Lubumbashi, April 23 : Aryan Roopa Anand had been striving for victory for so long that it was only a matter of time before he succeeded. That moment arrived at the IGPL Invitational Congo, held at the Par-73 Golf de Lubumbashi course in Africa. The 25-year-old from Mysore, aspiring to become a professional global golfer, finally reached the winnerâ??s circle, overcoming some tense moments along the way.

Aryan finished at 16-under after a final bogey, tying with Udayan Mane, who was aiming for consecutive wins. After two sudden-death holes that were shared, Aryan ultimately pulled ahead in the third and won the Trophy.

Aryan, playing for RVR Delhi, scored an impressive 8-under 65 on a Par-73 course. His round featured a remarkable streak of five birdies starting from the 11th hole on the back nine, which put him at 16-under with three holes remaining. An additional birdie on the 17th brought him to 17-under, seeming to secure his lead. However, a bogey on the 18th hole resulted in a final score of 16-under.

Another contender, Shaurya Binu (68) from Honer Gurugram, finished alongside Aryan at 15-under, finishing third.

However, moments afterward, Udayan Mane of Atri Mumbai, known for his resilience, eagled the Par-5 17th and birdied the 18th hole, tying with Aryan at 16-under and forcing a playoff.

In the play-off, Aryan outperformed Mane, a seasoned Olympian and multiple-time winner in India, just prior to his first IGPL victory in Joburg, South Africa, seven days earlier. It took three play-off holes to decide the outcome, and Aryan rose to the challenge.

He exhaled a deep sigh of relief after the landmark moment. â??That was a big one and an awesome moment. I played superbly all week and have been doing so for some time,â?? said Aryan, who shot 71-67-65 for 16-under for three days.

Aryan began the day two strokes behind his playing partner, Shaurya Binu, who was 10-under after two rounds. Both Aryan and Binu birdied three times, with Aryan maintaining his lead. The crucial moment came on the back nine when Aryan birdied five consecutive holes from the From the 11th to the 15th, he scored points, and he added another on the 17th. Although a bogey on the 18th stopped his full comeback, he stayed competitive even after Maneâ??s eagle and birdie finish.

After completing the final day with a closing bogey, Aryan took three play-off holes to triumph over senior player Udayan Mane, who had previously won the IGPL Trophy in Joburg, South Africa, a week earlier.

Mannat Brar, who played the final round with a shotgun start, was the top woman finisher, shooting 5-under 68 and finishing tied for fourth at 13-under overall, alongside the seasoned Aman Raj (66) and early leader Tushar Pannu (68).

Kartik Sharma (65) and Indian American Manav Shah (69) were tied for seventh place at 8-under par, while rookies Kanav Chauhan (69) and Danish Verma (70) finished tied for ninth to complete the Top-10.

Aryan, the son of a telecom specialist and a homemaker, was born in Mysore and began his golf journey at the JWGC in Mysore. He took up the game at age eight inspired by watching his father play. Although he also played tennis initially, golf ultimately captured his passion, leading him to win amateur events from a young age.

He then relocated to Bangalore to pursue golf more seriously, training at the Tarun Sardesai Golf Academy in Kolar, and represented India on the National amateur squad. Turning professional in 2023, he competed on the Indian tour and, recognised for his great potential, became part of the inaugural IGPL team, which is now his home.

After travelling extensively with the IGPL last year and coming close to his first title several times, he finished T-8 in Mauritius. Now, in a distant African country, Congo, and on the picturesque historic course in Lubumbashi, Aryan Roopa Anand finally achieved a major milestone by winning Rs. 22,50,000, marking his largest earnings as a professional golfer.

Atri Mumbai was strongly supported by Udayan Mane (70-68-65), Tushar Pannu (67-71-68), and Aman Raj (69-71-66), each of whom scored on two of the three days. They ended with an impressive 32-under par, 13 shots clear of Leander Paesâ?? team, Flyingman Kolkata, which included Kartik Sharma and Syed Saqib Ahmed.

RVR Delhi received another final-day boost from Aryan Roopa Anand, whose scores contributed each day, with support from former Asian Tour winner Chiragh Kumar.

Overall, Atri Mumbai leads the standings with 270 points, followed by Green Fuels Vizag in second place with 220, and RVR Delhi in third with 210. The two best cards are considered each day during each event to determine the tournament winners, and the overall team champions are decided at the season's end.

/IANS