IN A FIRST for Indian golf, David D’Souza conquered the greens of Windsor Castle to win the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Finals.
As one of the first few Indians to participate at this highly prestigious event, his win is historical and significant in view of the increasing popularity of the sport in India.
At the end of round 1 played at the Moor Park Country Club in Edinburgh, David, playing off a Handicap of 5, scored 39 points calculated in the Stableford point format, which had him tied at the lead with two worthy competitors.
On round 2 played at Mill Ride Golf Course, which is reputed for its hilly terrain and multiple water bodies, he continued to stay in the lead, scoring 37 points. He edged out a South African competitor by a single point to become the overall winner with the best total individual score across the 36 holes.
“I got off to a bad start on the first day with a double bogey as my ball was buried in the bunker wall and playing on the course for the first time, it was difficult to gauge distance and direction, especially through the green spreads,” D’souza said.
The Bangalore golfer had qualified to play at the Cup, by recording the best gross score at last month’s Toyota Karnataka Golf Festival held at KGA in Bangalore.
Further elaborating on his experience, David, who was quick to celebrate his victory said, “I played really solid and am really happy to win the Duke of Edinburgh Cup in India’s first entry to the tournament.
