Amit Dube, Rahul Bajaj and Kunal Bhasin earned three coveted qualifier spots for the Challenge Tour’s opener in India, the Gujarat Kensville Challenge, thanks to a unique qualifier held this week.
Dube and Bajaj, who play most of their golf at the NOIDA Golf Course, will be joined by Asian Tour regular Bhasin, as the trio earned the three spots made available by the promoters via the qualifier, played for the first time in India this week.
Amit Dube took the top spot with an even par 72 on a tough scoring day in overcast conditions, while Bajaj and Bhasin scored 73 each.
Ashpreet Thind and Anirudh Goyal both needed birdies on the 18th to force a play-off for the qualifier but they missed out after both carding for 74.
The Gujarat Kensville Challenge, co-sanctioned by the European Challenge Tour and the PGTI, will be held at the Kensville Golf and Country Club from January 26 to 29.
Dube played on the Asian Tour for seven years until 2007, before adding credentials as a club-fitter and doing the golf bio-mechanics course at the Titleist Performance Institute late last year. He had nine pars in succession on the front nine and his only bogey came on the 11th but he made up for that with a fine birdie on the par five, 560-yard 17th which brought him to even par, the day’s best score as 37 players vied for the three spots.
Afterwards, Dube said: “The pin positions were tough and it was quite tight. I have been playing well, though of late I have been working on some flaws in my swing. My visit to the US is getting my game back.”
Bhasin, who will also be playing the Asian Tour Qualifying School later this month said: “It was a great idea to have a qualifier and give the rest of the pros a chance to have a shot at the Gujarat Kensville Challenge. I must thank Kensville and ISM for the idea and I hope I can make good use of it in Ahmedabad.”
He also had some good finishes towards the end of the Asian Tour season, but still missed out on retaining his card. He was two over for the front nine at the Qualifier following three bogeys and one birdie but he fought back well with a birdie on the 13th to finish at 73.
Bajaj, who plans to play the Indian Tour as well as trying to get into some Asian tour events this year, said: “Getting into a Challenge Tour event is a fine start to the season. It was great to have a chance to qualify for a good high profile event like the Gujarat Kensville Challenge.”
A silver medallist at the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010, Bajaj turned professional less than three months ago before the Hero Indian Open. He had two bogeys, one each on the front nine and the back nine and his lone birdie came on the par four 12th hole.
Neeraj Sareen, Managing Director ISM India, said: “The qualifier was to give the rest of the pros a chance to make it to a big event. I am sure many other events will use such qualifiers in the future because it gives all a fair chance to make it to the main field.”
The opening event on the European Challenge Tour, the €200,000 Gujarat Kensville Challenge, will be held from January 26 to 29. This will be the second staging of the only Challenge Tour event in India.
Final results:
1 Amit Dube 72 (36-36)
- Rahul Bajaj 73 (36-37) & Kunal Bhasin 73 (38-35).
