Chonburi: Jeev Milkha Singh finished at 70 and nine-under 279 for the week to be tied at ninth place in the Thailand Golf Championship on Sunday.
Jeev, who was playing great golf for 16 holes to be five-under for the day, paid heavily for two momentary lapses and gave away three shots on last two holes.
Meanwhile, Lee Westwood rose to the occasion on the final day to quell any ambitions Masters champion South African Charl Schwartzel may have had of a upset.
Westwood (69) finished at 22-under 266 and American Michael Thompson (70) was third at 14-under in the season-ending USD 1 million event at the Amata Spring Country Club.
Jeev, who had the best front nine of the day at four-under 32, was 10-under when he came to the picturesque Island Green on the 17th and raised visions of yet another top-five finish in the second half of the year.
But he hit to the right on the green and then three-putted for his first bogey of the day. Minutes later, he turned more ambitious than necessary to go for the pin on the tough 18th and ended in the water as he pulled to the left.
He paid for the indiscretion with a double bogey and the day's card from five-under plummeted to two-under but he was still tied ninth and the best Indian of the week.
After the euphoria of a 65 on Saturday, it was misery in the form of 75 for Jyoti Randhawa, who at five-under ended tied 13th.
It was pure nightmare for Gaganjeet Bhullar, who shot the worst round of the week, which surely must have been worst of his pro career at 14-over 86, that saw him drop like a rock from overnight 13th at five-under to tied 58th at nine-over 297.
Kunal Bhasin had a brilliant finish, by far the best in the field, with four birdies in last four holes and his 70 saw him finish at tied 27th at one-over 289, while Rahil Gangjee dropped three bogeys on last three holes in his 75 to end at 73 and tied 45th at five-over 293.
Bhullar (86) was nine-over 297 in tied 58th, Digvijay Singh (76) was 15-over in 70th place and Himmat Rai (79) was 17-over in 72nd place.
Even as Schwartzel, who reduced the 11-shot lead to four on the third day, picked a birdie on the first to make it just three shots, Westwood came back strong with birdies on second and third.
Again after an eagle on 11th, Schwartzel reduced the lead to three, but once again Westwood birdied 12th, 13th and 15th and thereafter kept the South African at more than an arm's length.
In the end, it was Schwartzel (72) who cracked with three bogeys in the last five holes and ended at 15-under and allowed the Englishman to cruise to a seven-shot win, which also made him No. 2 in the world.
After the withdrawal of Thongchai Jaidee on the second day due to a back strain, the locals finally had a lot to cheer as Chawalit Plaphol (67) was tied for fourth with former Asian Tour No. 1 Simon Dyson (69) at 12-under.
Comments
0 comment