Jyoti Randhawa considers the Indian Open the fifth Major. “It doesn't matter if I have to wait another ten years, but I definitely want to win it again,” the two-time winner had said on tournament eve. The defending champion didn't have to wait that long as he realised his dream at the Delhi Golf Club four days later, on Sunday.
The 35-year-old, who joined the party midway through the $500,000 Hero Honda Asian Tour event, uncorked another of his specials on the final day to annex his third Indian Open crown, becoming the second pro after Australian Peter Thomson to achieve the feat.
Five-time British Open champ Tho-mson won the inaugural Indian Open in 1964, in 1966 and again in 1976. Randhawa had won his first Open in 2000.
Eagle trick
Though he was on top in the final round, a third victory was still not certain. For, with three holes to go, the title was anybody's for grabs. But Randhawa, who held a slender lead right from the fourth hole onwards, put all speculation to rest with a stunning eagle two on the 16th hole.
The 35-year-old shot a closing three-under-par 69 to finish with a 13-under total of 275 to become the second pro after Japanese Kenji Hosoishi to win back-to-back Indian Open titles. Chinese Taipei's Chang Tse-peng, who threatened to make a match of it with a birdie on the 17th, finished three strokes behind in second place.
Rahil Gangjee made a late charge with a sizzling six-under 66 to finish sole third. Chapchai Nirat, leader on the first three days, shot a disappointing 76 to finish in a four-way tie for the fifth spot.
‘Fabulous week’
"I did a great job out there, it's been a fabulous week," Randhawa said after pocketing the winner's cheque of $79,250. "Anytime you equal a legend like Peter Thomson, you know you've done something good in life."
Despite the slight edge, what sealed Randhawa's victory was the 8-iron second shot from 171 yards for an eagle on the par-4 16th hole. "It was a picture perfect shot. I wanted to pitch it around 165 yards and that is exactly where I pitched it."
The ball bounced twice before disappearing into the cup. The crowd went wild near the green. So did Randhawa. "I saw a few people jump and I realised the ball must have gone in and I too jumped. I hit a great golf shot there," Randhawa said.
Holding nerve
After that, Randhawa just had to hold his nerve. He parred both, though he had a birdie chance on the 18th, to lay his hands on the coveted trophy. "I was a bit tense after the eagle. I was three up with two holes to go. I handled myself very well."
Though he didn't handle himself on the greens well, Randhawa began to take a vice-like grip over the proceedings from the fourth hole onwards. Nirat bogeyed the fourth to go one behind. But he birdied the sixth, as did Randhawa with a six-footer.
Nirat crashed out of reckoning with a bogey on the seventh and a double bogey six on the ninth. In the meantime, Randhawa birdied the eighth and bogeyed the ninth, but still had a three-shot over the rest. Chang moved a stroke behind with a birdie on the 17th, but Randhawa smothered that challenge with a title-clinching eagle.
Final scores: 275: Jyoti Randhawa (Ind, 70, 69, 67, 69); 278: Chang Tse-peng (Tpe, 68, 65, 77, 68); 280: Rahil Gangjee (Ind, 71, 67, 76, 66); 281: Mitchell Brown (Aus, 74, 71, 69, 67); 282: Lu Wen-teh (Tpe, 68, 75, 67, 72), David Gleeson (Aus, 66, 68, 76, 72), Chapchai Nirat (Thai, 66, 67, 73, 76), Mark Brown (NZ, 71, 72, 64, 75); 283: Arjun Singh (Ind, 73, 70, 71, 69), Ashok Kumar (Ind, 68, 73, 73, 69), SSP Chowrasia (Ind, 68, 71, 74, 70).
