Shiv Kapur clinched his first Asian Tour title in India, bagging the Panasonic Open by three strokes, after bringing home a card of four-under 68 in the fourth and final round at the Delhi Golf Club, here yesterday
Shiv Kapur clinched his first Asian Tour title in India, bagging the Panasonic Open by three strokes, after bringing home a card of four-under 68 in the fourth and final round at the Delhi Golf Club, here yesterday. It is second Asian Tour title of the season for Kapur, who fired five birdies against one bogey to stay three strokes clear off a pack of fellow Indians, including Ajeetesh Sandhu (65), Sudhir Sharma (69) and Chirag Kumar (64).
Shiv Kapur
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Kapur had won the Yeangder Heritage in April and finished second at the Thailand Open this season. He had won his first Asian tour title in 2005 at the Volvo Masters of Asia. At 14-under 274, as many as seven golfers finished at the tied second spot, meaning the top 10 was dominated by Indians with American Paul Peterson, who held a share of the lead after the third day, being the only exception as he also had a share of the tied second place.
Others to finish tied second are Karandeep Kochhar (66), SSP Chawrasia (69) and Om Prakash Chouhan (69). "I am lost for words. You dream about winning but I never got so far in my career so I never prepared a speech in my life," said Kapur. "When I won the Volvo masters it was a spring board for me and then there was a long gap and I didn¿t know if I will be able to win but Yeangder win gave me the belief that I can win again and winning here after all these years is really special. All wins have their own place in my heart.
"Of course, I have been waiting for it for a long long time. So it is a huge monkey off my back. I didn¿t play my best golf but still shot 17-under, so I take a lot of positive," added Kapur, who had won the Gujarat Kensville Challenge and Dubai Festival City Challenge tour Grand Final in 2013. First-round leader, Sandhu, who has been in rampaging form in the last three months with a T-3 at Take Solutions in Bengaluru, followed by a win in Taiwan and a win on the Japan Challenge Tour, sizzled with eight birdies and a bogey to provide a charge on the fourth day.
Sudhir, a two-time winner on the PGTI Feeder Tour, produced a flawless round with three birdies, while Karandeep blasted four birdies and an eagle to sneak into the tied second place. Chawrasia, who has won three different Asian Tour events here¿ the 2008 Emaar-MGF, the 2014 Panasonic Open India and the 2015 Hero Indian Open at the DGC, also signed off at 274 after scoring five birdies and two bogeys.
Chiragh, who won the 2015 edition of the event and also was a runners-up at Hero Indian Open in 2011, fired nine birdies and a bogey in his sensational eight-under 64, while Chouhan carded three birdies, including picking a stroke at the last hole, to also break into the second place. Moments after Kapur drained his putt in the 18th hole, a
loud cheer reverberated across the DGC as the Delhi golfer weaved to the crowd. His colleagues and friends, including Chirag and Rahil Gangjee, drenched him in soda and water to mark the celebration.
"When I walked with a three stroke lead at the 18th and hit the second shot down the fairway, there was a big sigh of relief inside me. I knew I can allow a little celebration now, said the 35-year-old, who had won his first Asian tour title in 2005 at the Volvo Masters of Asia. Among others, Honey Baisoya (68) and Shamim Khan (72) to sign off at the tied ninth spot with a total of 276. Three stroke behind was Gaganjeet Bhullar (67) at tied 12th, while Shubhankar Sharma (69) signed off tied 18th.
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