Sultans of Swing clinched their maiden Chandigarh Golf League title with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Hunting Hawks in the grand finale played at the Chandigarh Golf Club on Friday. This was their first appearance in the summit clash of the league, now in its fifth season.
The Sultans displayed immense composure and resilience as they held their nerve in a contest of fluctuating fortunes, with Jitendra Singh and Somveer Singh Anand delivering a decisive 1-up victory after winning the final two holes.
The Hawks, who topped the round-robin standings with 26.5 points, had to settle for the runners-up position while Pirates of the Greens secured the third place with a 4.5-2.5 victory over defending champions The Mulligans, leaving the latter to finish fourth.
Hawks’ strong showing in singles
The final brought together the top two teams from the round-robin stage, and the contest lived up to expectations. Hawks collected 1.5 points from the singles, but Sultans dominated the pairs, registering three outright victories and a half to emerge champions.
Arav Singh Dagar and Sampat Singh set the tone for an absorbing afternoon in the singles. Sampat made an early charge, winning three of the opening four holes and establishing a two-hole advantage after seven. Arav fought back by claiming the eighth and ninth to draw level. Six consecutive halved holes kept the contest finely balanced before Arav won the 16th. Sampat responded on the 17th and went on to take the final hole to seal a 1-up win for Hawks.
The other singles encounter between Shalini Sheoran and Amrinder Singh ended all square, with Shalini winning the 14th before the remaining four holes were halved.
The Hawks’ most dominant players were Rohit Singh Dagar and Kulwaran Singh, who won the final six holes to complete a commanding 7 & 6 victory in the pairs.
..But Sultans take back reins in pairs
Sultans, however, demonstrated their fighting qualities to turn the contest around. Dilsher Sukhija and Dhruv Gupta recovered from losing the opening three holes against Ravibir Singh and Lt Col GMS Bindra to secure a valuable 3 & 1 victory. Feroz Singh Garewal and Surinder Jit Singh added another 3 & 1 win against Krishna Kaila and Col AS Sekhon.
The decisive moment came in the encounter between Jitendra and Somveer and the Hawks combination of Vinay S Bhan and Gursimrat Singh Jawandha. The Hawks pair moved 1-up after winning the 16th and appeared poised for victory. But Sultans refused to surrender, winning both the 17th and 18th to snatch a dramatic 1-up triumph. That late comeback proved pivotal in swinging the championship in Sultans’ favour.
Kulvinder Singh and Sukhdev Singh Sidhu also contributed a crucial half against Rabbin Saini and Col PS Mangat. Despite winning the 16th and 17th, the Sultans’ pair conceded the final hole, with the match ending all square. Combined with the shared point in the singles, the result ensured Sultans crossed the finish line with a narrow but deserved 4-3 victory.