Back from wilderness after 14 yrs

Osaka (Japan), April 22 

Indian golfer Rahil Gangjee on Sunday clinched the Panasonic Open title in style by making a birdie on the last hole to end a 14-year-long title drought.

The 39-year-old was tied with Korea’s Hyungsung Kim and Hwang Junggon at 13-under with one hole left to play. Gangjee held his nerves to hit a birdie and bag the title. Gangjee had won his maiden Asian Tour title in China way back in 2004.

The win brought Gangjee a lot of benefits, including a winner’s cheque of over $283,000 and a bonus of $50,000 for finishing second on the Panasonic Swing behind Shiv Kapur (who got $70,000). Gangjee also got two-year exemptions on the Asian and Japan Tours.

Since 2004, Gangjee had finished second three times, third three times and had a total of 22 top 10 finishes.

Earlier this year, Gangjee had pulled out of Myanmar and Singapore events because of a stomach bug.

Gangjee became the third Indian after Jyoti Randhawa (in 2003), Jeev Milkha Singh (2 in 2006 and 2 in 2008) to win a Japan Tour title. 

Last year, Ajeetesh Sandhu won a 36-hole event on the Japan Challenge Tour.

Kolkata-born Gangjee wanted to be a jockey before his father convinced him to take up golf because he was afraid of his son getting injured. Little over a year ago, Gangjee moved to Bengaluru and the move seemed to have paid off. “It has been 14 years,” Gangjee said. “I’ve been in such situations a few times now but obviously have not been able to convert my chances until today. It has been a very hard 14 years and the thing that surprises even me is my will to keep going.”

Not forgetting all those who helped him in this period, Gangjee added, “Everyone played their part in helping me out, my caddie, my mother, father, wife, friends. But more than anything else, you have to want it. And that has kept me going.” 

It was a massive relief for Gangjee, who did not have playing rights anywhere, including in India, when he came from US after losing his Nationwide (now Web.com) card in 2012. He earned the 61st and final card for the 2018 season.

Ajeetesh Sandhu (69) finished tied-10th. SSP Chawrasia (73), a one-time room partner of Gangjee, was tied-40th, while Arjun Atwal (75), a former neighbour of Gangjee in Kolkata, was tied-44th.

Beating Korean challenge

Gangjee, who started one shot behind Kim, had a birdie on the second, which the Korean matched. But both Gangjee and Kim, who has not won on the Asian Tour, were tentative on the rest of the front nine. They bogeyed twice each, while Hwang, a group ahead, caught up with three birdies on the front nine. The Korean duo was tied at 11-under with Gangjee was 10-under. On the back nine, it was Gangjee who made the move first and Kim followed suit. Gangjee had a superb run of three birdies from the 12th to 14th, which carried him back to 13-under, while Kim birdied 13 and 14 to get to 13-under. Hwang birdied 12th to get to 12-under.

Kim and Gangjee stayed steady with pars for the next three holes and were still at 13-under. Hwang bogeyed the 16th but birdied 17 and 18 to set the clubhouse target of 13-under. When Kim and Gangjee came to the 18th tee, there was a three-way tie. Kim went into the bunker and then Gangjee went into the bunker with his second shot. That’s when Gangjee pulled off a great third shot and completed a great up-and-down to birdie the 18th, while Kim managed only a par.

“My heart rate was up and my mind started going all over the place,” Gangjee said. “That was the chance I had to convert. My third shot out of the bunker was not really a tough shot. But under pressure it could have been a very tough one. But somehow I was calm. My bunker play is one of the strongest aspects of my game. A lot of people don’t get to see it, but if you ask my caddie, he will tell you that’s the best.”

Aditi 9th, eyes season’s first top 10 finish 

Los Angeles: Aditi Ashok made a superb charge on the back nine with two birdies and an eagle on a par-4 at the Hugel-JTBC Los Angeles Open to close in on her first top 10 finish of the season. Aditi, playing her second season, shot a 2-under 69 to move to T-9 after the third round on Saturday. She had rounds of 68 and 73 on the first two days. Aditi started with a bogey on the first hole. She birdied the 10th, but gave that back on the 11th. An eagle on the par-4 14th set her up nicely and she added a birdie on the par-4 16th to take her total to 3-under. Moriya Jutanugarn (70) and Jin Young-Ko (66) were the joint leaders at 9-under. 

Lahiri slips in third round at Texas Open 

San Antonio (US): Anirban Lahiri slipped to tied-66th in the third round of the Valero Texas Open. Lahiri, now playing his third full season on the PGA Tour, shot a 1-over 73 in the third round and was lying T-66 as compared to T-48 at the midway stage. Once again his problems were on the greens. Zach Johnson, the 2008 and 2009 champion, maintained a share of the lead following a 4-under 68. At 13-under 203, he will enter the final round tied with Andrew Landry. Johnson is seeking to join Arnold Palmer (1960-62) and Justin Leonard (2000-01, 2007) as the only three-time winners. — PTI— PTI