Veer Ahlawat showcased his experience to clinch the championship at the Rs 1 crore CIDCO Open, marking the first-ever professional event held at the Kharghar Valley Golf Course (KVGC) in Navi Mumbai on Friday.
Strong Performance Over Four Rounds
Ahlawat (65-65-73-67) from Gurugram led the leaderboard for the initial three days, remaining solo leader in the first two rounds and a joint leader after the third round. He delivered a solid final round of four-under 67, overcoming a tumultuous start to finish victorious by three strokes with a total score of 14-under 270.
The six-foot four-inch golfer, who is the 2024 PGTI Order of Merit champion, secured his second title of 2025 and sixth overall, earning a winner’s cheque of Rs 15 lakh. This victory propelled him from 18th to 11th position in the 2025 PGTI Rankings.
Runner-Up and Other Notable Performances
Pune’s Rohan Dhole Patil (70-69-64-70), who was the overnight joint leader with Ahlawat, shot a final round of 70 to finish as the runner-up at 11-under 273. This marked his best finish on the PGTI, netting him a cheque of Rs 10 lakh and elevating his rank from 42nd to 32nd in the PGTI Rankings.
Gurugram’s Manu Gandas (68-68-70-68) and Italy’s Michele Ortolani (67-66-72-69) tied for third place at 10-under 274.
Chandigarh’s Ravi Kumar made the tournament’s third hole-in-one during his final round of 71, acing the 13th hole. His total of four-under 280 secured him a tie for ninth place.
Ahlawat’s Journey Through the Final Round
Ahlawat, representing the DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurugram, began positively with tap-in birdies on the first and third holes. However, the momentum shifted until the 10th hole, where he managed only one birdie against two bogeys and a double-bogey, encountering trees and a water hazard on the fourth and ninth holes respectively.
As Rohan Dhole Patil, Michele Ortolani, and Manu Gandas closed in on him, Ahlawat regained control with an eagle and four birdies against a single bogey in the last eight holes. He made impressive putts for eagle and birdie on the 12th and 18th holes, respectively, along with a 15-footer for birdie on the 13th.
The competition found it challenging to keep pace with Ahlawat on the back nine. Rohan, who was one over till the 13th, rallied with three consecutive birdies but ultimately finished three shots behind Ahlawat after a bogey on the final hole.
Ahlawat Reflects on His Win
Ahlawat, who gained vital international experience by participating in the DP World Tour in the 2025 season due to his PGTI Order of Merit win last year, shared, “I started well today but then made some mistakes till the 10th. I then got on a roll from the 11th onwards.”
“Despite the tough stretch in the middle, I was quietly confident because I knew at the back of my mind that I had played well in such tight situations before. I knew that once I brought my ‘A’ game out, I would be hard to beat.”
Ahlawat also expressed gratitude, stating, “I would like to thank CIDCO and L&T for their support of this event. CIDCO has done a wonderful job with the Kharghar Valley Golf Course, as I feel it is one of the best golf courses in the country in terms of its layout and length.”