Kipgen realises his childhood dream

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, SEPT. 1. In sport, dreams follow nightmares like day follows night.

This time last year, Zai Kipgen, then all of 21-years- old, was not even sure if he would pick up a golf club ever again to realise his childhood dream. Still recovering from a horrendous car crash, the young man was praying rather than playing.

On the Gymkhana Club golf links on Saturday, Kipgen's prayers were answered as he realised his childhood dream by joining the big league winners of Indian golf tour with a spectacular victory in the Hyundai-MGC Open tournament.

Overcoming a brief spell of jitters late in the round, Kipgen from Delhi, a native of Manipur, became one of the youngest winners of the Hero Honda Tour as he beat Shiv Prakash of Kanpur by a stroke to take the Rs. 81,900 top prize. With a last round 69, Kipgen finished with an aggregate of 273.

``When I was in the hospital for three months last year, I thought my career was over. I was so depressed. I never knew I would win a big title less than a year from then,'' said Kipgen, a dapper young man with boyish good looks.

Kipgen was some way ahead of the field after 14 holes as the man who shared the lead after three rounds with him, the veteran Rohtas Singh, lost his way early. But when he double bogeyed the 15th - he went into the rough and then missed a five feet putt - on a day when strong gusts of wind ruined many a dream, Kipgen seemed just a touch nervous.

What is more, a bogey on the 17th saw him go into the last hole needing a par to stay clear of a playoff with Shiv Prakash. And that is exactly what Kipgen got as he hit a good drive and followed it up with a lovely second shot to the green.

``My swing is still giving me problems. But this week my putting really helped me,'' said Kipgen who aims to join the Asian PGA Tour next year.

With birdies on the third, seventh and eighth, Kipgen was three under the card after the front nine. And he was four under after the birdie on the 14th before he faltered briefly.

``This is a great feeling. Nothing like it. The first win is always very special,'' said Kipgen.

Four bogeys on the first six holes saw Rohtas Singh go out of contention but Shiv Prakash played a superb three under 67 and was breathing down Kipgen's neck after a hattrick of birdies on the 12th, 13th and 14th.

``I had my chances. But all credit to Zai. He deserved to win,'' said the 41-year-old Shiv Prakash who finished with an aggregate of 274.

Amritinder Singh from Chandigarh and S.S.P. Chaurasia from Calcutta shared the third prize with 276.

Meanwhile, Gurunath Meiyappan recorded a rare amateur double. Winner of The Hindu Open a few weeks ago by a mile, Gurunath played a round of 71 to beat C.V. Yudvir by a whisker here today. Gurunath's aggregate was 292, one ahead of Yudvir.

Starting on the 10th, Gurunath was two under the card after birdies on the 13th and 14th but bogeys on the 17th, 18th and the first hole saw him end up with a one over 71.

``It is a nice feeling winning both the events here. The conditions were tough with the wind on this course,'' said Gurunath.

Leading pro scores: 273 - Zai Kipgen; 274 - Shiv Prakash; 276 - S.S.P. Chaurasia, Amritinder Singh; 277 - Basad Ali, Mukesh Kumar; 278 - Bhoop Singh, Rohtas Singh; 280 - Rafiq Ali; 282 - Rahil Gangjee, Firoz Ali.

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