JOIN USChawrasia holds firm as Siddikur closes in
SSP Chawrasia and Siddikur Rahman are players of contrasting demeanours bounded by an unrelenting desire to win. Over the years, the two have mastered the contours of the Delhi Golf Club, often finding the other for company during the final moments of a contest. It was no different during the ongoing USD 1.5 million Hero Indian Open.
For the larger part of the third round on Saturday, the focus rested on these two; the homeboy Chawrasia managing to pull off a two-stroke lead with a two-under 69 even as his friend and defending champion from Bangladesh Siddikur wait restlessly at the second place with a 70. Chawrasia’s three day total stands at 201.
With a bogey-free 67, Australian Marcus Fraser was five shots away at the third place while Daniel Chopra, who notched up the lowest card of 65 that included a brilliant eagle on the 18th, shares fourth place alongside Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng (69).
Anirban Lahiri had briefly created a stir with his speedy climb on the table but dropped shots on back nine to be content with a 70 at sixth place alongwith Paul Peterson of the United States.
It has been a dream run for Chawrasia who has clung on to the top spot on all three days. He was off to a flier this morning by straightaway sinking five and 15 feet birdies and later his third and last one on the 13th. But it was far from an ideal day. His putting was bit off the mark, the wind direction caught him off guard and much to his chagrin, several potential birdies tantalisingly went past the pin. He had his slice of luck, too. He made a par save on the eighth hole, when his tee shot rebounded off the tree branch into the fairway, and also on the 16th.
All through Chawrasia stuck to his conservative and calculated approach to the game. He even leading briefly by four strokes when Siddikur double-bogeyed on the 15th hole but couldn’t make it last to relish.
At the 17th hole, after 52 rounds of flawless play, Chawrasia dropped his shot for the first time in the tournament. His tee shot fell behind the two greenside bunkers from where his second hit rolled way past the pin, leaving him no choice but to finish it in two putts.
With his lead now trimmed to three strokes, Chawrasia had another birdie opportunity on the last hole but he missed. Siddikur, on the other hand, comfortably wrapped up with a close-range birdie. It was only the third shot he had sunk after the first and 13th holes but it reduced the gap with the Indian to just two strokes.
“The birdie at the last hole was very important. Anything can happen in this game,” said Siddikur, his face giving away nothing.
Chawrasia, though, kept his smile, despite the misses. “I’m trying to be calm but I’m feeling very frustrated inside! I want to think and play positive. The final round is always special so I will play aggressively,” he said.
Leading scores (after 54 holes, Indians unless mentioned): 201: SSP Chawrasia (65, 67, 69); 203: Siddikur Rahman (Ban, 65, 68, 70); 206: Marcus Fraser (Aus, 69, 70, 67); 207: Daniel Chopra (Swe, 70, 72, 65); Prayad Marksaeng (Tha, 68, 70, 69); 208: Anirban Lahiri (73, 65, 70), Paul Peterson (US, 69, 68, 71); 209: Adilson da Silva (Bra, 71, 70, 68); Mithun Perera (SL, 67, 72, 70), Richard Mcevoy (Eng, 70, 67, 72) Joakim Lagergren (Swe, 65, 71, 73).