GURGAON: Naveen Rathi successfully defended his Category A boys’ title, while Ayesha Gupta won the girls’ crown at the 25th NCR Cup Junior & Amateur Golf Tournament, which concluded at the Classic Golf & Country Club on Friday.Organised by the Delhi Golf Society (DGS), the silver jubilee edition attracted over 160 junior and amateur golfers from across the country.Rathi carded a final-round 74 to finish with a three-round aggregate of 215 (-1), four shots ahead of Anas Khan (219). Anshh Dubey finished third on 221.In the Category A girls’ event, Ayesha Gupta shot a final-round 73 to clinch the title with a total of 221 (+5). Apeksha Grace David and Rehnoor Malik shared second place on 226.In the amateur section, Raunik won the men’s title with a total of 223 (+7), eight shots clear of Parth Choudhary (231). In the women’s event, Diya Brar defeated Preitisha Gill in a playoff after both finished tied on 219.Arush produced one of the standout performances of the tournament, firing a final-round five-under 67 to overturn an overnight deficit and win the Category C boys’ title with a two-round total of 141 (-3), one stroke ahead of Shan Alvi.Unnati Singh dominated the Category C girls’ competition, carding a final-round 68 to finish at 139 (-5), ahead of Aaradhya Rawat and Jenaya Banmyal.In Category B, Sakshity Pureandre won the boys’ title with 222 (+6), while Anushka Gupta topped the girls’ standings with 226.Among the youngest participants, Vedaansh Jain won the Category D boys’ (nine holes) title with 68 (-4), while Aarya Ganguly claimed the girls’ title with 73.In the Under-8 Category E event, Zowra Veer Sikand finished at 62 (-10), including a final-round 30, to win the boys’ title, while Manasvi Rathor secured the girls’ title with 65 (-7).The tournament featured 54 holes for the Amateur, Category A and Category B divisions, while Categories C, D and E were played over two days.The Delhi Golf Society has organised the NCR Cup for 25 years and the tournament has served as a stepping stone for several golfers who have gone on to represent India internationally.
