Golfer Sandhu bags maiden title on Asian Tour at TPC

Taipei, Oct 8 (IANS) Indian golfer Ajeetesh Sandhu carded a two-under 70 in the final round of the $500,000 Yeangder Tournament Players Championship (TPC) to claim his first title on the Asian Tour here on Sunday.

The 28-year-old returned with a winning total of 12-under-par 276 to defeat Johannes Veerman (71) of the US by one stroke at the Linkou International Golf and Country Club.

He became the third Indian to win on the Asian Tour in 2017 and the second player from his country after Gaganjeet Bhullar to win the Yeangder TPC.

Local star Lu Wei-chih posted a 72 to miss out on the chance to win the Yeangder TPC for the second time in his career. Lu fired four birdies against as many bogeys to claim his best result since winning the 2016 Mercuries Taiwan Masters.

Sandhu, who missed out on a Tour card at Qualifying School earlier this year, edged a battling Veerman to the title after trading three birdies against one bogey.

Veerman, also searching for a first Asian Tour victory, almost forced a play-off when his eagle chip on the 18th hole hit the pin. He settled for runner-up, the second time in his career on the Asian Tour.

"I thought I would be a lot more nervous than what I was but after I got back to the hotel yesterday (round 3), I had so much of support from India. So many people, including people I don't know were messaging me. That really calmed me down," he said in an Asian Tour release.

"I'm proud of myself that I was able to focus on my own my game. I was just trying to hit the next shot the best that I could and I won," he added.

Bhullar was India's second-best performer of the tournament, finishing 19th with a total of two-under 286 (68-76-71-71).

Two pplace behind him was Shubhankar Sharma, who has total of one-under 287 (72-69-74-72).

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