The Hindu : Vijay Kumar wins Indian Open

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 18, 2002

Sport

Sport - Golf

Vijay Kumar wins Indian Open
By K. P. Mohan

Vijay Kumar proudly displays the Indian Open trophy he won in New Delhi on Sunday. - Photo: V.V. Krishnan

NEW DELHI, MARCH 17. Winning, he said, had become a habit. Not so much this season, though. Yet, you don't win National Opens every other year. To that extent this was a dream-come-true for Vijay Kumar as he won the $ 3,00,000 Royal Challenge Indian Open at 13- under 275 at the Delhi Golf Club course here on Sunday.

Vijay Kumar had two strokes to spare from the Canadian veteran, Rick Gibson, but once he slotted in a birdie, his fourth for the day, on the 16th, there never was any doubt who the man to pocket the first prize of $ 50,000 would be. Vijay had a 71, his worst in four days, on the final day while Gibson, rounding off with a birdie, had a two-under 70 for a total of 277.

In third place was Digvijay Singh of Meerut, who totalled 281 after bringing in a one-under on Sunday. Digvijay was elated after his best finish in an APGA event. He had failed to make the `cut' by just one stroke on the last two occasions. And today, his family had come down from Meerut to cheer him. Of course, brother-in-law Jyoti Randhawa, despite the collar-bone fracture and sling and all was there every day, on hand to analyse Digvijay's game.

The anti-climactic end to the real battle, if one could call that, was rather disappointing, not just in terms of the lack of challenge as Vijay Kumar walked onto the home green, three strokes ahead of the Canadian, but also in the subdued manner in which his victory was greeted.

One had been witness to the tumultous scenes that followed the first victory by an Indian professional in the Open in 1991, that by Ali Sher, and when Gaurav Ghei won the Gadgil Western Masters in 1995. This was nothing in comparison, though the home green was overflowing.

Yet, nothing should take away the merit in Vijay Kumar's victory that puts him alongside Ali Sher, Feroz Ali, Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa as an Indian professional winner of the Open. The late P. G. `Biloo' Sethi had won the championship as an amateur in 1965.

``He showed a lot of character'', said Gibson of Vijay Kumar. ``Not being an Indian, it should have been easier for me on the last day, but he played very well to pull off some of those shots,'' said the man who had a three-year sabbatical from the Tour and came back this season to qualify for the Japanse Tour through the qualifying school. On his comeback to the Asian Tour, he won the Philippines Open before coming over here on a sponsor's invitation. He would be leaving Delhi richer by $ 33,090.

Gibson never looked like challenging Vijay Kumar once the journey on the back nine began. On the front, Vijay had dropped a stroke each, rather uncharacteristically, on the fifth and sixth, overpitching on both and missing putts which lipped the cups and swirled away.

With Gibson having collected a birdie on the third, they were equal at 10-under on the sixth. Both birdied the eighth and on the ninth Vijay pulled off a great 12-foot putt to save par while Gibson missed his.

Vijay had a birdie on the 10th after a three-wood and eight-iron left him six feet from the pin. Gibson came right back with a birdie on the 11th, while Vijay had some difficulty in saving his par.

Shot of the tournament

``The shot of the tournament', as someone called it, came on the 12th. Vijay's tee shot on the par-3 hole had slided down the bank and rolled onto the rough side of the 13th tee, across the path. He had no clear way to the pin, except a narrow path low down. Vijay decided to go over the tree branches and as he pulled it off with his lob wedge, the cheers were generous from a large gallery. He missed a 20-foot putt by inches. Gibson too dropped a shot there.

Both saved pars on the 13th but the next three holes decided the title. Both were about 18 feet away for possible birdies, Gibson on the edge of the green, slightly on the rougher side. Vijay Kumar pulled off that downhill putt and started some sort of a celebration, rather uncharacteristic for the thick-set 34 year-old from Lucknow.

``I thought it was 60-40 for myself after that putt. It meant a two-stroke lead,'' said Vijay. ``He played very well when he needed,'' recalled Gibson afterwards about that crucial hole.

Even on the 15th, Vijay played brilliantly to save par after he was bunkered. That plus a horrendous miss from four feet with a birdie putt by Gibson swung the balance clearly in the Indian's favour. Gibson, who admitted that he had putted very poorly during the last two rounds, said that the 15th was the real turning point.

Vijay sealed it with a 15-foot birdie on the 16th and there was nothing that Gibson could have done except to hope that the man with whom he was playing together for the first time would muff it up somehow. But not Vijay. Off the 18th tee, he used a four-iron. ``I was playing safe,'' he would say later.

Vijay won't be playing safe with his money anymore. At least he wants to give his best shot at the Asian PGA Tour. Play some six or seven tournaments and see how it turns out. He had refused to risk his earnings in trying to play abroad, no matter there was more money to be had.

Of course, money is what matters. Even the organisers made sure that the cheque would be presented to Vijay Kumar first before the Indian Open trophy was handed over. Much against tradition, one would say. Damn the tradition anyway!

The scores: Vijay Kumar (Ind) (70, 66, 68, 71) 275; Rick Gibson (Can) (69, 71, 67, 70) 277; Digvijay Singh (Ind) (72, 69, 69, 71) 281; Liang Wenchong (Chn) (71, 76, 67, 68) and Mo Joong Kyung (Kor) (68, 78, 68, 68) 282; Andrew Pitts (US) (67, 70, 74, 72), Dean Alaban (Aus) (69, 69, 72, 73), Mardan Mamat (Sin) (66, 73, 70, 74), Soe Kyawn Naing (Myn) (72, 67, 70, 74) and Thammanoon Sriroj (Tha) (70, 68, 75, 70) 283; Craig Kamps (RSA) (68, 71, 74, 71) 284; Chris Wilson (US) (73, 72, 71, 69), Danny Zarate (Phi) (71, 72, 70, 72) and Jeff Burns (US) (70, 72, 74, 69) 285; Clay Devers (US) (75, 68, 71, 72), Mike Cunning (US) (71, 69, 74, 72), Shiv Prakash (Ind) (78, 68, 73, 67) and Uttam Singh Mundy (Ind) (75, 70, 69, 72) 286; Akio Sadakata (Jpn) (68, 72, 72, 75), Amandeep Johl (73, 72, 74, 68), Anthony Kang (Kor) (70, 73, 73, 71), Arjun Singh (Ind) (69, 74, 74, 70), Chris Rogers (Eng) (73, 73, 72, 69), Hendrik Buhrmann (RSA) (70, 74, 71, 72), Scott Taylor (US) (73, 73, 70, 71), Steve Jurgensen (US) (69, 75, 70, 73), Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha) (70, 71, 68, 78) and Unho Park (Aus) (73, 68, 74, 72) 287.

Amateurs: Jasjeet Singh (71, 74, 70, 74) 289; Manav Das (73, 73, 75, 77) and Simarjeet Singh (74, 71, 78, 75) 298.

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