JOIN US Jeev Milkha Singh was unable to carry on from where he had left on Saturday as he signed off tied 17th at the Maybank Malaysian Open after ending with a third and final round of 68, here on Sunday.
Jeev dropped from overnight 10th and finished six shots behind the winner, Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who completed a sensational wire-to-wire victory at the weather-shortened event.
Shiv Kapur, who was even par through seven holes on Saturday, did well to pick up five birdies against no bogeys in the remaining 11 holes and finished with a 67 that saw him finish tied 22nd.
Kiradech overcame a host of stars with a gutsy performance on Sunday. The big-hitting 23-year-old held his nerve in a battling two-under 70 for a 54-hole total of 13-under 203 to lift his second Asian Tour title by one-shot from Ryder Cup star Edoardo Molinari of Italy, who signed off with a 67, at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.
Anders Hansen of Denmark shot a 66 to finish two shots back while 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel of South Africa settled for tied fourth position following a 71 in the USD 2.75 million championship sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.
With a winner’s cheque of USD 458,330, Kiradech jumped to the top of the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit with his season’s haul of USD 594,230.
Gaganjeet Bhullar, who missed the cut this week, dropped to second on Money List.
Atwal at tied 24th
In Broussard (US), Arjun Atwal suffered steep fall following a disappointing round of two-over 73 on the third day of the Chitimacha Louisiana Open on the Web.com Tour.
Atwal, lying second after the second round at 10-under, is now eight-under 205 and tied 24th.
Atwal was hit by closing woes as he was fine at one-under through 12 holes, before dropping shots on 13th, 14th and 18th to finish at 73.
Meanwhile Lefty Edward Loar of Dallas fired a seven-under 64 and moved into the lead after 54 holes at 15-under 198 total. Loar is one ahead of Troy Merritt (66) and two in front of Morgan Hoffmann, who decimated the Le Triomphe Country Club with a nine-under 62.