The Hindu : Sport / Golf : Randhawa wins with lowest ever score

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Monday, Apr 09, 2007
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Sport - Golf

Randhawa wins with lowest ever score

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The final day of the AIS Open golf assumed historic proportions with champion Jyoti Randhawa bringing the lowest winning score of 22-under at the Delhi Golf Club course and Shiv Kapur setting a new course record of under-10 on Sunday.

The finale of the richest-ever domestic Tour event, that offered Rs. 60 lakh, was an anti-climax of sorts with Randhawa eventually winning by a staggering seven-stroke margin over an impetuous Ashok Kumar after being just two shots ahead with three holes to go.

Randhawa signed off with a birdie before Ashok triple-bogeyed the par-5 18th.

Ashok could afford such a luxury and still finish runner-up because overnight leader Gaurav Ghei lost his way dramatically and dropped five shots in the space of seven holes and never recovered.

Record effort

Randhawa's final-round effort of eight-under 64, one more than what he carded on Saturday, gave him a never-before winning aggregate of 266. This improved upon the previous record of 18-under that stood jointly in the name of Randhawa and Mike Cunning. The title, with a record to boot, earned Randhawa Rs. 9.72 lakh and a well-crafted trophy. This was Randhawa's fourth straight victory in India spread over two seasons. Last October, Randhawa claimed the $400,000 Indian Open and the Rs. 70-lakh BILT Open on successive weekends.

"The tournament record did come to my mind when I got to 19-under and I thought I would make another birdie so that the next player trying to create a new tournament record has to work just that much harder. And after I made that, I thought I would make another," said Randhawa.

Carried away

Ashok, who collected Rs. 6.72 lakh, kept his promise of going for broke. He started with an `eagle' and shot four birdies on the outward nine for a 31.

After the turn, Ashok dropped shots on the 11th and 12th holes, birdied the 13th and eagled the 14th to raise visions of an exciting finish.

However, Ashok got carried away with his tee-shots on the 15th and 16thholes to find the bushes but salvaged par by sinking great putts.

On the par-3 17th, his ability to putt from long gave him another birdie. However on the 18th, Ashok got too ambitious and lost three strokes after failing to stay on the fairway and missing the green.

Ghei finished third.

The scores: Jyoti Randhawa (72, 67, 63, 64) 266; Ashok Kumar (68, 68, 69, 68) 273; Gaurav Ghei (67, 65, 68, 75) 275; Shiv Prakash (68, 74, 66, 70) and S. S. P. Chowrasia (63, 72, 71, 72) 278; Shiv Kapur (73, 75, 70, 62) 280; Gaganjeet Bhullar (71, 69, 73, 68) 281; Vijay Kumar (71, 70, 73, 68) and Lam Chih Bing (Sin) (72, 70, 69, 71) 282; Manav Jaini (71, 75, 67, 70) 283; Vinod Kumar (67, 75, 72, 70) 284; Amandeep Johl (69, 73, 74, 69) 285; Shamim Khan (69, 75, 69, 73) 286; Naman Dawar (75, 71, 71, 70) and Sujjan Singh (71, 73, 70, 73) 287; Jaiveer Virk (70, 73, 72, 73) 288.

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