It took Rahil Gangjee 17 holes and Vijay Kumar none to set up an intriguing final clash on Saturday in the Rs One million SRF Matchplay Golf Championship, being played at the par-72 Delhi Golf Club.
In the semi-finals on Friday, in the only matchplay championship on the Hero Honda Indian Golf Tour, fifth seed Vijay Kumar of Lucknow received a walkover from top seed Arjun Atwal, the twice European PGA Tour winner pulling out with a heat stroke.
In the other match between two of the most popular players on the Tour, No 18 Rahil Gangjee overcame Kolkata city mate and sixth seed Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia 2&1.
Atwal, who played a thriller against Jaiveer Virk on Thursday afternoon, felt tired after the round, but started feeling the effect of the heat on Friday morning.
"He threw up several times since morning 6:00 am and was in no shape to play. The doctor thinks it is the combination of the steroids he is taking for the throat infection and the heat of Thursday's double round," said Amandeep Johl, who is staying with the top seed.
Atwal has a condition called the polyp of vocal chords because of which he has lost his voice completely, and might require minor surgery if it doesn't get better by Saturday.
"I am very disappointed as I was playing well and looking forward to reaching the final. It would have been fun playing against Vijay Kumar, who is a great fighter," said Atwal through Amandeep.
Fifth seed Vijay said: "I am happy to reach the final, but it would have been lot better if I could have beaten Arjun while doing so. I am feeling bad for him as he was playing some great golf and it could have been an exciting semi-final."
In the second semi-final, the Titleist-sponsored Gangjee got the better of a fighting Chowrasia. After going 3-up at the turn, Gangjee saw his lead cut to one when his rival made a birdie on the 13th and then won the 14th with a par. Chowrasia could have squared the match had he not missed a simple looking six-footer birdie putt on the par-3 12th.
"You just cannot relax against someone like Chowrasia. I think the turning point was the 16th hole when I holed a three-footer for birdie and his birdie putt from 12 feet lipped out," said the 24-year-old Gangjee. "I think it will be a good match against Vijay, who will have the advantage of resting today. But I am physically fit and that shouldn't be much of a problem. However, I would have loved to go out against Arjun, who is like an idol for me," added Gangjee, when asked about the final.
Chowrasia refused to blame his painful injuries, the result of a motorcycle accident last week in Kolkata, which left his arms badly bruised, for the loss.
"Rahil played well, while my putting was not up to the mark today. I am happy the way I played this tournament, as I really did not have much hope," said the affable 24-year-old pro, who has won two out of the last three events on the Hero Honda Indian Golf Tour this season.
The final on Saturday will be a 36-hole affair with the morning session starting at 9:00 am and the afternoon session at 1:30 pm. With the withdrawl of Atwal, the 3rd/4th place play-off will not be played and Chowrasia will be third and Atwal fourth.
Chowrasia will receive Rs 50,000, while Atwal had to be content with Rs 35,000.
Semi-final results: 5-Vijay Kumar bt 1-Arjun Atwal WO; 18-Rahil Gangjee bt 6-SSP Chowrasia 2&1.
Final: 5-Vijay Kumar vs 18-Rahil Gangjee (9:00 am).
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