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Chowrasia and Randhawa to play-off
Rakesh Rao
BATTLE UNFINISHED: Jyoti Randhawa let slip an opportunity to seal the title on Sunday and now has to go through the play-off.
NEW DELHI: Under fading light and mounting tension, Jyoti Randhawa missed a birdie-putt from under five feet and allowed S.S.P. Chowrasia to stay alive in the play-off with a short putt. That meant the players return to 18th tee on Monday morning to decide the winner of the $400,000 Hero Honda Indian Open golf title at the Delhi Golf Club here.
In fact, it was a three-way playoff involving Indians until Vijay Kumar drove his tee-shot into the right bushes and retired after a 10-minute search for the ball. The 2002 winner, who signed off as the leader, will share the second spot.
The need for the play-off arose after the three players had finished 72 holes at 18-under 270, each having missed the chance to win in a Grandstand finish watched by a gallery of around 10,000 golf enthusiasts.
Earlier, Chirag Kumar claimed the amateur title with a remarkable five-under 67 for a share of the 10th spot at 9-under 279.
This was the second occasion on the Asian Tour and first in the Indian Open that Indians occupied the first three spots. Previously, Gaurav Ghei, Vijay Kumar and Randhawa finished in that order in the1995 Gadgil Western Masters here.
Intense battle
In the midst of all the excitement, one felt for Vijay Kumar who shot the day's best six-under 66 to be the first player to finish at 18-under following a curling final-hole birdie. Playing two groups ahead of the leading trio, Vijay Kumar started the day four shots behind overnight leader
Randhawa but went on to enjoy a two-shot lead after Randhawa dropped a shot on the seventh to slip to 16-under.
If Vijay missed a short putt on the 16th and a birdie on 17th before snatching the lead with a birdie-finish, Randhawa messed up his chances after missing short par-putt on the 16th. Leader by a shot on the 16th green before Vijay finished, Chowrasia caught up with a birdie. On the 17th,
Chowrasia fired his third straight birdie to leave Randhawa behind and caught up with Vijay on 18-under.
However, on the final hole, Chowrasia missed an eight-foot birdie-putt that would have given him the title. At this stage, Randhawa seized his chance and birdied the final hole to become the third player on 18-under.
The scores (Indians unless stated): Vijay Kumar (66, 68, 70, 66), Jyoti Randhawa (69, 67, 64, 70) and S.S.P. Chowrasia (69, 65, 67, 69) 270; Simon Dyson (Eng) (68, 67, 68, 68) 271; Mukesh Kumar (0, 68, 66, 72) and Prom Meesawat (Tha) (68, 68, 68, 72) 276; Suk Jong-Yul (Kor) (67, 73, 68, 69), Unho Park (Aus) (70, 65, 69, 73) and Gaurav Ghei (71, 68, 65, 73) 277; Chirag Kumar (A) (69, 69, 74, 67) and Scott Strange (Aus) (67, 73, 67, 72) 279; Mark Mouland (Wal) (71, 70, 68, 71), Muhammad Munir (Pak) (70, 69, 69, 72) and Rahil Gangjee (71, 66, 69, 74) 280; Terry Pilkadaris (Aus) (6, 69, 70, 73) 281.
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