Trident Open 2025: Manu Gandas triumphs in three-way playoff to return to winning ways

Chandigarh, Nov 14 Manu Gandas endured an ordinary final round of one-over 73 before fighting back and keeping his nerve to triumph in a three-way playoff at the inaugural Trident Open, an INR 1 crore event, played at the Chandigarh Golf Club here on Friday.

Gurugram-based Gandas (66-73-69-73), the PGTI Order of Merit leader, and local lad Yuvraj Sandhu (72-69-70-70) and the 21-year-old Shubham Jaglan (71-69-71-70), who made his PGTI debut this week, ended the regulation 72 holes with matching totals of seven-under 281 to take the match into a playoff. Gandas prevailed in the playoff with a par to return to winning ways after one year and 10 months.

Gandas’ ninth professional win saw him pick up a cheque worth INR 15 lakh that also lifted him from 14th to seventh position in the PGTI Order of Merit.

The 17-year-old rookie Manoj S, the third-round leader, who was looking to become the youngest player to win as a professional on the PGTI, shot a last round of 75 to finish tied fourth at six-under 282 along with Shaurya Bhattacharya (71), the winner of PGTI’s last event.

Former PGTI Order of Merit champion Manu Gandas, who was one shot off the lead in second place after round three, made an early gain on Friday when he played a terrific chip to set up a tap-in birdie on the second hole. Gandas, who hails from the DLF Golf & Country Club, then slowed down with pars all the way till the ninth and a bogey on the 10th.

A 27-foot birdie conversion on the 13th made Gandas the top contender for the title. However, finding the trees with his drive on the 16th resulted in a double-bogey for Gandas, which was a big setback for him.

Both Yuvraj and Shubham made five birdies and three bogeys to catch up with Manu and join him in the playoff. Gandas produced the best drive in the three-way playoff as both the others missed the fairway. Gandas then played a quality chip that left him a four-foot par putt for victory, which he went on to convert.

Gandas, who played on the DP World Tour for one year following his PGTI Order of Merit win in 2022, said, “The thought process today was to continue doing what I had been doing well earlier in the week. I had posted seven top-10s in the last nine events, so the game was trending well, and I knew that it was just a matter of time before I won.

“I was a little frustrated with the double-bogey on the 16th, but then just decided to let it pass and rather focus on what I had in my control. On the playoff hole (18th), I thought I would play it like I had done through the week by ensuring that I found the centre of the fairway. That’s exactly what I did, and it paid off for me.

“This year has become even more special for me as I became a father just two months back. This is the first time my two-month-old son has travelled to an event, and I’m delighted to lift the trophy with him in my arms and my wife beside me.”

It was a creditable joint runner-up finish for Shubham Jaglan in his very first event on the PGTI. On the other hand, Yuvraj Sandhu, the other joint runner-up, continued his fine form to extend his lead in the PGTI Ranking as he crossed the INR 1 crore mark in his season earnings. Yuvraj picked up a cheque worth INR 7,99,900 to take his 2025 earnings to INR 1,06,67,100.

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