Varun Parikh claims maiden title at Kapil Dev-Grant Thornton Invitational

Varun's determined last round effort handed him a five-shot victory at the DLF Golf & Country Club as his total read 11-under 277. The 24-year-old Parikh (73-70-67-67), who won the PGTI's Qualifying School earlier this year and posted a career-best third place finish on the PGTI last month, thus continued his hot form this season. Varun's triumph earned him a prize money cheque worth Rs.

15,00,000 that lifted him from 28th to fourth position in the PGTI Order of Merit. Gurugram-based Manu Gandas (74-66-73-69), playing at his home course, took second place at six-under 282 after a final round of 69. He thus moved up from third to second place in the PGTI's merit list.

Kartik Sharma (71-67-72-74), another player from the DLF Golf & Country Club, shot a last round of 74 to finish third at four-under 284. Varun made a nervous start, dropping two bogeys in exchange for a birdie on his first three holes. Thereafter, Varun's round took off as his gameplan of hitting 3-wood off the tee instead of driver, paid off.

He sank six birdies from the fourth through the 18th which included four long conversions including a mammoth 70-footer on the 11th. "I just followed my game plan from the range itself. I was a little nervous and a little shaky to begin with to be honest," Varun said.

"My goal was not to make birdies, it was just to make pars, so after the third hole, I didn't make a bogey. Initially the pressure got to me a little bit but after that I held myself together really well. "I'm just really happy to cross the line, it's been a long time coming.