Press Trust of India
New Delhi, March 20: Four-time runner-up, SSP Chawrasia broke the jinx to lift the title at the Hero Indian Open golf tournament with a two-stroke victory at the Delhi Golf Course (DGC) here Sunday.
The 37-year-old came up with a sedate one-under 71 in the final round to edge out defending champion Anirban Lahiri (69) and Korea’s Jeunghun Wang (68). The victory also secured Chawrasia’s European Tour card.
The Kolkata pro said: “This is very important as I don’t have a full card. Hopefully I am playing Olympics and World Cup and so it is important. I am happy. I was nervous a bit but I focused and breathed in and out and controlled my nerves.”
It was Lahiri, who made a rampaging start to the final round as he blasted a hat-trick of birdies in the first three holes and caught up with Chawrasia when the latter dropped a shot at the sixth hole.
Chawrasia, however, picked a stroke at the eighth and Lahiri dropped one at the ninth to be two strokes behind the overnight leader.
At the 14th hole, Lahiri gained another stroke and joined Wang after both his and Chawrasia’s tee shot ended up in a bunker. While Lahiri managed to hit a birdie, Chawrasia saved par.
With just one hole to go, Chawrasia slightly hobbled with his approach shot which landed on the left of the fairways but the Kolkata golfer’s next stroke took him close to the pin and it attracted applauds even from Lahiri, who had to take a free drop. With Lahiri next missing a birdie putt, Chawrasia sealed the title with a birdie for a two-stroke win.