Vijay Kumar used all his experience to overcame a battling Rahil Gangjee on the 35th hole to win the Rs One million SRF Matchplay Golf Championship, which concluded at the par-72 Delhi Golf Club, on Saturday.
The 34-year-old from Lucknow, who won his third title of the 2002-03 season of Hero Honda Indian Golf Tour, was four-up with seven holes to go, but lost the next three holes as Gangjee pulled it back. It was an errant tee shot into the right bushes on the par-3 17th hole by the young Kolkata pro which finally clinched the match for Vijay.
"I am extremely happy that I have won after such a long time. I have been playing well but just could not put up the score. I think the main difference was that I putted well and am delighted with the way I am stroking my putts," said the 2002 Indian Open champion, who won the Hero Honda Open South and TNGF Open earlier this season.
Vijay's earning was Rs 1,75,000 for the tournament.
Gangjee, whose winning of Rs 1,00,000 was the biggest paycheque of his career, said: "I played well throughout the tournament and learnt the importance of being physically fit. Playing seven rounds in five days is taxing and I am feeling tired right now. I am happy with the way I fought back against Vijay, but it would have been nicer if I could have played that shot on 17th better."
After finishing the 18 holes of morning session 2-up, Vijay looked like wrapping it up when he won the first two holes of the afternoon session. But he lost the fourth and fifth holes when he failed to make up-and-down from greenside bunkers. However, Vijay came back strongly with a 18-footer birdie putt on the sixth and went four-up again on the 29th hole.
Gangjee then came back with a hat-trick of wins from the 12th hole onwards. Vijay lost the 12th and 13th holes when he failed to make pars from the bunker and Gangjee sealed the 14th with a superb eagle. On the 15th, he almost chipped-in but the ball hit the flag and did not drop in the cup.
In the morning session, Gangjee's rhythm was completely off for the first few holes, and by the time he got into the groove, Vijay was already 3-up after five holes. The Lucknow golfer birdied the first, then dropped a 30-footer putt for another birdie on the third and won the fifth with a par when Gangjee failed to make his up-and-down from the left bunker. Vijay was 2-up at the turn after he gave up the eighth hole following a tee shot into the right bushes.
On the back nine, Vijay made important par putts from 12 and 10 feet to halve the holes, before halving the 12th with bogies. On the 13th, Rahil went 3-down again when he failed to make his chip-putt. It was from the 14th that both players turned on the heat. Gangjee made a birdie on the 14th but Vijay pulled back with an amazing 20-footer birdie putt on the 16th. They both halved the 17th with birdies and Gangjee made it to 2-up for Vijay with a birdie on the 18th.
The 3rd/4th place playoff was also scheduled for Saturday, but following the withdrawal of Arjun Atwal in the semi-finals, Kolkata's SSP Chowrasia was adjudged the second runner-up, while Atwal had to be satisfied with the fourth place. Chowrasia received Rs 50,000, while Atwal got Rs 35,000.
Final results: 5-Vijay Kumar bt 18-Rahil Gangjee 2-up.
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