In one of the most thrilling contests on the Hero Honda Indian Golf Tour this season, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia of Kolkata emerged the popular winner on the final day of the Rs One million Hero Honda Open West, which concluded at the par-71 Poona Club Golf Course, on Saturday.
The 24-year-old Chowrasia held on to his nerves on the final day, made even more difficult by windy conditions and tough pin positions, to close out with a two-under 69. That gave him a four-day tally of seven-under 277, one stroke better than his citymate Yusuf Ali, who finished runner-up for the second successive week. Yusuf shot a one-over 72, while overnight joint leader Mukesh Kumar slumped after an uncharacteristic triple bogey on the par-5 12th hole.
Mukesh finished at three-under 281 to tied for the third place along with Amandeep Johl of Chandigarh.
For Chowrasia, who had been in contention several times this season but never won, this was his second title as a pro. His maiden win was in 2001 Sir Padampat Singhania Open. The Hero Honda Open West title was made sweeter by the fact that he finished runner-up for last two years here. The victory was worth Rs 1,62,000 for Chowrasia, while Yusuf took home a cheque of Rs 1,12,000. Mukesh and Amandeep were richer by Rs 57,000.
In the amateur's section, Jaideep Patwardhan won by miles and despite a triple bogey on the par-4 fifth hole where he hit his tee shot out of bounds. The Pune player finished a creditable sixth in the overall field with a four-day aggregate of one-under 283.
It was a neck and neck battle between Yusuf, Mukesh and Chowrasia. The turning point proved to be the par-5 12th hole. Tied at seven-under, Mukesh made a triple bogey and Yusuf a bogey from the fairway. Chowrasia, playing a group ahead, parred the 12th, and the next six holes for a well deserved victory, much to delight of a 800-strong gallery that cheered him throughout.
Chowrasia, whose equipment are sponsored by Taylor Made, started with a 15-footer birdie and went ahead of Yusuf and Mukesh with a birdie from the fairway bunker on the sixth. He lost a golden opportunity to increase the lead on the par-5 seventh, where he made a bogey despite reaching the front edge of the green in two shots. A birdie on the 10th was all he needed after that.
"I am delighted. Actually, I still can't believe it. I have been waiting for this moment for a long, long time. This justifies all the long hours that I have put in to improve my game. I would also like to thank my caddie Ashok, who was simply brilliant throughout the week.," said the ever-smiling Chowrasia who won several new fans with his extraordinary conduct on the course.
Yusuf played like a bulldog that never lets go. He saved several impossible looking pars and displayed gutsy golf. Despite hitting his tee shot way left on the 18th, he hit a peach of a third shot to less than six feet. A birdie would have enforced a playoff, but the 25-year-old missed his putt.
Results (after 72 holes): 277 _ SSP Chowrasia (71,67,70,69); 278 _ Yusuf Ali (72,70,64,72); 281 _ Amandeep Johl (68,70,70,73), Mukesh Kumar (67,67,72,75); 282 _ Pappan (71,69,69,73); 283 _ Jaideep Patwardhan-A (72,68,67); 287 _ Uttam Singh Mundy (76,72,70,69); 288 _ Shamim Khan (75,71,66,76), Rafiq Ali (69,72,70,77); 289 _ Indrajit Bhalotia (72,75,71,71); 290 _ Dinesh Raghuvanshi (75,73,69,73), S Madaiah (69,72,76,73), Rahil Gangjee (74,70,72,74), Amish Jaitha (75,70,70,75), Vivek Bhandari (67,76,69,78).