - especially that 30-footer on 11th. Golf is such a mental game, and he proved he has the nerves for it.
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Sanjay P.
While the win is commendable, I wish our golfers got more international exposure. The prize money (₹2.5L) seems low compared to global tournaments. Government and corporates should support golf more - we have potential but need better infrastructure.
K
Kavita R.
As someone from Ludhiana, I'm thrilled our Imperial Golf Estate hosted this! The course is beautiful but not many know about it. Hope this tournament puts it on the map. Maybe next time they can invite some international players too for more competition.

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Manish Thakran PGTI NEXGEN Imperial Golf Estate Vasu Sehgal Tushar Pannu golf tournament