Cool Ashok wins second straight title

At the receiving end of a strong early charge from Himmat Singh Rai, Ashok (278) kept his composure when it mattered most to walk away victorious by three strokes with a near-flawless final round of two-under 70 at the Karnataka Golf Association.

Himmat (72), who temporarily knocked Ashok off the top of the leaderboard just after the turn following four birdies and a bogey, signed off second at 281 after dropping three strokes.

While Himmat crumbled under pressure, credit must be given to Ashok for his composed display. Ashok made a birdie each on fifth, 11th and 14th holes, his only blot being a bogey on the closing hole, by when he had already sealed the title. “This is a special win for me since it’s my first victory at the KGA course,” said a beaming Ashok after pocketing a cheque for Rs 646,600. “I knew a two or three-under would get me home as the pins would be tough on the final day.”

Leading scores (after 72 holes): 278: Ashok Kumar (70, 71, 67, 70); 281: Himmat Singh Rao (73, 69, 67, 72); 282: Shamim Khan (69, 70, 72, 71); 283: Anirban Lahiri (69, 73, 70, 71); 284: Manav Jaini (70, 69, 74, 71); 285: Rafick Ali Mollah (72, 69, 70, 74); 286: Anura Rohana (73, 70, 74, 69), Vijay Kumar (77, 68, 70, 71); 287: Mukesh Kumar (68, 72, 74, 73), Ajeetesh Sandhu (71, 73, 69, 74).