The Hindu : Sport / Golf : Ghei finishes sixth

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 05, 2007
ePaper

Sport

Sport - Golf

Ghei finishes sixth

Phuket (Thailand): Gaurav Ghei started his final day with an eagle-two and rounded it off with a 40-footer for birdie to compile a record-equalling round of eight-under 64 that carried him from 50th to a tied sixth place at the Johnnie Walker Classic golf here on Sunday.

Ghei's performance was his best finish in the year so far.

The overall honours went to 20-year-old Anton Haig (71), who won a three-way play-off to become the youngest winner of the event, erasing from the books the name of Tiger Woods, who was 22 when he won the event in 1998.

Flawless round

Ghei, winner of the Mercuries Masters last year, shot six birdies and an eagle in a flawless round, with the next best for the day being a five-under 67 by Mike Weir, who ended fifth, one spot ahead of Ghei.

Among the other Indians, Jeev Milkha Singh (74), the best placed after the third round at tied 11th, was done in by a bad back nine, where he shot three bogeys and a double in the last six holes to finish tied 25th at four-under 284.

The Chandigarh golfer looked set for at least a top 10 finish as he birdied the 11th and 12th and was eight-under at that stage. But he double bogeyed the 13th and dropped another shot at the 14th. He made a birdie on 16th, but had a bogey-bogey finish to crash down.

Stymied by bogeys

Rahil Gangjee (74) was stymied by three bogeys in a row from 10th to 12th and ended with another bogey on 18th. Overall, he had six bogeys and four birdies and with a total of two-under 286 ended tied 37th. Shiv Kapur (73), with three birdies and four bogeys, was at two-over 290 and tied 60th.

After a scintillating six-under 30 front stretch Ghei birdied the 11th to get to seven-under. He took his pars and finally birdied the last, holing a monstrous 40-footer for one of the best rounds of his career.

Haig, who became the fourth South African to win the event, birdied the 18th in regulation to finish as the clubhouse leader at 13-under. He then waited for compatriot Richard Sterne (72) and Englishman Oliver Wilson (70) to finish the 18th.

The duo, who were first and second overnight, had birdie chances, but missed and stayed at 13-under.

In the play-off, all three players were on the fairway and it was the second shot that decided the title.

Longest putt

Sterne had the longest putt, with which he came close and then Wilson saw his putt kiss the lip and curl out. Haig, closest to putt, nailed it and leaped in the air and signalled towards the Grandstand, where his parents were exulting at their son's first European Tour win.

Chopra in third spot

At Palm Beach (USA), Daniel Chopra shot a second straight two-under 68 to be tied third after the third round of the Honda Classic on Saturday. American Mark Wilson birdied his last hole for a 66 and a total of 204 to take a one-shot lead over Boo Weekley (66).

At four-under for three rounds, Chopra is two behind Wilson, who is at six-under 204. Weekley is five-under 205.

— PTI

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport