Round 4 - S.S.P. Chawrasia wins Indian Open at last

March 20, 2016

India's SSP Chawrasia pulled off a two-shot win over defending champion Anirban Lahiri and Korea's Jeunghun Wang with a birdie on the final hole Sunday at the US$1.66 million Hero Indian Open.

Chawrasia shot 71 for a 15-under-par 273, two better than Lahiri (69) and Wang (68). It was his third European Tour win and the fourth on Asian Tour. Lahiri, the reigning Asian Tour No. 1, missed his birdie attempt on the final hole while Chawrasia struck a third shot from the rough that landed within three feet of the cup at the Delhi Golf Club.

''It is a very important day for me. I have finished second four times in the Indian Open and every time that happened to me I wondered if I would ever be able to one day be the champion,'' said Chawrasia, who won US$276,660.

''Anirban is a great player and a fine sportsman and I enjoy my duels with him,'' Chawrasia said. '' Now quite possibly both of us will go to the Olympics as part of the Indian team.''

''There was a lot of pressure on me on the last hole,'' he said. ''This win means so much to me. I don't know how I will celebrate it. I will let my wife (Simantini) do that for me. Last year when I lost, she was crying so now we can both enjoy this victory together,'' he said with a smile.

''It was pretty intense. I got off to a great start but lost a bit of momentum after that,'' Lahiri said. ''I gave myself a lot of chances but missed quite few from 15-20 feet but at the end of day, SSP hung tough and played very well.''

''There is nothing sweeter than being the Indian Open champion. It was a disappointing finish after a promising start for me. But I am so happy for SSP. This win is huge for him,'' Lahiri added.

Wang, a member of Team Asia at the EurAsia Cup earlier this year, came close to winning his first Asian Tour title, settling for a bogey-free 68 highlighted by four birdies.

Round 3 - S.S.P. Chawrasia takes narrow advantage

March 20, 2016

India's S.S.P. Chawrasia grabbed the top spot at the Hero Indian Open Saturday after he carded a four-under-par 68 in the third round, holding a two-shot lead ahead of the final day.

Chawrasia, a three-time Asian Tour winner, surged past overnight leader Terry Pilkadaris of Australia, recording four birdies to lead on 14-under-par 202 at the challenging Delhi Golf Club course.

A second-place finisher in four previous Indian Opens, Chawrasia hopes to lift the trophy on Sunday to inch closer to his Olympic dream.

"Honestly, the Hero Indian Open is a very important tournament for me and for sure I want to win it because I have finished second over here four times," the 37-year-old said.

"If I win this one, then 100 percent sure I am going to play in the Olympics," he said.

Chawrasia was defeated by Indian defending champion and reigning Asian Tour number one Anirban Lahiri in a play-off last year. He also finished second in 1999, 2006 and 2013.

Chawrasia toppled Pilkadaris from the top spot Saturday after the 42-year-old Australian ended the day one-over 73, placing him two shots off the pace.

Pilkadaris, without a win since 2005, struggled after he suffered two bogeys on his first three holes and managed only two birdies during round three.

India's Lahiri and Rashid Khan, who won his first Asian Tour title at the Delhi course, are the closest challengers, with both 10-under-par going into the final day of the tournament.

Lahiri rose rapidly Saturday, finishing the day five-under 67 with four birdies on the front-nine with no bogeys.

The event, sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour for the second straight year, carries an enhanced prize purse of $1.66 million.

Round 2 - Terry Pilkadaris goes clear with a 64

March 19, 2016

Australian golfer Terry Pilkadaris cut loose with nine birdies in a round of 8-under 64 for a three-shot lead going into the weekend at the Indian Open on Friday.

Trailing him on 10-under totals after 36 holes were India's Shiv Shankar Prasad Chawrasia (67), and Spain's Nacho Elvira (68).

Pilkadaris, who made just one cut in his last six starts, was 9 under through 15 holes in his second round but parred the next two and dropped a shot on the par-5 18th after hitting his tee shot into bushes.

He's a three-time winner on the Asian Tour, but winless for 11 years. Pilkadaris said he was only just starting to feel better after trapping a nerve in his back while moving furniture in December.

''It was a rookie mistake and I'm no rookie, so I should be shot for that one,'' he quipped.

Elvira missed six straight cuts until the Thailand Classic last week, while Chawrasia, a four-time runner-up in the Indian Open, made some fine saves on the back nine, including birdies from the bushes on the 11th and 14th.

''My putting saved me, no doubt,'' Chawrasia said.

David Lipsky of the United States (67), and Ben Evans of England (66) shared fourth place, five shots behind, and defending champion and Asian Tour No. 1 Anirban Lahiri (71) was in a tie for 14th, eight shots behind Pilkadaris.

Padraig Harrington was among those who missed the cut in the European and Asian Tours event at even par.

Round 1 - Daniel Im takes first round honours

March 18, 2016

Daniel Im of the United States shot a bogey-free 7-under 65 on Thursday to grab a one-shot lead after the first round of the Indian Open at the Delhi Golf Club.

The 30-year-old Im, who had two successive top-10 finishes in South Africa in January, teed off from the 10th and made a birdie-birdie start. He had another birdie at the 15th, followed with birdies at the first and second holes and chipped in at the seventh. A final birdie at the ninth capped his round in ideal morning conditions.

''This is my first time (here) so I haven't seen the bad stuff yet,'' Im said. ''It went well for me this morning. I chipped it in on my first hole and I made birdie on my second hole. I kept going and told myself to keep it on the fairway.''

''I've heard about this golf course so many times prior to this trip,'' he added. ''I came in with a bit of respect. I showed some respect and got some respect back.''

Thailand's Prom Meesawat had seven birdies and a bogey in a round of 66. Also one shot behind Im were Spanish players Jorge Campillo and Nacho livra.

India's SSP Chawrasia, a four-time runner-up at the event, including the past two years, survived a double-bogey to shoot 67. Also shooting 67s were India's Sanjay Kumar, South Korea's Jeunghun Wang, Australia's Terry Pilkadaris and Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin, who had a hole-in-one at the fifth.

Defending champion Anirban Lahiri of India shot a 68. Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington had a 71

Scores