Overnight joint leader Mithun Perera’s even-par showing enabled register a one-stroke win in the inaugural ₹40 lakh ICC RCGC Open at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club course here on Sunday,
Sanjeev Kumar, who resumed from third spot, carded a 71 to take the second place.
Perera turned around a disappointing start, including three bogeys on front nine, to perform amazingly on back nine. The never-say-die Sri Lankan, who had dropped four shots by the 11th hole, raised his game towards the close and birdied four of the last five holes, barring 17th.
As Sanjeev was in the lead, Perera played with grit. On 18th, his second shot travelled more than 200 yards to lie within three feet from the pin.
The 32-year-old maintained his composure to sink a birdie and celebrate his first professional victory in the city.
“I dedicate this win to my father and one of Sri Lanka’s all-time great golfers, Nandasena Perera, who passed away earlier this year,” said Perera, who recently became a father himself.
Perera, the only golfer in the field not to shoot over-par, claimed the winner’s purse of ₹ 6,46,600 for his seventh win and his first since March 2018.
Kapil Kumar, who was in the lead for the first three days, finished tied-fifth.
The scores: 280: Mithun Perera (71, 70, 67, 72); 281: Sanjeev Kumar (75, 68, 67, 71); 284: Anil Mane (69, 68, 76, 71), Shamim Khan (74, 73, 66, 71).
285: Yuvraj Singh Sandhu (69, 76, 71, 69), Ankur Chadha (68, 73, 74, 70), Kapil Kumar (68, 68, 72, 77) and Manu Gandas (76, 70, 74, 65); 286: Chiragh Kumar (74, 68, 73, 71); 287: Yashas Chandra (75, 73, 71, 68), Sunit Chowrasia (70, 72, 70, 75) and Abhinav Lohan (75, 70, 67, 75).
