Jamshedpur: Chilean golfer Matias Dominguez (61-70-69-64) posted a final round of seven-under 64 to end up as the wire-to-wire champion with an impressive seven-shot margin at a total of 20-under 264 at the Final Qualifying Stage of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) Qualifying School 2024 held at the Golmuri Golf Course here on Friday.
The trio consisting of India’s Mohammad Sanju (65-66-72-68) and amateurs Subash Tamang (67-66-71-67) of Nepal and India’s Anshul Kabthiyal (64-70-69-68) were the joint runners-up at a total of 13-under 271.
The cut in the final round went at four-under 280 with the top 36 players earning their full cards for the 2024 PGTI season.
The top 36 included six amateurs. There were also 10 foreigners (three from Bangladesh and one each from Chile, Nepal, Italy, Czechia, Canada, South Korea and Japan) among the 36 players who earned their full cards.
The 31-year-old Matias Dominguez, who either held the solo or the joint lead since round one, produced seven birdies during his flawless fourth round to cruise to victory and make it a memorable first trip to India.
Matias, being the overnight joint leader by three shots, established himself as the sole leader early on thanks to his two birdies on the front nine. The man from Santiago, the Pre-Q III winner following his historic 59 last week, expanded his lead and finally ran away with it after adding five more birdies on the back-nine as he was excellent from tee to green on Friday.
Dominguez, the 2015 Latin America Amateur champion and a regular on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica over the last few years, said, “I’m really happy about winning the Q-School on my very first visit to India. It’s been an unbelievable experience for me over the past one week having shot scores of 59 and 61 and winning the Pre-Q and the Final Stage. All aspects of my game have been top-notch and I’m now really excited about playing the 2024 PGTI season.”
Matias bagged the top prize money cheque of Rs. 75,000 for his effort.
The 21-year-old amateur Subash Tamang had recently made history when he became the first Nepalese golfer to win the All India Amateur Championship in December 2023. Tamang’s last round of 67 featured six birdies and two bogeys thus helping him finish as joint runner-up.
The 19-year-old Anshul Kabthiyal was the other amateur who finished in the three-way tie for second place. Kabthiyal struck five birdies and two bogeys during his final round of 68.
Mohammad Sanju, the third joint runner-up, too carded a 68 as a result of his six birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey.
–IANS