Canam Raptors bag golf title

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Chandigarh, October 30

Canam Raptors defeated The Punjab Aces (4-3) on the last hole of regulation play to clinch the inaugural title of the Chandigarh Golf League.

The tense final was played at Chandigarh Golf Club today. In a see-saw battle, Raptors won the match after the Aces claimed an early lead. In the 3rd place playoff, Netsmartz Tigers won (6-1) against Captain’s 18 to finish on the final podium place.

In the final, Punjab Aces made a great start with Rao Birender Singh giving them the momentum by winning his singles game (7amp;5) against Rakesh Jolly. Captain Padamjit Sandhu followed up with (4amp;2) win over his opposite number Saurabh Mangat of Raptors to put the first two points on the board for team in blue. The Raptors got a boost from the anchor game with the pair of Goody Malhi and Air Marshal Jasvinder Chauhan winning their game (4amp;3) against Harjorawar Singh Gill and Ajay Kanwar, respectively.

The Aces were still on course for the championship after MP Singh and SM Puri put them (3-1) ahead with two games running all square. However, the Raptors hit back through Col IS Bains and Maj Gen TPS Waraich giving them the second point and by this time the match was heading for a playoff with both teams locked at 3.5 points each.

With two games alive, it could have gone either way and a clutch putt on the 18th gave the Raptors the lead through the pair of Harjeet Singh and MPS Mann. The other game went into the last two holes with Raptors one up through Lt Col RPS Brar and co-owner Maj Gen GS Malhi. Aces were still at it with Pauline Sapphire Singh sinking a clutch putt on the 17th hole to square the game and the match. In the end, Lt Col RPS Brar’s par on the final hole clinched a memorable victory for the Raptors.

The third place playoff saw Netsmartz Tigers dominate Captain’s 18 in an early start. They went all guns blazing after being knocked out at the semi-final stage and won six of the seven games, most of them comfortably. Two games reached the 18th hole and teams split the results in those with both ending up in the favour of the winning pair.