72 The League: UP Prometheans, Rajasthan Regals to meet first-ever championship match

The winners will take home a prize money of Rs 1 crore while the runners-up will bag Rs 50 lakh.

UP Prometheans and Rajasthan Regals are set to write a new chapter in Indian professional golf on Friday when they clash for the top honours in the inaugural and pathbreaking DP World PGTI’s 72 The League.

After five league stage matches, the first-ever professionals-only team match play championship will be decided in the finals, which will be held at Qutab Golf Course.

While the champion team will win INR 1 crore and the runners-up INR 50 lakh, the other four teams —Charminar Champions, Nava Raipur, Mumbai Aces and Kolkata Classics – will also be in action for the plate trophy.

Both the finalists were tied at 32 points after the third round, and Rajasthan opened a narrow four-point lead going into the final round. However, on a day of improbable twists and turns, the Prometheans beat them 10-4 to clinch the top spot.

That included a thrilling final fourball match where Manoj S and Abhinav Lohan came back from the dead to halve their match against Dhruv Sheoran and Yuvraj Singh after being three-down with three holes to play.

The two teams are coming into the finals following an emotional rollercoaster. Rajasthan were downbeat after they halved the fourball, but were elated when they booked the second place in the final on a countback against Charminar Champions.

Interestingly, captains of the two teams, Ajeetesh Sandhu (Rajasthan Regals) and Shaurya Bhattacharya (UP Prometheans) – both played all the matches and were undefeated with four wins and one half.

Sandhu said: “The morale in the team is excellent. I think to have had the journey where, over five days of competition, we were leading most of the time, and then to come to a point where we thought we had it, and then we lost it,  and then we got it again.

“I think just going through all of those emotions as a group – a first for all of us – was a phenomenal feeling. I think we are really looking forward and are absolutely ready. We have a good team and we now have a very good understanding of what works for us.”

Bhattacharya said his team was ready for Rajasthan, who will be looking for revenge.

“This is the dream scenario. We have got a great team owner and staff, and from the first day onwards, we have tried to focus on how we can have a chance of winning the inaugural 72 The League. As it turns out, we will have that chance as we finished in the top-two,” said Bhattacharya.

“Qutab is a perfect venue for the final. It is in the heart of Delhi, and that should get us a lot of spectators to come and watch. It has some very interesting holes for match play – some holes where the long-hitters may drive it on the green. However, I always believe that the team that putts better, has a better chance of winning. That is true in strokeplay, but even more true in match play.”

The final of 72 The League, which has been launched by DP World PGTI in partnership with Game of Life Sports (GOLS), is scheduled to begin at 7:30 am and the live telecast on Eurosport starts 10 am onwards.

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