19-year-old Sukhman Singh turned early Christmas dreams into reality with a demolition job at the IGU 124th Amateur Golf Championship of India, powering past Harman Sachdeva 7&7 in a 36-hole final at Tollygunge Club that felt more like a victory lap than a fight.
The 124th edition of this legendary event—the world’s oldest amateur matchplay championship—saw Sukhman come out firing with a scorching putter and laser-like drives. All square through six, he ripped off four straight wins by the 12th, turned 2UP, then watched Harman claw back to 3DN after 23 holes before unleashing a birdie storm to hit 6UP by 25 and seal it 7UP at 29, prompting the match referee to call it done.
For Sukhman, son of former India No. 1 Simarjeet Singh—a three-time Sri Lanka Amateur champ and IGU Mid-Amateur winner—it was a full-circle moment. “It still feels like a dream—someone pinch me,” he grinned post-match. “I’ve grinded my whole life for this, but actually holding the trophy? It’s pure magic. Dad never stopped believing in me, even when I doubted myself. Time to celebrate with the family.”
He got real about the 36-hole grind: “I knew it wasn’t just an 18-hole sprint—plenty of room to bounce back if I slipped. Harman’s a beast; I didn’t want him breathing down my neck, so I attacked flags early. Drives and putter clicked all day.” It capped a monster season: IGU Rajasthan Amateur win, runner-up in Andhra Pradesh, fourth in South Africa’s strokeplay, plus eye-opening trips to Japan and South Africa.