Close contests mark Royal Ranthambore BT Golf Chandigarh at Panchkula  

Ideal conditions awaited a massive field for Royal Ranthambore BT Golf Chandigarh, India’s oldest corporate tournament, which travelled to the TriCity last week as part of its silver jubilee year. Matching the setting was the competition, with at least two of the three events needing to be decided on countback.  

The Panchkula Golf Club was the host venue and provided excellent facilities and a well-prepared course for the participants. D Suresh, principal secretary industries and commerce of the Haryana government, was at hand as the day's chief guest to give away the event prizes.  

Former India hockey captain Pargat Singh, who played the tournament with his son Hartej was an enthusiastic participant and took time out to share his thoughts on the day.  

“Sport teaches you many things, teaches you how to live in society. You have to learn to be patient, think about others also whether it is a team game or any other game. We are working with each other. Apart from that there is also the physical and mental stability of the game – all sports in fact – that is such an important part of life," Singh said. 

Winning the ladies event was Tanisha Kalyan with an impressive with an impressive 38 points, while Ankush Garg and Arun Gupta topped the 0 to 14 handicap and 15 to 24 handicap sections with 39 points each.  

Both the men’s events needed a countback to pick the runner-up positions, MP Singh finishing second in the 0 to 14 competition on 37 points with a better back nine and Vipul Sehgal also with 37 points taking the prize on a better back six than his closest rivals.  

Hartej Pargat Singh smashed the ball a hefty 340 yards to top the Bandhan Large Cap competition, and equally impressive were the other tee-shot winners, Sandeep Sandhu (Radico longest drive) and Siddharth Jain (IOCL longest drive) who both crossed 300 yards. Jas Pratap Singh was on the line in the Bandhan Mid Cap straightest drive while Anil Jagnani was eight inches off the white line for the Radico straightest drive prize. 

Results 

Spot prizes 

• Bandhan Midcap straightest drive, hole 3: Jas Pratap Singh, on the line and farthest 
• Radico closest to pin, hole 4: Deepak Sharma, 8 feet, 11 inches 
• Bandhan Large Cap longest drive, hole 5: Hartej Pargat Singh, 340 yards  
• Radico longest drive, hole 8: Sandeep Sandhu, 311 yards 
• Radico straightest drive, hole 10: Anil Jagnani, 8 inches 
• Bandhan Small Cap closest to pin, hole 13: Dhruv, 4 feet 
• IOCL longest drive, hole 15: Siddharth Jain, 321 yards 

Tournament winners 

• Ladies: Tanisha Kalyan, 38 points 
• 0 to 14 handicap: 1) Ankush Garg, 39 points; 2) MP Singh 37 points, better back nine 
• 15-24 handicap: 1) Arun Gupta, 39 points; 2) Vipul Sehgal, 37 points, better back six.